Material Demand FAQs

The section contains the most commonly asked questions about the Material Demand feature. If you have additional questions or need further support, contact Customer Service or your sales representative.

This section contains the following topics:  

What is Material Demand?

Material Demand combines RSMeans cost models with active, detailed project information to show you the value of your materials on a project very early in the life cycle, even before specifications are written. You see the overall project value, as well as the estimated value of your products needed on the project.

How does it work?

Material Demand uses RSMeans proprietary square foot cost models, which include detailed information on material, labor & equipment, and total costs including more than 208 different CSI divisions on more than 70 building types. Models are matched with projects in the Leads database to give you a way to prioritize projects based on model-driven material cost instead of total project value.

What types of projects are included?

Material Demand values can be found on most General Construction projects that are listed as new construction, or General Construction additions greater than 4,500 square feet or $500,000. 

When is Material Demand applied to a project?

Since Material Demand is based on RSMeans cost models, there is no need to wait for plans and specs to show Material Demand on a project- so applicable projects have Material Demand as soon as we add the project to our database! 

Does Material Demand change for a project?

To make sure that Material Demand is as up to date as possible, the values are always calculated based on the most up-to-date total project value information available. Therefore if a project value changes, the Material Demand values are updated accordingly.

Can I use Material Demand for my bid? How accurate is Material Demand?

These models are intended for use only to prioritize projects and identify profitable opportunities early in the project life-cycle. They are not intended to act as an estimate for any project or to imply product specifics. Costs are derived from a building model that assumes basic components, using union labor and a standard square footage. An accurate estimate of the costs to build your particular project depends upon the location, project scope, specific components used and current market conditions and is available on RSMeansOnline.com.

Why don't all projects have a Material Demand value?

Some projects do not have a Material Demand value as no model exists for the specific type of project. These are projects in General Construction that have only one category and have the following subcategories:

• Residential - Single Family
• Government - Government Miscellaneous
• Education - Cafeterias
• Community - Sports Arenas / Convention Centers