Primary Reference

RSMeans Cost Data for the ExAC

RSMeans Cost Data (Student Edition, 2012) is the construction cost reference on Examitect's ExAC study plan. It is listed as a primary reference for the Cost Management category in Section 1 (Design and analysis), covering all four Cost Management sub-criteria.

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RSMeans overview

RSMeans at a glance

Full titleRSMeans Cost Data, Student Edition
Senior editorMarilyn Phelan, AIA
PublisherRSMeans Company LLC (originally a division of Reed Construction Data; now part of Gordian), published by John Wiley and Sons.
Edition on Examitect's study plan2012 Student Edition (the version explicitly cited on Examitect's ExAC study plan).
Wider RSMeans familyRSMeans also publishes annual cost data books and an online database (RSMeans Online). The Student Edition is one of many titles in the family.
LanguagesEnglish
Primary audienceArchitecture, engineering, and construction students; also practising architects, estimators, and contractors.
Where to accessThe book includes online companion access through rsmeansonline.com/academic. Check with the publisher for current access terms.

Why RSMeans matters for the ExAC

RSMeans is one of the longest-running construction cost references in North America. The Student Edition was published in 2012 by John Wiley and Sons with Marilyn Phelan, AIA as senior editor, and is written for architecture, engineering, and construction students. The same workflow is used on real projects every week. RSMeans is not a code book, not a contract document, and not a design book; it is the cost data set and the estimating manual that surrounds it.

On Examitect's ExAC study plan, RSMeans is listed as a primary reference for the Cost Management category in Section 1 (Design and analysis), covering all four sub-criteria (4.1 through 4.4). It sits alongside Yardsticks for Costing 2014 (the Canadian counterpart), CHOP Chapter 4.2 (Construction Project Cost Planning and Control), and Ching's Appendix A.23. Together those references cover everything Section 1 expects you to know about budgeting and estimating.

RSMeans teaches the workflow: how to read a unit price line, assemble a system, apply a location factor to a national-average number, and push an older index forward to a current year. The ExAC tests whether you can choose the right estimate type for the project phase you're in, adjust national-average data for a Canadian market, and recognize the accuracy limits of each estimating method.

How to study RSMeans for the ExAC

  • Memorize the four estimate types and their accuracy bands (order of magnitude, square foot, assemblies, unit price). This single chunk of knowledge anchors most Section 1 cost questions.
  • Walk Chapters 1 through 9 in order so you see how contract documents, quantity takeoff, pricing, and indexes build up to a finished estimate. The chapter sequence is the workflow.
  • Open the Unit Price section, pick one CSI division (Division 03 Concrete is a good starting point), and trace bare material, labour, equipment, and overhead and profit columns until the table format is second nature.
  • Run a small assemblies estimate using one UNIFORMAT II element. B10 Shell or D Services works well because both pull together familiar trades.
  • Practise adjusting numbers with location factors and historical cost indexes. The ExAC tests whether you can take national-average data and turn it into a number that works for a specific Canadian city in a specific year.
  • Test recall with scenario-based cost-management questions. Memorizing accuracy bands is fast; choosing the right estimate for a project phase under exam pressure is what practice teaches.

ExAC sections RSMeans supports

  1. Section 1

    RSMeans is a primary reference for the Cost Management category in Section 1 (Design and analysis), listed across all four sub-criteria (4.1 through 4.4). For the Canadian context, pair RSMeans with Yardsticks for Costing; for the architect's role in cost management, pair it with CHOP Chapters 3.4, 3.9, and 4.2.

Inside RSMeans, the CSI MasterFormat Divisions

The Student Edition pairs a workflow narrative (Chapters 1 through 9 plus the Reference Section) with a Unit Price section that is organized by the 50 Divisions of CSI MasterFormat. The Divisions are the structure you actually work in once you open the book to price a project. Because RSMeans is commercial cost data, the sub-Division labels below are shown as tags for orientation, not as links. Here is how the MasterFormat Divisions map to ExAC Section 1 Cost Management.

