Understanding the Master Format as an organizational structure for estimating is crucial for construction projects. This article delves into the three levels of Master Format including concrete grouping, structural concrete, and heavyweight structural concrete.
Key Insights
- The Master Format is structured into three levels for efficient estimation in construction projects. Level 1 covers broad categories like concrete grouping for the entire project.
- Level 2 dives into subcategories within Level 1, such as structural concrete within the concrete grouping. Level 3 further categorizes Level 2, exemplified by heavyweight structural concrete under structural concrete.
- The items in quantity takeoff should follow the Master Format structure. Level 3 is typically where pricing is applied, but it's important for whoever reviews the estimate to easily understand the relationship between the takeoff, the drawings, and the estimate.
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Master Format is the organizational structure for estimating. Because of that, it makes sense that the takeoff should also use the same structure. Let's take a look at the levels, starting with Level 1 for concrete.
So here we have Level 1, which is 03 00. That's the concrete grouping for the entire project. And that Level 1 is part of the 48 or 50 divisions, as we referred to earlier.
So you have concrete. Then what about the components within concrete? What about the elements that reside inside of concrete? Level 2 now is 03 31 00. The 31 in the middle represents structural concrete.
Next we'll go to Level 3. It ends with 13, which is 03 31 13. The 13 represents heavyweight structural concrete. If you bring heavyweight structural concrete into your estimate, with the Level 3 code of 03 31 13, it is automatically recognized as belonging to the structural concrete for Level 2, as well as the concrete grouping for Level 1. So it is not necessary to identify quantity takeoff items in greater detail than Master Format Levels 2 and 3, although it can be done.
The key requirement for quantity takeoff is that the items should follow the general Master Format structure. That is the absolute key to organizing your estimates. So notice that we have three levels of Master Format that we're working with.
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The third level itself, heavyweight structural concrete, is typically where you'll be applying your pricing, or the quantities that you're going to extract from the model or from the plans, and then apply a price to. Now, if there are several heavyweight structural concrete items in the estimate, stating that they all roll up to a Level 2 cost is very appropriate. Structural concrete Level 2 would include any Level 3 items.
So understand that Levels 1,2, and 3 are different levels of cost. Level 3 can roll up into Level 2, and Levels 2 and 3 can roll up into Level 1. If you want to fully expand the view to see the greatest amount of detail, you want to view it at Level 3. Just ensure that whoever reviews the estimate can easily follow the relationship of the takeoff to the drawings to the estimate. Takeoff items are typically a composite of many related items referred to as assemblies.
So again, we have Levels 1,2, and 3. It is broken down in the same way, and Level 1 starts out with finishes. It's a very broad, very expansive level. A lot of the interior finishes are included in that.
Our Level 2 now is going to include plaster and gypsum board assemblies. And then Level 3 is strictly gypsum board assemblies. Now notice that a Level 3 item we have here—that gypsum board assembly—includes framing and taping behind it.
It could be up to a certain height. It could be two layers of sheetrock on each side of the wall. It could use different gauges and different size studs.
But in this particular case, you have a Level 3, which is 092116. That is a gypsum board assembly, so you do not need to take off the studs individually. You do not need to take off how many square feet of taping you might have or how many levels of taping finish you need to apply.
Therefore, everything is rolled up nicely into one simple line item, which is a gypsum board assembly—whether it includes wood or metal stud framing.
