Pressed Piling Cost Estimator

Project Inputs

Example Data Table

Formula Used

• Total installed length = piles × pile length
• Effective production = production ÷ soil factor
• Total days = (total length ÷ effective production) + setup days
• Material cost = total length × material rate × (1 + waste%)
• Splicing cost = piles × joints/pile × joint rate × (1 + waste%)
• Equipment cost = total days × equipment day rate
• Labor cost = total days × hours/day × crew hourly rate
• Direct subtotal = material + splicing + equipment + labor + mobilization + testing + other
• Grand total = direct × (1+cont%) → (1+oh%) → (1+profit%) → (1+tax%)

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter the number of piles, average pile length, and reference diameter.
2. Set your material and splicing rates, including an allowance percentage.
3. Provide equipment day rate, crew hourly rate, hours per day, and setup days.
4. Enter production rate, then adjust the soil difficulty factor as needed.
5. Add contingency, overhead, profit, and any applicable tax percentages.
6. Click Estimate Cost to view totals and the full breakdown.
7. Use Download CSV or Download PDF after estimating.

Project Cost Drivers and Scope

Pressed piling budgets typically move with installed length, access constraints, and connection details. Count piles and length first, then confirm whether piles are steel, precast, or segmented sections that require splicing. Mobilization and testing are often underestimated on small sites, where setup time can rival productive time. Use the estimator to separate direct costs from markups so you can explain assumptions clearly during approvals.

Productivity, Soil, and Time Effects

Production rate determines duration, which directly affects equipment and labor. The soil difficulty factor reduces effective production to reflect harder driving/jacking conditions, obstructions, or tighter tolerances. If access forces smaller rigs or shorter strokes, adjust production downward and add setup days. A modest drop in production can add multiple days on larger scopes, increasing day-rate items more than material costs.

Rate Inputs and Allowances

Material rate per meter should include supply, delivery, and typical wastage. Joint or splicing costs should cover consumables, couplers, welding time, and inspection. The allowance percentage applies to material and joint-related items to account for cutting losses, extra segments, and minor rework. Keep allowance conservative for well-defined scopes and higher where design is evolving.

Markups, Risk, and Reporting

Contingency protects the estimate from unknowns such as variable refusal depth, hidden utilities, or schedule interruptions. Overhead covers supervision, documentation, and insurances, while profit reflects commercial risk and cashflow. Apply tax only after the pre-tax total to keep the model transparent. Exporting results to CSV or PDF helps share a consistent scope narrative with clients and teams.

Example Data for a Quick Check

Example inputs: 20 piles, 8 m each, material rate 65 per meter, 1 joint per pile at 35, equipment 900 per day, crew 180 per hour, 8 hours per day, production 60 m/day, soil factor 1.10, setup 0.5 days, 5% contingency, 10% overhead, 12% profit, 0% tax. This produces a multi-line estimate with unit rates per pile and per meter for bid comparison.

FAQs

1) What does the soil difficulty factor change?

It reduces effective production, increasing estimated days. More days increase equipment and labor costs, which can dominate total cost on difficult ground or constrained access sites.

2) Should material rate include delivery and handling?

Yes. Include supply, delivery, handling, and typical wastage. If delivery is charged separately, enter it in mobilization or other lump-sum items.

3) How do I estimate joints per pile?

Use segmented pile length and target depth. For example, a 9 m pile made from 3 m segments typically needs two joints, plus any extra segments for tolerance or refusal depth.

4) When should I add setup days?

Add setup days for alignment, calibration, restricted working hours, or when working around live structures. Small jobs often need proportionally more setup time.

5) What is a reasonable allowance percentage?

For defined scopes, 1–3% is common. For uncertain depths, tight tolerances, or frequent splicing, 3–7% may be more realistic.

6) Does the estimator replace a detailed bid?

No. It supports planning-level decisions and comparisons. Confirm site conditions, pile type, inspection requirements, and local labor and equipment pricing for a final bid.

7) Why are unit rates per pile and per meter useful?

They help compare alternatives across different pile counts or lengths, and they simplify change orders when scope expands or installed length changes during execution.