Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register Division 6 – Woods and Plastics Natural wood has long been prized for its beauty and versatility but it has also become increasingly scarce, expensive, and environmentally regulated.Deforestation concerns, national logging bans, and limited plantation programs have made structural timber and hardwood finishes difficult to source in large quantities.…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register Division 5 – Metals In the Philippines, steel systems have gained traction due to their strength-to-weight advantage, speed of erection, seismic resilience, and modular adaptability. This section introduces the key metal systems used in local construction projects—from high-rise buildings to industrial facilities and intricate façades—highlighting their respective features, advantages,…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register Division 4 – Masonry Masonry is one of the most important components for vertical enclosures, space delineation, and structural performance. In the Philippines, traditional concrete hollow blocks (CHB) continue to dominate the construction methods, but new and modern alternative walling systems are now available to improve speed, efficiency, and…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register Division 3 – Concrete Reinforced concrete (RC) is one of the most important and transformative materials in modern construction. Its significance spans from early 20th-century buildings to today’s most advanced infrastructure, covering both horizontal (roads, bridges, tunnels) and vertical (buildings, towers) construction. Concrete has been used since ancient times…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register Division 2 – Site Construction This division outlines the work required to prepare the land / site for future vertical construction. It ensures that the land is safe, stable, and appropriately modified for the planned building or infrastructure. The division includes surveying, demolition, earthwork, site utilities, paving, landscaping, and…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register Division 1 – General Requirements & Preliminaries DEFINITION General Requirements & Preliminaries refer to the non-permanent and temporary provisions necessary to support the execution of a construction project. These items are essential for mobilizing, managing, and safely completing the work, but they do not form part of the actual…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register LESSONS & LEARNINGS IN COST PLANNING In construction, confidence is essential, but untested assumptions are risky and often lead to major financial complications. A familiar pattern emerges in many troubled projects: owners, driven by vision and ambition, bypass or ignore expert cost advice, assuming intuition and determination will suffice.…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register PROJECT CASE STUDIES in ConstructionCost Engineering Excellence Learning Through Experience Real-world experience is one of the most powerful sources of cost insight. While blueprints, models, and project schedules provide structure, it is in the execution—the challenges faced, the strategies employed, and the lessons learned—where true knowledge is forged. This…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register CHAPTER 2 – PROJECT CASE STUDIES PROJECT CASE STUDY # 1 Assembly / Worship PlacePROJECT CASE STUDY # 2 Residential High-Rise BuildingPROJECT CASE STUDY # 3 Bare Factory BuildingPROJECT CASE STUDY # 4 Townhouse DevelopmentPROJECT CASE STUDY # 5 Ice Manufacturing PlantPROJECT CASE STUDY # 6 Community Wet MarketPROJECT…

Cost GuideBook Portal Login / Register Cost Adjustment Guide Foreign Exchange and Its Impact on Construction Costs The Philippine construction industry is very much affected by the exchange rates, especially the fact that the construction materials, equipment, and technologies are largely imported. When the Philippine Peso is devalued on the exchange rate with other major…