Why AACE Guidelines Matter on Every Estimate

The American Association of Cost Engineers publishes classes of estimate that tell everyone how much design is complete and how much contingency belongs in the number.

When a client asks for a “budget” on schematic drawings, treating it like a bid-day Class 1 estimate creates false precision. We label the class, list exclusions, and explain what will move as design develops.

That honesty builds trust. It also prevents painful conversations when the GMP is set six months later on a much more complete set of documents.