Lumber (Wood) Framing Takeoff & Estimating
Wood Framing Trade-CSI Division Code 06 – Wood and Plastic Products
So, you’re a wood framing contractor and are looking to increase profitability. Well, like you, many reputable carpentry and framing contractors are striving for high-quality, dependable craftsmanship with turn-key framing services. With sizeable crew, their services are more focused on quality-control to provide consistent results to meet development needs on time or ahead of schedule. Let’s review the lumber framing trade, the wood estimating process, and also how Construction Estimating can help you!
Lumber (Wood) Framing Trade
Framing contractors play a very important role in the construction and building industry serving many responsibilities. Whether it’s a residential building or a commercial property, a framing contractor put together a frameset that acts as a skeleton for the building. They are engaged in structural framing and sheathing of the building. To the frame of the building, the rest of the edifice can be supported and the remainder of the design plans can be implemented.
Framing contractors work either as an individual or a group of carpenters that can be hired to build anything from a school, apartment building, or warehouse to an office building, airport, or hotel. Carpenters or framers are skilled in cutting, measuring, and building structures with wood including framing houses, creating frames for concrete, residential remodeling, and more. Although, framing contractors may have to build anything that is residential or commercial scale some carpenters are specialized for only one type of buildings.
A carpenter works to build everything from decks, to additions on home, concrete framework, stone framework, and more. They are much involved to build walls out of studs, sills, and headers; build floors from joists and beams, and frame roofs using ridge poles and rafters.
Framing and lumber industry is always in demand as more businesses and people keep constructing more buildings and properties. But with every evolving demand and scope of jobs for new home construction, new companies are also taking lead. In such a competitive landscape, the profitability of lumber and framing company depends heavily on a steady volume of contracted work, accurate work estimation, and cost control.
General Lumber Framing Estimating Process:
Framing takeoff means a basic count of the framing lumber. It is the first step in estimating construction materials for a new residential or construction building. In this estimate, you need to determine the number of studs for a wall frame, the headers for doors and window opening, horizontal plates for the top and bottom of walls, and the number of sheets of sheathing required for the exterior side of the wall.
To start you need a rough sketch or plan that identifies the overall length and height of the wall and the size of all door and window opening. Keeping in view the length, determine the number of wall studs as per the standard spacing of 16 inches from center.
Now determine the supporting plates for the walls. For load-bearing walls of a standard frame, you should consider a single bottom plate and double top plate. For the total length of the plate, just multiply the total length of walls by 3 but don’t forget to add up a wastage factor of 5 to 10 percent.
Now calculate the number of studs by starting with a quick calculation for the general studs and adding studs for specific elements. Just multiply total wall length of 0.75 and add three studs for 90-degree corners and add four studs for 45-degree corners. For each opening of 5 feet wide or less, add two studs while for the opening of more than 5 feet add one stud. Consider 15 percent of wastage factor for wall studs.
For a 2×4 wall frame, the total thickness of the header is 3 ½ inches to match the width or depth. For standard-size doors and windows, the header is built with two pieces of 2×12 lumber sandwiched over a piece of ½ inch thick plywood which is cut to the same size as the header.
For sheathing, first, calculate the area of the wall by multiplying the total height and length of the wall subtracting with the area of the opening. Divide the net area by 32 (which is the area of one sheet of standard 4 x 8 foot). The result rounded up to the nearest whole number will be the number of sheets required for sheathing.
Using Planswift for Lumber / Wood Framing Takeoffs & Estimation
So, you see the estimation process is not that simple. Rather you’re involved in manual calculations which are not feasible when you’re running your very own framing or lumber company. So, for accurate and fast framing estimates, PlanSwift has a lot to offer. It allows you the measure joists, rafter, stud walls, and other materials by just using your PDF plans. It allows you to quickly count headers, posts, and hardware. You can even make your pre-configured material list that can be calculated instantly and the same goes for the cost.
So, if you’re looking to win more projects, bid more, and bid accurately to earn more jobs and more profit.
We are a proud Planswift Partner!
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