Available Unit Price Books

4BT Cost Data exclusively provides….

• LOCAL MARKET Labor, Material, and Equipment Costs at a granular construction task level (4BT does not use local area cost factors or similar indexes in the development or maintenance of our supplied cost data).

We build up all cost data from verifiable sources and methods and leverage our research and associated technology, all of which is fully transparent.

COST DATA MATTERS!

 

construction cost data comparison
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JOC Unit Price Book UPB
Construction Estimate Sample Lines

• Personalization/Flexibility

• Accessibility

• Collaboration and engagement

• Granular data and information availability

• Traceability

• Best value

• Standardization and integration

Credibility: Validity of quantitative research methodology
Transferability: Ability to be used in multiple frameworks / applications
Dependability: Equivalent results yielded repeatedly
Confirmability: Relative objectivity

Unit Price Book UPB

The 4BT Unit Price Book (UPB) provides you with confidence!  

Consisting of more than 90,000 CSI MasterFormat® cost data line items, 4BT’s unit price covering more than 90% of the line items needed for users to create, review, and/or edit repair, renovation, maintenance, and new construction estimates and proposals.

Four BT, LLC construction cost data is maintained and regularly updated by experienced cost engineers/researchers dedicated exclusively to developing facilities and built infrastructure repair, renovation, maintenance, adaptation, and new build information. We have developed and deployed unit price level cost data as well as assemblies and other higher levels of cost information.  For example, our detailed line item cost data base  includes labor, material, equipment, demolition line items, as well as line item modifiers.

  • 4BT Unit Price Books are developed and maintained to meet your specific requirements and your location(s)
  • Locally researched cost data  – NO USE OF LOCATION FACTORS (Third-party research has demonstrated that the use of location factors to account for local construction variance is highly inaccurate and not suitable for providing a reliable and verifiable representation of local construction costs.)

Local cost data vs. National average

Technical Data Sheet — National Cost Databases Vs 4BT OpenCOSTTM (fy 2026)

Technical Data Sheet

Comparison of National Cost Databases (e.g., RSMeans) and 4BT OpenCOSTTM DATA

Document Purpose

To document acknowledged limitations of national construction cost databases when used for appropriation-quality, authorization, IGCE, or audit-defensible estimates, and to compare those limitations against the 4BT OpenCOSTTM methodology under FY 2026 market conditions.

Applicability

  • DOD and non-DOD Federal and other Public Sector construction[1] programs
  • Appropriation and authorization packages
  • Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs)
  • Audit, oversight, and cost validation reviews
  • Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and pre-award budgeting

Data Source Comparison Summary

Attribute

National Databases (RSMeans & Similar)

4BT  OpenCOSTTM

Primary Data Basis

Aggregated historical national averages

Localized, primary-source market data

Intended Use

Conceptual planning, benchmarking

Appropriation-quality and audit-defensible estimating

Market Timing

Periodic publication cycles

Near-real-time validation with active markets

Geographic Resolution

National averages adjusted by factors

Project-specific local pricing

Labor Modeling

Standardized productivity assumptions

Jurisdiction- and trade-specific labor conditions

Supply Chain Inputs

National material indices

Supplier-verified availability and pricing

Audit Traceability

Limited

Full line-item source traceability

Cost Reliability Factors (FY 2026)

National Cost Databases

  • National average unit pricing
  • Statistical location and/or economic factors
  • Lagging update cycles
  • User-responsible validation

4BT OpenCOST

  • Direct subcontractor and supplier inputs
  • Market-validated local market labor rates
  • Contractor means-and-methods alignment
  • Transparent cost drivers and assumptions

Acknowledged Limitations vs Mitigations

Cost Risk Category

RSMeans Acknowledged Limitation

4BT OpenCOST Mitigation

Market Volatility

Not captured

Actively validated

Labor Availability

Averaged assumptions

Local labor market analysis 130+ trades

Implications for Appropriation & Audit

National Databases

  • Increased contingency padding
  • Reduced cost transparency
  • Higher post-award adjustment risk
  • Misalignment with GAO cost estimating best practices

4BT OpenCOST

  • Reduced contingency reliance
  • Improved cost credibility
  • Enhanced audit defensibility
  • Alignment with GAO standards for documented, credible, and verifiable estimates

Conclusion

National construction cost databases remain useful for early-stage planning and comparative analysis but are not pricing authorities and do not independently support appropriation-quality or audit-defensible estimates in FY 2026.

