American Society of Professional Estimators

American Society of Professional Estimators
Name	American Society of Professional Estimators
Abbreviation	ASPE
Formation	1956
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	United States
Region served	North America
Membership	Construction estimators, cost professionals

American Society of Professional Estimators The American Society of Professional Estimators is a professional association for construction cost estimators that promotes standards, education, and certification. Founded in the mid‑20th century, the organization connects practitioners across sectors including building, infrastructure, and industrial projects through chapters, publications, and conferences. It interacts with allied institutions to influence practice, workforce development, and procurement in the built environment.

History

The society emerged during a period of post‑World War II expansion when firms such as Bechtel, Turner Construction, Fluor Corporation, Skanska, and Perini Corporation demanded more rigorous cost forecasting, paralleling developments at American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors of America, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Chartered Institute of Building, and Construction Industry Institute. Early leaders drew experience from projects like the Hoover Dam, Interstate Highway System, Severn Bridge, Channel Tunnel, and Three Gorges Dam, and from firms including Kiewit Corporation, Jacobs Engineering Group, AECOM, CH2M Hill, and Arup Group. The society’s archives reflect influences from major owners such as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and international lenders like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Over decades, ASPE responded to changes triggered by events such as the 1973 oil crisis, the 1987 stock market crash, the 2008 financial crisis, and technological shifts exemplified by software from Autodesk, Trimble, Oracle Corporation, and Microsoft.

Organization and Membership

The society is organized into local chapters and regional councils similar to structures used by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Planning Association, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air‑Conditioning Engineers, and National Society of Professional Engineers. Membership categories mirror those of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Institution of Civil Engineers, encompassing experienced estimators from firms such as WSP Global, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, SNC‑Lavalin, Balfour Beatty, and VINCI Construction, as well as consultants from Turner & Townsend, Rider Levett Bucknall, Currie & Brown, and public agency staff from Caltrans, Transport for London, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and New York City Department of Design and Construction. Corporate members include contractors, owners, and software vendors like Procore Technologies, Bentley Systems, Bluebeam, Inc., and Oracle Primavera. Affiliate relationships extend to Construction Specifications Institute, Design-Build Institute of America, National Association of Home Builders, US Green Building Council, and Lean Construction Institute.

Certification and Education

ASPE offers certification pathways comparable to credentials such as Project Management Professional, Chartered Surveyor, Certified Cost Professional, LEED Accredited Professional, and Professional Engineer. Training curricula reflect practices used on projects like Crossrail, Los Angeles Metro, Gulfstream Aerospace, and Apple Park and reference standards promulgated by American Society for Testing and Materials, International Organization for Standardization, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Educational partnerships have linked ASPE with universities and colleges such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue University, and University of Michigan, and with vocational programs at institutions like Lincoln Tech and Penn State Great Valley. Certification exams and continuing education address techniques used with estimating software from Sage Group, RSMeans, Holt Software, and methodologies promoted by Gower and McGraw-Hill Construction.

Standards and Publications

The society publishes guidelines, white papers, and periodicals analogous to outputs from American Institute of Architects, ASTM International, ISO, IEEE Standards Association, and National Institute of Building Sciences. Its materials cover cost databases, scope definition, risk contingency, and life‑cycle costing and reference works such as RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data, Means Mechanical Cost Data, Spon's Price Books, The Blue Book Building and Construction Network, and texts by authors like Ken Adams, Frank Harris, and Erik B. Larson. ASPE liaises with standards bodies including American National Standards Institute, Construction Specifications Institute, Institute of Quantity Surveyors, and British Standards Institution to harmonize estimating practice across projects such as London Crossrail, Hudson Yards, Burj Khalifa, and Itaipu Dam.

Conferences and Events

Annual conferences and regional seminars mirror events run by World of Concrete, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, AIA Convention, Autodesk University, and Railway Interchange, featuring technical sessions on cost modeling, risk analysis, and procurement. Notable keynote speakers have included executives from Bechtel, Turner Construction, Skanska, AECOM, and academics from Stanford University, Columbia University, and University of Oxford. Workshops cover case studies from projects such as Suez Canal Expansion, Boston Big Dig, Chunnel, Sydney Opera House, and Millau Viaduct, and incorporate vendor exhibitions with companies like Procore Technologies, Bentley Systems, Autodesk, and Trimble.

Industry Impact and Advocacy

The society advocates for best practices in estimating, influencing procurement policy at agencies such as U.S. General Services Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation (United States), Transport for London, and municipal authorities including City of New York and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Through position papers and collaboration with organizations like Associated Builders and Contractors, National Association of Counties, U.S. Conference of Mayors, American Public Works Association, and World Economic Forum, it has contributed to debates on cost transparency, risk allocation, and public‑private partnerships exemplified by projects such as London Olympics 2012, Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Tokyo 2020, and major PPPs in Canada and Australia. Its influence extends to curricula development at Cornell University, University of Florida, Texas A&M University, and professional practice improvements adopted by firms including Mortenson Construction, Gilbane Building Company, PCL Construction Enterprises, and Babcock & Wilcox.

Category:Professional associations based in the United States