FAQ - costs (updated 4/1/21)

Questions:

Could alternative materials and techniques be used to keep cost down? 

The architect will make a recommendation on what building materials are most appropriate to suit safety needs in addition to required building codes and standards. Caolo & Bieniek had several discussions with their cost estimators about the cost savings that might be realized through the use of other materials:

1.       Pre-engineered metal building or framing: Unless we incorporate a complete metal building system (pre-engineered steel framing, metal siding and metal roof) we wouldn’t reduce any cost. It is the building team’s opinion that the Town would prefer to have something less industrial-looking in the historic residential neighborhood.

2.       Precast wall panels: The building is too small to see a savings. A precast concrete panel system would also require onsite installation of insulation and wall finishes to meet the energy code. All onsite work is subject to prevailing wages.

3.       Metal Stud Framing:  If any building material is likely to see a sharp cost increase, it will be light gauge metals. The proposed wood framed system with pre-fab trusses is the most economical and a system that all commercial general contractors can install.

What drives the costs of construction, particularly for a truck bay?

The building enclosure is typically in the 20-25% range of the total building cost. The site work, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and finish costs account for the remainder. While the truck bay is not as complicated as other portions of the building, it still contains all of those systems and utilities, including heating, plumbing, electrical, and specialty items such as vehicle exhaust and runoff capture systems.

Why are public safety buildings so expensive to build?

The construction is required to adhere to federal and state laws and regulations as well as a variety of other standards and guidelines including building code, prevailing wage, Owner’s Project Manager (OPM), procurement laws, OSHA requirements and National Fire Protection Association guidelines. 

It is difficult to say what the difference is between public and private construction costs because we never build the exact same project with public funds and private funds which would allow us to make that comparison. However, prevailing wage is estimated to increase the total cost of a project by about 22%. In addition, municipal construction requires an owner’s project manager (OPM) for projects over $1.5 million. The additional cost of having an OPM is projected to be approximately $300,000 for Option B.

Estimate on the OPM fees: $300,000.00 (based on 3% of the construction cost)

Estimate on the A/E fees (Architectural and Engineering services for designing the building): $921,000.00 (based on 9.5% of construction cost)

Reimbursables expenses: $50,000.00 (Haz material specs, permitting)

Total: $1,271,000.00

Note: For a detailed look at the cost of municipal construction, see our recent town-wide news post on this issue.

Why are all new furnishings included in the design and cost estimates?

Many of the furnishings are very old and in quite bad repair. Former Police Chief Charlie Schmohl acquired most of the desks and filing cabinets for free over ten years ago. Drawers no longer open easily. The departments will make every effort to re-use as much as they can to reduce the cost to the Town.

Can anything from the existing building be re-used?

As part of the Public Safety Stabilization project that was recently completed, we installed an exhaust evacuation system in the apparatus bays. We hope to move that to the new building and only pay for installation and expansion. We also have a large generator that we received through a grant. We will need to determine whether or not it is the right size for the new building. We do not plan on replacing our expensive communication equipment but, depending upon many factors, may need to add some equipment to maintain good communication with Holden Dispatch and the Mountain.

How does Princeton’s proposed public safety facility compare to other similar projects?

Princeton’s facility is small and that is due to the excellent working relationship between the two departments. Caolo & Bieniek has had to design buildings where much of what we have as shared space has to duplicated because those departments aren’t as willing to share. The following comparisons demonstrate that the spaces that are being asked for are reasonable and prudent.

See:

 

What do you expect construction costs to do in the next few years?

Cost Estimator AM Fogarty escalated today's cost by 3.5% to reflect construction starting in early 2022. This is slightly lower than the 5% used in past years. If construction is delayed until early 2023, we should assume costs go up by another 5%. AM Fogarty is seeing more contractors bidding from greater distances but the material costs continue to increase. Caolo & Bieniek does not anticipate any cost going down next year.

Why is the cost for design and construction documents so high? Why doesn't it match the fees set by DCAMM?

The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) sets the architectural and engineering fees for their state projects. It is the standard that most Cities and Towns use for their projects as well. What it doesn’t include is the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and any legal fees to set up the bid documents. It also doesn’t include specialty services, specialty engineering and permitting.  These may include the following:

  • Furniture, Fixture & Equipment (FF&E) design/bidding (5% +/- of the FF&E bids)
  • Communication engineering for radios and towers (if needed)
  • Permitting (Site Plan approval fees and meetings)
  • Specialty engineering such as domestic water filtration systems and public wells. 
  • Hazardous material onsite monitoring and material tracking required by the state (approx $400 - $500 per day onsite)

Our current Option B construction estimate is $9,987,235.00 and using the DCAMM chart percentage of 7.2%, the A/E fee is approximately $719,080.00.   

The OPM fee is based on 3% of the construction cost and is estimated at $300,000.00 (rounded). This could vary widely depending on our selection in the size of the company and services we require (example: full time onsite clerk or part time onsite).

Caolo & Bieniek included $20,000.00 for legal fees. Legal costs typically include review of the “front end” bid specifications, preparation of contracts with the architects and then for the general contractors. Legal cost could also include any land/deeds work for the site.

In the presentation, for Option B, we are carrying $1,163,386.56.   Subtracting out the A/E and OPM fees, that leaves an approximate balance of $144,306.00 to cover all the specialty services described above.  Caolo & Bieniek believe we are right on target with what has been carried to develop a very realistic Total Project Cost at this phase of the project.   When the project moves forward, the Building Committee will be negotiating all the fees and services with the OPM, A/E and consultants so starting with industry standards puts everyone on the same page.   

Construction cost is listed at an estimate of $9.7 million. Does this price tag include the estimated design cost of $1.2 million? 

The total cost of the project is estimated at $11.8 million. $9.7 is the building and site construction costs. The $1.2 million is added to the $9.7. You can see a breakdown of the costs here