Budgets are not the most inspiring work one can do, but unfortunately, they are a must in any project, great or small. An accurate budget set up is one of the key planning steps in every project, and some of us complete the step without giving much thought to it. The larger the project the more important the budget becomes. With a large project, like a civil works project, the budget will be integral in ensuring the project is considered a success. Accurate budgets will include not only the cost of labour and materials but also equipment and a contingency plan for any mishaps along the way. Identifying all potential budget needs before commencing on the project is an important step in the process, but what if you have no idea where to start? That’s where the experienced team at Stoney Pinch can assist. If needed, we can help you establish a budget baseline for your project without our capabilities as project managers. All you need to do is tell us what the project is and any specific items to consider, and we will do the rest. Some of the information you need, such as equipment costs, labour costs and some sundries, may not be information you immediately have access to. Stoney Pinch has expertise across a range of project types and can assist to fill in the gaps. Read on for the other considerations to make when developing your project budget.
Labour
The biggest cost to most projects is labour. You will need to know roughly how many workmen, and what qualifications they need in order to at least have a rough idea of the cost of labour. You will also need to know how many and what hours the workers are on board for, so you can work out the length of the project and adjust accordingly. For example, when constructing a new or improving an existing road, often the works will need to be completed at night so as not to disrupt traffic too much. This means you will be paying your labourers a special rate and of course this needs to be factored into your budget.
Equipment
Your second biggest cost is hiring equipment, and this is also where a lot of variations to budgets occur. If your supplier has back to back jobs, and the first job runs over, your equipment may be delayed and so your budget will need to be adjusted. A contingency for machinery downtime will also need to be factored in as the machines will need to be serviced and that can take them away from your project. At Stoney Pinch, because we operate our own equipment, we have the edge over our competitors as we guarantee the equipment you need will be on site at the time it is need and in serviced condition.
Contingency
Most, if not all budgets have a contingency for when things go wrong. Whilst Stoney Pinch team members are trained to spot risks and mitigate them before they cause too many headaches, not all contractors are, and this is where your contingency comes into play. If you allow for a 10-15% contingency, this should cover any unforeseen or unavoidable issues arising.
Stoney Pinch Adelaide delivers projects across the civil, road and earthworks industries on time, every time and within budget, because our project management processes have been developed and improved over 25 years of experience across the industry. If you are looking for a qualified, safety conscious, committed Civil Road Construction contractor team in the Adelaide and Riverland area or to seek a quote or tender, give our friendly Stoney Pinch team a call on 08 8586 5990.
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