Construction Cost Estimating
DISCLAIMER
Before purchasing, review the rules of your licensing or certifying entity. It is your responsibility to confirm this course meets your CE requirements. See the credit tab on the course page for details.
What’s Included: Full webinar recording, written course materials, expert instruction, a mandatory quiz, and a certificate upon completion.
Deliverability Timeline: All courses are generally available within 1-2 weeks after the live presentation.
CE Credits: AIA and/or LA/CES accreditation is available by request for courses recorded prior to March 11, 2026. All courses after that date include those accreditations by default, if applicable. With these accreditations, our courses qualify for credit in nearly all states for engineers, surveyors, architects, and landscape architects.
Learn more about the on-demand format in our FAQ or contact us at (715) 835-5900 or customerservice@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch (On your own): 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:00 – 4:30 pm
Producing Different Types of Cost Estimates
Purposes of and methodologies for cost estimates
• Design estimate
• Bid estimate
• Control estimate
Construction Estimating Resources and Processes
Estimating team
Estimating process
Data resources
CSI Masterformat
Estimating Labor, Equipment, Overhead and Profit
Estimating labor costs
Estimating for construction equipment costs
Estimating overhead costs
Estimating profit
Estimating Construction Materials and Services
Earthwork and excavation
Pavements
Concrete structures
Wood structures
Steel structures
Masonry
Floors
Roofing
Interiors
Finishes
Estimating Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing
Plumbing
Electrical systems
Mechanical systems
Using Construction Estimating Software
Review of industry-standard software
Credits
Professional Engineers
6.5 PDHs
Architects
6.5 Contact/CE Hours
6.5 AIA HSW Learning Units
Contractors
Non-Credit Continuing Ed.
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public and offers 6.5 PDHs to professional engineers and 6.5 HSW contact/CE hours to architects in most states, including Illinois. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Illinois.
The American Institute of Architects has approved this event for 6.5 HSW Learning Units (Sponsor No. J885). Only full attendance can be reported to the AIA/CES.
HalfMoon Education is deemed an approved architect continuing education sponsor in New York. HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00000700), New York (NYSED Sponsor No. 35), North Carolina, and North Dakota.
This seminar also offers a non-credit continuing education opportunity to construction contractors. It has not been submitted to any state contractor licensing board for continuing education approval.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Mel Cowen
Mr. Cowen started his estimating career in 1979 with a Kansas-based general contracting firm and worked for contractors who self-perform work from Division 1 through Division 33 of CSI masterformat.
His positions ranged from a senior estimator to chief estimator to vice president of estimating. Mr. Cowen has successfully estimated projects in 17 states in the US. These estimates ranged from hard bid to full design-build projects. Currently he is an estimator at Cowen Estimating and Construction Services in the Chicago area.
In 2005 Mr. Cowen became a member of the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE) and in 2007 successfully completed the requirements to become a certified professional estimator.
Mr. Cowen is serving as National 2nd Vice President and as a member of the Board of Trustees for the ASPE.