Riverside Elementary Classroom Expansion
A twelve-classroom addition to an occupied elementary school, with a new secure entry vestibule, two special education suites and a connecting corridor tied into the existing building. The general contractor bidding to the school district needed a complete hard-bid estimate with phasing and overtime priced for a summer-only construction window.
Location
Austin, TX
Size
22,500 SF addition
Estimated value
$8.9M
Estimate turnaround
5 business days
Scope estimated
What we measured and priced
- 780 CY of concrete in drilled piers, grade beams and a post-tensioned slab-on-grade over expansive clay
- 28,000 modular CMU with 9,400 SF of brick veneer and cast stone banding to match the existing school
- 118 tons of structural steel with bar joists and 24,000 SF of metal roof deck
- 24,000 SF of standing-seam metal roofing and 1,800 LF of gutters and downspouts
- 38,000 SF of drywall and 21,000 SF of acoustical ceiling tile across 12 classrooms
- 6 packaged rooftop units totaling 96 tons with dedicated outdoor air and DDC controls
- 1,200 A service extension, 640 LED fixtures and 148 data drops to the existing MDF
- Secure entry vestibule with access control and 9 interior hollow metal frames with rated glazing
- 2.4 acres of site grading, fire lane paving, utilities and a 14,000 SF playground surface alternate
The estimating challenge
Austin's expansive clay forced a drilled-pier and post-tensioned slab foundation whose quantities were only partly detailed in the structural set, and the school had to stay fully occupied during the spring semester, leaving an eleven-week summer window for anything noisy or tied into the existing building. The brick and cast stone had to match a 1970s facade, which meant custom units with long lead times. The contractor also needed the estimate to carry a premium-time analysis for the summer push, plus three bid alternates priced independently.
The result
We completed pier and grade-beam quantities from the geotechnical report and typical details, flagged the assumptions for the structural engineer, and built a two-phase schedule that priced the corridor tie-in and vestibule at premium time while classroom work ran at straight time. The contractor bid $8.9M with the playground and canopy alternates and was awarded the base bid plus one alternate. Buyout came in 1.4% under our estimate, and the custom masonry allowance we recommended absorbed the cast stone pricing without an owner change.
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