Handling Costs
Handling costs represent logistics-related cost factors that are not part of the raw unit price alone. Real construction cost is often affected by warehousing, handling, staging, and delivery conditions. Darwin keeps these assumptions visible instead of hiding them inside arbitrary unit-price edits.
Why Handling Costs Matter
Section titled “Why Handling Costs Matter”- Warehousing — storage costs for materials before they reach the site
- Handling — moving, loading, and unloading materials
- Staging — organizing materials for efficient installation
- Delivery conditions — special requirements for access or timing
How They Work
Section titled “How They Work”Handling costs are attached to materials or expenses within a module. They are maintained separately from the base unit price, so you can adjust logistics assumptions without changing material pricing.
Best Practices
Section titled “Best Practices”- Model handling costs explicitly rather than embedding them in unit prices
- Review handling assumptions per project, as they vary with site conditions
- Keep handling costs in a separate layer so logistics changes don’t distort material price history
- Document handling assumptions for estimator consistency
Next: Transportation Rates