DivisionWhat it coversWhere it lands on the ExACSub-sections
Division 01General Requirements
 Project-wide costs that aren't tied to a specific trade: site overhead, supervision, temporary facilities, bonds and insurance, and contingencies. The line items that wrap around every estimate. Section 1: 4.1 cost factors; 4.2 evaluate cost.
  • 01 21. Allowances
  • 01 31. Project Management
  • 01 41. Regulatory Requirements
  • 01 54. Construction Aids
  • 01 74. Cleaning & Waste Mgmt
Division 02Existing Conditions
 Site assessment, demolition, hazardous materials abatement, and selective structure removal. Common scope on renovation and addition projects. Section 1: 4.1 cost factors; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 02 30. Subsurface Investigation
  • 02 41. Demolition
  • 02 82. Asbestos Remediation
  • 02 83. Lead Remediation
Division 03Concrete
 Cast-in-place concrete, formwork, reinforcing, precast, and concrete finishing. A high-volume division and a useful one for practising how to read a Unit Price page. Section 1: 4.3 compare estimating methods; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 03 10. Concrete Forming
  • 03 20. Concrete Reinforcing
  • 03 30. Cast-in-Place Concrete
  • 03 40. Precast Concrete
Division 04Masonry
 Unit masonry (brick, block, stone), mortar, grout, masonry accessories, and reinforcement. Pairs with Division 03 on many institutional and commercial projects. Section 1: 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 04 05. Mortar & Grout
  • 04 20. Unit Masonry
  • 04 40. Stone Assemblies
Division 05Metals
 Structural steel, steel joists, metal decking, cold-formed metal framing, and miscellaneous metals. Heavy weighting on commercial and institutional projects. Section 1: 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 05 12. Structural Steel
  • 05 21. Steel Joists
  • 05 31. Steel Decking
  • 05 40. Cold-Formed Framing
Division 06Wood, Plastics & Composites
 Rough carpentry, finish carpentry, architectural woodwork, and structural composite framing. Dominant on residential and Part 9 work. Section 1: 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 06 10. Rough Carpentry
  • 06 20. Finish Carpentry
  • 06 40. Architectural Woodwork
Division 07Thermal & Moisture Protection
 Air barriers, vapour retarders, insulation, waterproofing, roofing, cladding, and joint sealants. The envelope division that connects estimating to NBC Part 5 envelope requirements. Section 1: 4.1 cost factors; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 07 13. Sheet Waterproofing
  • 07 21. Thermal Insulation
  • 07 27. Air Barriers
  • 07 50. Membrane Roofing
  • 07 92. Joint Sealants
Division 08Openings
 Doors, windows, skylights, glazing, storefronts, and hardware. High variability division, small spec changes can swing the cost meaningfully. Section 1: 4.2 evaluate cost; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 08 11. Metal Doors & Frames
  • 08 14. Wood Doors
  • 08 41. Entrances & Storefronts
  • 08 71. Door Hardware
  • 08 80. Glazing
Division 09Finishes
 Gypsum board, plaster, tile, flooring, acoustical ceilings, paint, and wall finishes. Drives a large share of the interiors budget on most projects. Section 1: 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 09 21. Plaster & Gypsum Board
  • 09 30. Tiling
  • 09 51. Acoustical Ceilings
  • 09 65. Resilient Flooring
  • 09 91. Painting
Division 10Specialties
 Visual display boards, signage, toilet accessories, fire protection specialties, lockers, and storage. Lower-cost items individually but they add up on institutional projects. Section 1: 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 10 14. Signage
  • 10 21. Toilet Compartments
  • 10 28. Toilet Accessories
  • 10 44. Fire Protection Spec
Divisions 11–14Equipment, Furnishings, Special Construction, Conveying
 Specialty equipment (kitchen, laboratory, athletic), interior furnishings, pre-engineered structures, swimming pools, and conveying systems including elevators and escalators. Section 1: 4.2 evaluate cost; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 11. Equipment
  • 12. Furnishings
  • 13. Special Construction
  • 14. Conveying Equipment
Divisions 21–23Fire Suppression, Plumbing, HVAC
 Sprinkler and standpipe systems, plumbing fixtures and piping, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and ductwork. Frequently bundled into the mechanical line on a high-level estimate. Section 1: 4.3 compare estimating methods; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 21. Fire Suppression
  • 22. Plumbing
  • 23. HVAC
Divisions 26–28Electrical, Communications, Electronic Safety
 Power distribution, lighting, low-voltage communications, life-safety systems, and electronic security. Often bundled into the electrical line on a high-level estimate. Section 1: 4.3 compare estimating methods; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • 26. Electrical
  • 27. Communications
  • 28. Electronic Safety
Reference SectionIndexes, Factors & Crew Listings
 The lookup tables every estimate touches: location factors, historical cost indexes, crew listings, square foot costs, the square foot project size modifier, equipment rental costs, and reference tables. Often more useful on exam day than the Unit Price pages themselves. Section 1: 4.1 cost factors; 4.2 evaluate cost; 4.4 apply estimating methods.
  • Location Factors
  • Historical Cost Index
  • Square Foot Costs
  • SF Project Size Modifier
  • Crew Listings
  • Equipment Rental