4BT OpenCOST addresses these limitations through localized, primary-source cost validation, detailed line-item structures, and direct engagement with active market participants—providing a materially higher confidence basis for federal budgeting, authorization, and oversight.

References

Gordian (2024) RSMeans Data Methodology. Greenville, SC: Gordian. Available at: RSMeans Online (Accessed: FY 2026 estimating context).

Gordian (2024) RSMeans Location Factors Overview. Greenville, SC: Gordian. Available at: RSMeans Online (Accessed: FY 2026 estimating context).

Gordian (2024) RSMeans Data Update Cycle and Limitations. Greenville, SC: Gordian. Available at: RSMeans Online (Accessed: FY 2026 estimating context).

Gordian (2024) RSMeans User Notes and Assumptions. Greenville, SC: Gordian. Available at: RSMeans Online (Accessed: FY 2026 estimating context).

Gordian (2024) RSMeans Estimating Assumptions. Greenville, SC: Gordian. Available at: RSMeans Online (Accessed: FY 2026 estimating context).

Gordian (2024) RSMeans Terms of Use. Greenville, SC: Gordian. Available at: RSMeans Online (Accessed: FY 2026 estimating context).

Government Accountability Office (GAO) (2020) GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Capital Program Costs (GAO-20-195G). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Government Accountability Office (GAO) (2023) Schedule Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Project Schedules (GAO-16-89G, update). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACE) (2020) Recommended Practice No. 18R-97: Cost Estimate Classification System. Morgantown, WV: AACE International.

All trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Use does not imply endorsement or affiliation.

[1] Construction=Repair, Renovation, Maintenance, New Build, SABER, JOC, MATOC, IDIQ

 
 
 
 
 

Local cost data

  • Developed by experienced cost engineers
  • Organized and licensed by Construction Specifications Institute, CSI MasterFormat
  • Access via 4BT-CE Building in Cloud software or Microsoft Government Cloud and the 4BT Benchmark Construction Estimator(tm) (BCE)… anywhere, anytime
  • Descriptions in plain English
  • Full material, equipment, and labor details
  • Prevailing, current, accurate, and localized Davis-Bacon wage rates
  • Independent, objective, and best value data source
  • Guaranteed cost throughout the Job Order Contract term
  • Line item modifiers
  • Supported by current collaborative cloud technology

4BT Unit Price Data Includes:

  • Labor, Equipment, Material Costs, Etc.

  • Complete and In-place Construction

  • Normal Commercial Construction Conditions

  • Installed Cost Line Items

  • Demolition Costs Line Items

  • Unit Costs Line Item Modifiers  That Increase or Decrease Line Item Costs  (as appropriate)

  • Descriptions Using Standard Industry Terms in Plain English

  • CSI MasterFormat Data Organization – 49 Divisions

© 2024 The Construction Specifications Institute, Inc. (CSI). MASTERFORMAT® and titles used under license (http://www.csiresources.org)
© 2024 The Construction Specifications Institute, Inc. (CSI). UNIFORMAT® and titles used under license (http://www.csiresources.org)
© 2024 The Construction Specifications Institute,
Inc. (CSI). OMNICLASS® and titles used under license (http://www.csiresources.org)

4BT OpenJOC(TM) Unit Price Book  

Members of our staff have built hundreds of unit price books.
The 4BT UPB is continuously updated and currently includes up to 80,000-90,000+ detailed unit price line items.   Davis-Bacon labor rates are used for the standard 4BT UPB, however, we also use other prevailing wage rates as required.  For our preventive maintenance databases we use appropriate service rates.

Note: Regional and local cost factors are not used.  Cost factors can easily cause gross errors and therefore not recommended for Job Order Contracting or other forms of detailed construction cost estimating.

4BT OpenJOC Unit Price Book Features

  • Up to 90,000+ Common Repair, Renovation, Maintenance, and Construction Tasks.
  • Developed by former RSMeans Company, LLC staff members and professional cost engineers
  • Most Up-to-Date and Comprehensive Davis-Bacon Labor Rates
  • Clear Descriptions in plain English
  • Fully supported by Virtual, On-site, and Regional Training Programs

4BT contacts contactors, commercial distributors, dealers,  and manufacturers all across the U.S. and Canada, as well as available reference cost information to determine LOCAL MARKET construction costs.   4BT uses current commercial manufacturing practices and industry specifications, and/or standard construction practice for establishing cost and productivity information.

 

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JOC Unit Price Book UPB