Certified Professional Estimators (CPE's) are available through the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE).
The ASPE requires a minimum of five years experience and a passing grade in both a General Estimating Knowledge (GEK) test and a Discipline Specific Test, and acceptance of a technical paper, before granting the designation Certified Professional Estimator (CPE).
To date the States of California, New Jersey and New Mexico, the General Services Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy require that parties involved in preparing, supervising or checking their project construction cost estimates be certified professionals as designated by the ASPE. Several other states and federal agencies are proposing similar requirements and FEMA has adopted the Standard Estimating Practices of the ASPE.
Promotion of certification of cost estimating personnel is an effort that will benefit everyone.
The prospect of a reduction in financial losses due to bad estimates could be realized through the utilization of certified professional estimators if state and federal agencies, as well as private parties, write into their general conditions and RFPs, that preference will be given to certified professional estimators for the development of, supervision of or verification of construction cost estimates.
Surety bonding companies should actively encourage their contractor clients to have their in-house estimators seek certification or utilize the services of certified professionals and perhaps even offer a small discount in bonding rates to those clients that do utilize certified professionals.