For the ExAC, Divisions 03, 07, 08, 09, plus 21–23 and 26–28, and the Reference Section carry most of the cost-management exam load. The Student Edition's Chapters 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 walk the workflow that sits behind these Divisions.

Key RSMeans terms every ExAC candidate should know

RSMeans uses vocabulary that the ExAC reuses without redefining. Learn these terms once and they show up across every cost-management question.

TermWhat it means in RSMeansWhere to read in RSMeans
Quantity takeoff The measuring, counting, and tabulating of physical units of work needed to build the project. Half of every estimate.
  • Chapter 3. Quantity Takeoff
  • Chapter 2. Linear, Area, Volume
CSI MasterFormat The 50-division classification system used to organize unit price information across North American specifications and cost data.
  • Chapter 6. Unit Cost Estimates
  • Unit Price Section
UNIFORMAT II The seven-element classification (A Substructure, B Shell, C Interiors, D Services, E Equipment & Furnishings, F Special Construction, G Building Site Work) used to organize assemblies estimates.
  • Chapter 7. Assemblies Estimating
  • Assemblies Section
Bare costs Direct material, labour, and equipment costs before overhead and profit. The starting point of every RSMeans line.
  • Chapter 4. Material, Labour, Equip.
  • Unit Price Section
Overhead and profit The percentage layered onto bare costs to cover general overhead, supervision, taxes, insurance, and profit. RSMeans shows bare costs and total costs side by side.
  • Chapter 5. Pricing the Estimate
  • Unit Price Column Headers
Crew listing The defined combination of trades, hours, and equipment used to install a unit price item. Makes the labour cost behind each line transparent.
  • Reference Section. Crew Listings
  • Chapter 4. Material, Labour, Equip.
Location factor A multiplier RSMeans publishes for cities and regions, used to adjust national-average bare costs to a specific market. Canadian provinces and major cities are in the table.
  • Reference Section. Location Factors
  • Chapter 9. RSMeans Indexes
Historical cost index A published index that lets you adjust costs from one year to another to account for construction price inflation over time.
  • Reference Section. Historical Index
  • Chapter 9. RSMeans Indexes
Square foot project size modifier An adjustment applied when the gross area of a project differs significantly from the typical size for its building type, so cost-per-area benchmarks remain reliable.
  • Reference Section. SF Size Modifier
  • Chapter 8. Square Foot Models
Order of magnitude estimate The roughest estimate, built from minimal information. Accuracy band of about minus 30 to plus 50 percent.
  • Chapter 9. Project Costs & OoM
Square foot estimate A budgetary estimate priced on gross area and building use. Accuracy band of about minus 20 to plus 30 percent.
  • Chapter 8. Square Foot Models
  • Reference Section. SF Costs
Assemblies estimate A systems-level estimate organized by UNIFORMAT II. Accuracy band of about minus 10 to plus 20 percent.
  • Chapter 7. Assemblies Estimating
  • Assemblies Section
Unit price estimate The most accurate estimate, organized by CSI MasterFormat. Requires full drawings and specifications. Accuracy band of about minus 5 to plus 10 percent.
  • Chapter 6. Unit Cost Estimates
  • Unit Price Section

Tips for Intern Architects reading RSMeans

If you're early in your internship under the Internship in Architecture Program (IAP) or its provincial equivalent, you may not have priced a project line by line yet. Here is how to study RSMeans without getting buried in tables of numbers.

