Budgeting
Five Reasons the Site Package Exceeds the Estimate
Owners price the building carefully and estimate the site. In Florida that gets expensive.
The survey, the geotechnical report and what you intend to build. That is enough to tell you what the site work involves.
The five
Each is real, each is common, and each is reducible with earlier information.
- Stormwater retention consuming more land and more work than assumed.
- Earthwork that does not balance, so material is imported.
- Unsuitable material paid for twice — hauled out, replacement hauled in.
- Utility capacity requiring an extension or upgrade nobody budgeted.
- Underground conditions the survey did not show.
What actually reduces it
Better information earlier. More borings, a subsurface utility investigation, capacity confirmed in writing, and stormwater laid out before the building.
Every one of those costs a small amount during due diligence and reduces a much larger number later. It is the least glamorous saving available and reliably the largest.
What does not reduce it
Competitive bidding on an inadequate geotechnical report. Every bidder is guessing at the same unknown, and the lowest number is simply the most optimistic guess.
That is not a saving. It is a change order with a delay attached.
FAQ
Common questions
- Why is site work underestimated?
- Owners price the building carefully and estimate the site. In Florida the site is a larger share than expected.
- What reduces the cost most?
- Better information earlier — borings, utility capacity in writing, stormwater laid out first.
- Does competitive bidding help?
- Not on an inadequate report. Every bidder guesses at the same unknown.
- Is stormwater really that significant?
- It consumes real acreage and it is not optional.
Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.