Dear friends,

My boss threw at me a huge projects and told me to do an estimate. What should I do now, go and get drunk or start to do work breakdown structure into disciplines? What would your best approach to quickly start on this Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit Turnaround estimate prepared for upcoming detail design. This would be my first Turnaround project. Thank you in advance for your input and look forward to your valuable advices. Take care.

Take a few very deep breaths and then start (as you indicate) to break the project down into steps.  Establish the overall project flow, determine what resources will be needed and begin your estimations for each step.  Get feedback and input from others who may have gone through this before as well.  Add in some additional lag time for changes & scheduling problems.  When you are done, go have the drink and (hopefully) toast to your success.

Regards,

Wow, thank you my friend for sharing opinion. Let me ask anyone who read this post. How would you break down a project estimate manhours. Would that be best like this:

Engineer hours (mech/e&i)
Design hours (piping/e&i)
Project Management hours
Construction supervision hours

Please give me some good examples and I am wide-opened any inputs.

Look at how each activity is costed and that should help with your structure.  You are on the right track with what you have shown.

Engineering $/hour x # hours = $$$
Design/Cad  $/hour x # hours = $$$

Take a look at the resources needed for each step of the work and you can subtotal that cost appropriately.  If procurement and QC of materials apply do not forget them.  Also remember that the hours do not directly translate to a project completion date.  Just because 40 hours are needed does not mean it will be done in a week.  People may not be available "full time" to work the project.  This seems to be especially true with subcontracted work, hence the need for lag time in any project.  Hope this helps.

Regards,

Thank you PSE, I hope to see example around any website for any estimating techniques. Thank you again.