Tip 1, study the method, not the numbers. The specific 2012 dollar figures will be wrong for any project today. What the ExAC actually tests is whether you understand quantity takeoff, the four estimate types, location factors, and indexes. Read for method.

Tip 2, remember it is United States base data. RSMeans bare costs are presented at a United States national average and adjusted to specific cities with location factors. For Canadian projects, the location factor is doing real work. Practise applying it.

Tip 3, pair RSMeans with Yardsticks. Yardsticks for Costing is Canadian elemental data; RSMeans is North American unit price and assemblies data. Most ExAC cost-management questions sit at the intersection of the two. Both are primary references on Examitect's ExAC study plan.

Tip 4, match the estimate type to the project phase. If a question describes programming work, expect square foot or order of magnitude. If it describes design development, expect assemblies. If it describes tendering, expect unit price. The phase tells you the estimate type, and the estimate type tells you the accuracy you can promise the client.

Tip 5, learn one Unit Price page deeply. Open any page in Chapter 6 and identify the description, unit of measure, crew, daily output, labour hours, and the bare and total cost columns. Once you can read one page in detail, every other page reads the same way.

Tip 6, treat the Reference Section as the lookup layer. Location factors, historical cost indexes, square foot costs, crew listings, and the square foot project size modifier all live there. ExAC questions that ask you to adjust a number almost always send you to the Reference Section in real practice.

Tip 7, ask your firm's cost team or senior architect for one walk-through. Pricing a real project, even at the assemblies level, makes the book stick faster than re-reading the chapters. Tie the estimating method to a current job and the workflow becomes intuitive.

Common ExAC scenarios where RSMeans is the answer

These question types come up across ExAC sittings. If you see one, your first instinct should be to ask "what does RSMeans say."

  • A client asks for a budget number after the first programming meeting. Which estimate type and accuracy band do you commit to?
  • You have schematic drawings and need to give the owner a refined budget for design development. Which RSMeans estimate type is appropriate, and what accuracy can you defend?
  • RSMeans gives a national-average bare cost for a wall assembly. What do you do before quoting it to a Vancouver client?
  • An older cost study from a different year is the only data you have for a similar building type. How do you use RSMeans to bring those numbers forward?
  • A unit price line shows a daily output of 200 square feet for a two-person crew. What does that tell you about the labour cost embedded in the line?
  • The project's gross area is well below the typical size for its building type. Which RSMeans tool corrects the cost-per-square-foot benchmark?
  • The contractor's bid is fifteen percent higher than your design development estimate. What does an architect using RSMeans practice do before going back to the client?

Each scenario traces back to RSMeans chapters and the Reference Section. Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 9 carry most of the exam load, along with location factors and historical cost indexes.

How RSMeans compares to other ExAC references

RSMeans is one of two cost references on Examitect's ExAC study plan, and it sits alongside several non-cost references that touch the same Cost Management category. Use this table to decide what to read for which kind of question.

ReferenceWhat it's forHow RSMeans relates
RSMeans Cost DataNorth American construction cost data and estimating workflow.The reference for estimating method, bare costs, location factors, and indexes.
Yardsticks for CostingCanadian elemental cost data by building type and region.The Canadian counterpart. Yardsticks gives you Canadian elemental dollars per square metre; RSMeans gives you the unit prices and adjustment factors behind them. Pair them.
CHOP Chapters 3.4, 3.9, and 4.2The architect's role in cost management, fees, and project delivery cost implications.CHOP frames who is responsible for cost on a project; RSMeans supplies the numbers. ExAC questions often combine both.
CHING Appendix A.23A short reference table at the back of Building Construction Illustrated, focused on construction cost considerations.Light supporting reading that complements RSMeans for general cost factors.
NBC 2020The national model building code.Different job. RSMeans does not address code compliance.
NECBThe national model energy code for buildings.Different job. RSMeans does not address energy compliance.

