DCD Archives - Conceptual Building Cost Estimating

3. Use “My Saved Project” (Gold User function)

1. Subscription Levels

BRONZE Subscriber: FREE subscription to the DCD Magazine digital issue and can access past digital issues of DCD on the DCD Archives. Bronze subscribers can search the Archives and view the original architectural statement of each project.

SILVER Subscriber: Silver Subscribers can adjust project costs by changing the total square footage, date and location to generate new cost models, access to over 500 regional modifiers and cost indices through 2017, print new cost models and/or the original project as it appeared in the DCD magazine when published.

GOLD Subscriber: Gold Subscribers have all the features of a Silver subscription plus add, delete, or modify the division, view expanded project subdivision cost detail, and save a project for later use.

2. How To Use This Website

1. Select “Browse Projects”.

2. Using the “Search Options” located on the left gutter. (note: the database will auto load as you select your search options. You can start searching using any one or more of the options available to narrow your search results).

3. Select the project you would like to model by clicking the case number.

4. To review/print the original article as it appeared in the DCD magazine click the “Hi Res PDF”.

5. When you first open a project the default view will be by divisions, to view all available subdivisions click the “Toggle Subdivisions to Expand/Collapse Subdivisions”. Click the division code number to expand one division at a time. (note: clicking the “Toggle Subdivisions” will reverse what ever the current view is, you can click the “Toggle Subdivisions” as often as you like to open or close the subdivision view)

6. Under “Target Criteria” make the appropriate changes to the size, month, year, and location to fit your project.

7. Click the “Target” button and the data will recalculate to your new settings.

8. Gold Subscribers can customize the project by editing, adding, & deleting line-by-line item information and add notes specific to their project for advanced conceptual reporting. Click the “Customize Project” button to activate the “My Saved Project” feature. (note: you can customize one project at a time - when you click the “Customize Project” button again it will overwrite any previous project.)

9. There are two print options. Click the “Print Details” link to generate a printer friendly report with the expanded (subdivisions) data and project notes. Click the “Print Summary” link to generate a printer friendly report with division data totals and project notes.

Your estimate will be displayed in the CSI MasterFormat™.

10. A PDF file (Adobe® Acrobat®) of the original case study as it appeared in DCD is available to include with your project report for validation (click the “Hi Res PDF” to open the original case study).

11. You can come back as often as you need to retarget any project anywhere you have Internet access for the term of your DCD subscription.

3. Using "My Saved Project" or "customize project" feature

This is a GOLD Subscriber feature:

1. Customize a Project: It is recommended that you click the “Customize Project” button before changing the Target Criteria. When accessing a project click the “Customize Project” button located on the left gutter under the Target Criteria box. The project will be saved to your “My Saved Project” account. You can come back to your project anytime in the future.Important Note: Only one project can be customized at a time. Clicking “Customize Project” on another project will overwrite the previous project you were customizing. You will receive the message: “Project was successfully saved to your account” if your project saved properly or if you have already saved a project you will receive a “Warning you are going to overwrite your saved project”. Click OK and you will overwrite the previous project and receive a message “My Project can now be modified”.

2. After Project has Been Saved: When the project has been saved successfully the “Add Division”, “Edit”, “Delete”, and “Subdivisions” links will appear. Update your project Target Criteria to the new time and location before adding/editing data in your project. Be certain to add costs at the new projected rates. Important Note: If you prefer the system to adjust the costs you have added or changed – then Update the “Target Criteria” to present time, location, and sq. ft. then click “Update”. Make all your changes to the project – then update the Target Criteria to your projected time and location and click “Update”

Case Number – Located under the Project Data and to the right of “Case Number”. Clicking this lets you edit/change the Project Name, Building Use, Foundation, Interior Walls, Exterior Walls, Floor Type, Roof Type, Project Type and add notes to your report. Click Update when finished. (note: changing this information will not change or effect the costs, this is for reporting purposes only)

Add Division – This appears between the “Project Data” and the “Targeted Building Costs”. Here you can create additional divisions by entering the code number, description, then put a check in the Building Cost box to include it in the building costs OR leave the check box blank to include the new division in the non-building cost/site work area. Click the Create button and it will add the new division to your project.

Edit Located to the right of the division or subdivsion. Divisions: Here you can change the code, description, and assign to building costs or non-building costs (site work). Subdivisions: Here you can change the subdivision name, change the cost, and add/edit notes to your subdivision. Click the Update button to update you changes or click the back link to return to your project.

Delete – Removes a division or subdivision. You will receive a message Are you sure?, click OK to complete the action or Cancel to exit the action.

Subdivisions - Located to the right of the division. Here you can create new, delete, edit subdivisions within the selected division. Click Create when finished or click the back to project link to return to your project.

3. After modifying the project: Click the "update" button to make certain everything is saved.

4. Print the Statement of Probable Cost Report: Click the "Print Details or Print Summary" link. These print options will remove the banners and site color from your report.

Technical Support:

For Technical Support by phone contact us at 813-662-6801 or you can e-mail questions at DCD Archives Support