McCormick Systems’ Blog

In the preconstruction phase, to be confident in your data and assured of the competitiveness of your bid you have to understand the various elements involved. Determining appropriate timelines and creating accurate budgets allows you to manage more profitable jobs. Takeoff, estimates and bids, in their own way, are processes used to determine the schedule and costs for a project.

When you hear the word “tools,” certain images probably come to mind: a hammer, a drill – maybe even a box of screws. But do you also think of your software? As all contractors know, construction is a fast-paced industry where having the right tools can spell the difference between success and failure. You can’t wire a building without wire

Estimating directly impacts the bidding process by establishing an accurate budget, identifying all potential expenses, providing a detailed list of necessary materials, and evaluating all labor requirements for a job. Because estimating touches every aspect of a project, it’s important to estimate accurately. But it can also be an extremely tedious and time-consuming process. Finding ways to streamline the estimating

In construction, clients will award the job to the perceived best bid. Bids are created through estimates and predict both the total scope of a job and its cost to complete. This means that a single mistake or miscalculation during the estimating process can easily lead to lost revenue. Underestimated materials and quantities can lead to expensive delays and budget

Managing profitable jobs begins with establishing reliable budgets. And to create these accurate budgets, construction companies need to know what their costs are and where their expenses are coming from. That’s where estimating comes in. Estimating involves determining all the required costs for a project. Which means an estimator needs a thorough understanding of both the industry and the estimating

The Biden-Harris administration recently announced the Solar and Wind Grid Services and Reliability Demonstration Program. This $26-million program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will create new sustainable energy jobs for the American people. The goal of this program is to demonstrate how the U.S. power grid can run on 100% clean energy.[1] Check out our article about

What is the Made-in-America National Network of Electric Vehicle Chargers? The Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes a $7.5 billion budget to begin building a nationwide network of 500,000 publicly accessible and American-made electric vehicle charging stations by 2030. The law will also invest $10 billion in clean transportation and over $7 billion in electric vehicle battery components

Low-voltage wiring refers to electrical wiring that carries less than 50 volts. In commercial construction, projects requiring low-voltage wiring involve low-power devices such as security cameras, intercoms, thermostats, and other electronic systems. Low-voltage wiring is typically installed during the initial stages of construction and is often referred to as “structured wiring.” It includes various components such as cables, connectors, outlets,

The world of estimating (the process of calculating the costs of labor and materials to generate a bid) is filled with technicalities, acronyms, and jargon galore. To help, we’ve put together a Definitive Construction Estimating Glossary to make things a little less complicated.A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R

McCormick Hosted is the cloud-based — sometimes referred to as SaaS — version of McCormick Estimating that offers many benefits over a traditional, on-premise installation. Accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection, McCormick Hosted offers increased security benefits, like automatic updates and backups, without requiring you to buy or maintain your own servers. If you’ve ever wondered exactly what you

It’s no secret that cyberattacks have become more prevalent across all industries over the last few years. According to the 2021 Global Digital Trust Insights Survey, ransomware attacks tripled in 2020 — after already doubling from 2018 to 2019. This trend is predicted to continue as companies move to digital business models. Due to the overall nature of construction work