How Examitect reinforces RSMeans

Reading RSMeans is half the work. The other half is recognizing the workflow under pressure on a timed exam. Examitect's question bank draws from RSMeans and Yardsticks for the Cost Management questions in Section 1. Each answer explanation points back to the specific chapter or table, so you can re-read just the pages you need rather than the whole book.

You also get scenario-based questions that drop RSMeans concepts into a real project context, full-length mock exams that mirror ExAC pacing, and free study notes for every section. Try a few sample questions first, then check pricing when you want the full bank.

FAQ

RSMeans FAQ

RSMeans Cost Data is a long-running North American construction cost reference. It publishes unit prices, assemblies costs, square foot costs, location factors, and historical cost indexes that estimators, architects, and contractors use to budget and price projects. The version on Examitect's ExAC study plan is the Student Edition, dated 2012, edited by Marilyn Phelan, AIA, and published by John Wiley and Sons.

Yes, for one category. Examitect's ExAC study plan lists RSMeans Cost Data (Student Edition, 2012) as a primary reference for the Cost Management category in Section 1 (Design and analysis), covering all four sub-criteria from understanding cost factors through applying estimating methods on a project.

Section 1, Cost Management. RSMeans is paired with Yardsticks for Costing, CHOP Chapter 4.2, and Ching Appendix A.23 across all four Cost Management sub-criteria. It does not appear on Examitect's study plan for Section 2, Section 3, or Section 4.

No. RSMeans Cost Data is a North American database with bare costs presented at a United States national average, then adjusted to specific cities using location factors. The reference includes location factors for Canadian provinces and major Canadian cities. For Canadian-first cost data, pair RSMeans with Yardsticks for Costing 2014, which is also a primary reference on Examitect's ExAC study plan for Cost Management.

Order of magnitude (accuracy roughly minus 30 to plus 50 percent), square foot or cubic foot (minus 20 to plus 30 percent), assemblies or systems (minus 10 to plus 20 percent), and unit price (minus 5 to plus 10 percent). The four types trade speed for accuracy. Early in design you use the rough methods; once you have full drawings and specifications you can run a unit price estimate.

A unit price estimate prices individual line items using the 50 divisions of CSI MasterFormat and requires full drawings and specifications. An assemblies estimate groups line items into systems using the seven UNIFORMAT II elements (Substructure, Shell, Interiors, Services, Equipment and Furnishings, Special Construction, Building Site Work) and is used during design development when details are not yet final.

A location factor is the multiplier RSMeans publishes for cities and regions to adjust its base national-average cost data to a specific market. If RSMeans gives a city a factor of 1.10, costs in that city run roughly 10 percent above the national average. The ExAC tests whether you know to apply a location factor before quoting RSMeans numbers on a Canadian project.

Less than CHOP or Ching. RSMeans supports a single ExAC category, Cost Management in Section 1, so most candidates spend a focused session learning the four estimate types, the location factor and historical cost index workflow, and the structure of the Unit Price and Assemblies tables. Pair the reading with scenario-based practice questions and you should be set for the Section 1 cost questions.

Keep exploring

Other ExAC reference books.

RSMeans is one of several primary references on Examitect's ExAC study plan. Continue with the rest.

Yardsticks

Hanscomb Yardsticks for Costing. The Canadian counterpart to RSMeans, with elemental data by building type and region.

CHOP

Canadian Handbook of Practice. The practice reference that frames the architect's role in cost management.

CHING

Building Construction Illustrated. Visual reference for assemblies, materials, and detailing across Sections 1 and 3.

NBC 2020

National Building Code of Canada. The primary reference for every category in ExAC Section 2.

NECB

National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings. Supports the envelope and energy questions in Section 2.

Supporting references

The extended reading list of supplementary references that show up across the ExAC reading list.