Construction Cost Estimating, Budgeting & Control
APA–CPMP MODULE 204A
COST ESTIMATION & PLANNING
Sections 204.01–204.20 | 2-Day Professional Program
APA–CPMP Module 204A develops professional competence in construction cost estimating and cost planning by teaching participants how to translate clearly defined project scope into reliable cost estimates and structured project budgets.
The program introduces a disciplined approach to cost planning using structured scope frameworks including Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR), Area Composition Framework (ACF), Elemental Scope Framework (ESF), Space and Room Data Sheets (SDS/RDS), and Work Package Assemblies (WPA). These frameworks provide the basis for deriving quantities, identifying cost drivers, and preparing defensible estimates aligned with actual construction scope.
Participants learn how cost behaves within construction projects and how structured estimation methods support accurate forecasting, budget control, and informed project decision-making.
________________________________________
PROGRAM OUTLINE
SESSION 01 — COST MANAGEMENT FOUNDATIONS (204.01–204.06)
• Cost in construction contracts
• Goals of cost management
• Resource commitments and cost behavior
• Cost, value, and price
• Cost management as a control discipline
• Value-driven cost planning
SESSION 02 — SCOPE AS THE BASIS OF COST (204.07–204.13)
• Cost implications of scope attributes
• Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)
• Area Composition Framework (ACF)
• Elemental Scope Framework (ESF)
• Space and Room Data Sheets (SDS/RDS)
• Work Package Assemblies (WPA)
• Identifying primary cost drivers
SESSION 03 — COST ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (204.14–204.18)
• Principles of cost estimation
• Types of cost estimates
• Detailed estimating
• Parametric and analogous estimating
• Structuring estimation outputs
SESSION 04 — COST PLANNING & BUDGET DEVELOPMENT (204.19–204.20)
• Project budget development
• Budget allocation and cost planning frameworks
________________________________________
Outcome:
Participants gain the ability to produce structured cost estimates and project budgets derived from clearly defined scope, strengthening financial reliability and construction project performance.
Download the Full Program here: