What to Expect from CCG Estimating Courses

By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.

Cotney's training program offers an easy-to-follow format that takes you step by step through every critical aspect of estimating.

There is a lot more to estimating than measuring a rooftop or learning local building codes. Anyone serious about starting their career as an estimator should check out Cotney Consulting Group’s Corporate Training for Roofing Estimating.

The CCG estimator training offers eight modules covering everything from roofing skills and processes to materials, essential math, code requirements, estimating and bidding, etc. After each module, participants will take a short quiz, then finish the course with a multiple-choice test. Each student has two opportunities to pass the 80-question test with a grade of 85% or better.

With the preparation offered through CCG, you put yourself on a career path to becoming a certified professional roofing estimator, which takes five years of work experience. In that time, you can build your expertise and eventually become a senior estimator, then a director of estimating to lead your team.

Learn the functions of a roofing estimator, including how to estimate labor, materials and time. You will also learn how to coordinate with clients, project managers, engineers and architects. Need to hone your organizational skills? The CCG course offers you great tips to help you plan and organize. This will help you better perform essential job tasks.

Communication is essential in the estimating business, so CCG teaches you how to use communication to promote better performance and become more productive. Being a great estimator also means more than a little familiarity with various roof designs. To correctly estimate, learn the essential roof components you must know to do this job proficiently, from slope to drainage and flashing, rafters and ridges.

Perhaps you have never thought of a roof as having anatomy. It does. And in the CCG training course, you will learn about every bone and organ significant to roof estimating. A roof has layers like a good wardrobe, from sheathing to waterproof underlayment, shingles and ventilation. You will learn every fascinating detail in the CCG course.

Estimating obviously involves some math, which you will learn in this roofing estimating course. The first thing a roofing estimator must do to create a bid is to measure the roof in squares. Learn the necessary arithmetic, geometry and the importance of pitch and load.

Knowing how to measure lengths and widths using subtraction, multiplication and division is paramount to your success as an estimator. If you estimate load, you must know how much weight a roof section can bear based on what materials you plan to use. You will learn that and how to measure pitch to determine which materials will work best. A miscalculation will cost your company money, so the CCG course trains you in how to calculate roof squares to be as correctly accurate as possible.

Ever read a blueprint? Learn the makeup of complete blueprints, such as electrical layout, plumbing, mechanical systems, elevations, and roof plans. You will also learn how to read a set of blueprints properly, learning the various symbols.

If you have never been involved in estimating, you may not know building codes in detail. This CCG course will teach you what codes are and the different types of building codes, including international codes. When preparing an estimate, you must include everything involved, from accessories to siding, flashing, skylights, and fireproofing. You will learn valuable lessons on thermal and moisture protection in the CCG course.

And of course, there is a thorough estimating and bidding segment in this training course, including important information on the types and quantities of materials, calculating labor costs, and any other costs associated with the roof. Learn the procurement and contracting requirements for roof estimates. Being able to prepare a quality “take-off” is essential in estimating. A “take-off” is when the estimator takes each of the required materials off a project’s blueprint to assess costs accurately. This is a necessary part of any construction project.

Once you have completed CCG’s roofing estimating training, you will know how many squares are in a roll of ice and water shield, the primary math functions needed in construction, and how an exterior wall is designated on a blueprint. You will know the proper procedure and order for installing a flat or sloped roof and what it means if you see nail pops on a roof.

Get your new career in roofing, estimating off to a quick start by signing up for the CCG training program today.

Learn more about Cotney Consulting Group in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit cotneyconsulting.com. 

About John Kenney

John Kenney is the Chief Executive Officer at Cotney Consulting Group. Prior to starting Cotney, John had 45 years of experience in the construction industry. John began his career by working as a roofing apprentice at a family business in the Northeast. Because of his skill and hard work, he progressed from roofing laborer to foreman, estimator, chief estimator, Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer with his various companies. John has worked for multiple Top 100 Roofing Contractors and is intimately familiar with all aspects of roofing production, estimating, and operations. In his last role, John was responsible for the daily operations and performance of a large commercial roofing contractor. During his tenure, John ran business units associated with delivering excellent workmanship and unparalleled customer service while ensuring healthy net profits for his company.