A design firm needed a reliable cost estimate early in the design process for a new municipal fire station in South Florida. They turned to YA Group’s Planning and Construction Advisory Services (PCAS) team to develop a concept cost estimate grounded in current market conditions and regional construction realities.
Challenge Overview
The new 13,900 GSF institutional facility includes a full apparatus bay with four-fold bay entry doors, crew quarters, kitchen, gym, training roof, and supporting site improvements. A solar canopy alternate over the parking area was also included for the owner’s consideration.
YA Group’s Approach
Working from the design team’s concept package, PCAS developed a detailed line-item estimate across all trades, from earthwork and concrete through mechanical, electrical, and site utilities. The estimate reflected Florida open shop institutional labor rates, a projected construction timeline, and escalation to the project midpoint.
The estimate broke down costs at the division level, giving the project team clear visibility into where dollars were concentrated, with openings (primarily the apparatus bay doors), HVAC, electrical, and masonry representing the largest shares of construction cost.
By delivering a transparent, trade-by-trade estimate at the concept stage, PCAS gave the design team and owner the cost clarity they needed to make informed decisions before design investment deepened, including a clearly scoped alternate so the owner could evaluate the solar canopy on its own merits.
PCAS Supports Municipal and Civic Projects Nationwide
Our team delivers cost intelligence for public safety, administrative, community, and operations facilities. We help municipalities align scope, schedule, and budget while addressing phasing, stakeholder coordination, funding constraints, and uninterrupted public service.
