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RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)

RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)

Overview

What is RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)?

RSMeans data, from Gordian (formerly Costworks) is a construction and estimation software offering acquired by the Gordian Group in 2014. It includes cost books and construction project estimating software tools.

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Learn from top reviewers

Great help with large construction project costs

Rating: 9 out of 10
January 7, 2020
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
CostWorks is used across our multi-discipline firm to give us and our clients a good handle on construction costs for our new design and renovation projects. The user must be ...
Continue reading
Robert Bass
Project Manager - Engineering
Vice President of Engineering
Wiley Wilson
RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)7 years of experience

CostWorks: Building Modeling at it's best and a very in-depth detail-item database

Rating: 9 out of 10
August 5, 2016
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
In my previous position as Eastern Regional Estimating Manager of Design for Jacobs Engineering, I used CostWorks to develop models for preliminary task orders and to develop ...
Continue reading
Bryan T. Piper, CCP
Manager - Engineering
Eastern Regional Estimating Manger of Design
McKissack & McKissack
RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)4 years of experience
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RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)

RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)

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What is RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)?

RSMeans data, from Gordian (formerly Costworks) is a construction and estimation software offering acquired by the Gordian Group in 2014. It includes cost books and construction project estimating software tools.

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  • No setup fee

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  • Free Trial
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  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Details

What is RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)?

RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(5)

Reviews

(1-2 of 2)
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Great help with large construction project costs

Rating: 9 out of 10
Incentivized
January 07, 2020
RB
Robert Bass
Vice President of Engineering
Wiley Wilson (Design, 51-200 employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
7 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
CostWorks is used across our multi-discipline firm to give us and our clients a good handle on construction costs for our new design and renovation projects. The user must be careful when it comes to markup factors such as City Cost indexes, overhead, and profit markups since they will vary from project to project and greatly affect the overall cost of construction.
Pros and Cons
  • unit costs of construction materials
  • labor rates for large projects
Likelihood to Recommend
Well Suited:
Construction cost estimates for new larger projects where the construction will start within the next 6-9 months. Budgetary estimates for future buildings through its square foot models.

Not Well Suited:
Not accurate enough on small projects where labor, travel to sites, and OH&P are a higher percentage of unit costs than on larger projects where these costs are spread out across more units.
RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) Feature Ratings
Construction Project & Field Management (11)
N/A
N/A
Plan distribution & viewing
N/A
N/A
Plan markups & sharing
N/A
N/A
Document sharing
N/A
N/A
Issue tracking & punchlists
N/A
N/A
Photo documentation
N/A
N/A
Jobsite reports
N/A
N/A
RFI tools
N/A
N/A
Collaboration & approvals
N/A
N/A
As-built drawings
N/A
N/A
Mobile app
N/A
N/A
Submittal design and management
N/A
N/A
Estimating (5)
78%
7.8
Takeoff tools
60%
6.0
Job costing
90%
9.0
Cost databases
90%
9.0
Cost calculator
80%
8.0
Bid creation
70%
7.0
Human Resource Management
N/A
N/A
Payroll Management
N/A
N/A
Asset Management
N/A
N/A
Reporting & Analytics
N/A
N/A
Return on Investment
  • Good - it saves a lot of time on producing estimates
Alternatives Considered
CostWorks is much quicker than manually looking up costs and copying them to a spreadsheet.
Other Software Used
Support Rating
5
I've never had the need to discuss CostWorks with a vendor.

CostWorks: Building Modeling at it's best and a very in-depth detail-item database

Rating: 9 out of 10
Incentivized
August 05, 2016
BT
Bryan T. Piper, CCP
Eastern Regional Estimating Manger of Design
McKissack & McKissack (Architecture & Planning, 10,001+ employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
4 years of experience
View profile
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
In my previous position as Eastern Regional Estimating Manager of Design for Jacobs Engineering, I used CostWorks to develop models for preliminary task orders and to develop ROMs for the building of the 1391 documents used by many federal government entities. I also used CostWorks to validate current estimates that were submitted to me for review. I did this by utilizing the modeling feature in CostWorks to build a very similar facility/building in CostWorks that most closely resembled the current facility/building that I was reviewing. I then utilized the UniFormat Preliminary Cost Report to validate the cost/SF and compare it to the current estimate cost/SF for the same UniFormat line items. This allowed me to give the estimate a sanity-check and also pointed out areas that may need further investigation into their cost structure.
Pros and Cons
  • CostWorks is very good at generating quick and valid estimates for standardized facilities such as office buildings, schools, etc. It allows you to validate other cost estimates at the UniFormat level when doing an estimate validation.
  • CostWorks' database of detailed line-items is a very resourceful asset when it comes to finding a very specific line-item. Sometimes, when using Success or MII, I will have CostWorks open on the other screen so I can find an item that the other softwares just don't have and build it into the other software from the CostWorks entry.
  • CostWorks does a very good job of generating reports that are both well-developed and have enough detail at the summary level to be able to sit with a client or a project manager and have them follow along and understand without being overwhelmed with detail and numbers.
Likelihood to Recommend
Again, CostWorks is very good at developing models of standard industry facilities/buildings, and it does this very accurately and efficiently. It is not a software that I would use to develop a very detailed line-item cost estimate that would possibly need several revisions to it over the course of the estimate deliverable cycle. And it would not be one I would use where the estimate needs to be broken down into phases or areas of construction. It just doesn't have these capabilities, and maybe it shouldn't. However, it is an excellent resource for running along side other estimating softwares in that its database of line-items is one of immense depth and as I stated before, I use it all the time in conjunction with my other client-specified softwares so that I can find line-items that those softwares just do not contain.
Return on Investment
  • I don't really see any "negative" impacts on my business or my ROI by purchasing CostWorks. It's a valuable tool that we use, however, some of my colleagues do not use it or use it very infrequently.
  • I find it well worth the cost even though we don't develop complete estimates in CostWorks due to client dictated softwares.
  • It has provided very quickly-built estimating models that let our team and project managers know that the RFP or the task that they are contemplating bidding on or starting to work on is actually feasible to construction given the budget and directive.
Alternatives Considered
  • MII, PACES, Timberline and Success

CostWorks is a unique software for estimating as compared to the other softwares I have listed above. PACES is mostly used for federal modeling and really cannot be compared to Costworks. It has its own developed modeling database and has its own quirkiness and issues.

MII has been developed for the USACE and utilized a user-developed folder structure and RS Means Database. I use CostWorks along side this software to find line-items that are not in the MII RS Means Database.

Success has been developed for NAVFAC and again, utilizes a user-developed folder structure and RS Means Database. When I use this software, I ALWAYS have CostWorks open on the other screen as Success' RS Means database is extremely lacking when it comes to the number of detail line-items.

Timberline is by SAGE and I use it mostly for DOS and FAA work. Of the 3 RS Means Database softwares, this one has the most detailed database for reference, however, there are times when I do have to look up an item that Timberline does not have and the first software I open is CostWorks.

Other Software Used
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