Dan Atcheson Earthwork Estimator

DAN ATCHESON (DR. DIRT) - CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATOR

This page is dedicated to the memory of the wonderful man who taught me how to estimate construction projects: Glenn Hadley Thomson (1922-2005)

I'm perhaps one of the most well-known living construction cost estimators on the planet for the following reasons:

I have twenty-eight years of construction cost estimating experience. I can take off quantities for many trades; however, my love and forte has been earthwork. My training for this love and expertise began at Texas Tech University where I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and a minor in geology. Since graduation, I had the honor of joining the engineering faculty for eight years, teaching Construction Cost Estimating 1 and 2, as well as a course on the management and production rates of heavy equipment.

I have written six construction cost estimating books:

Estimating Earthwork Quantities, Earthmoving Equipment Production Rates and Costs,
Estimating Framing Quantities, Roofing Construction and Estimating, National Concrete & Masonry Estimator,
National Framing & Finish Carpentry Estimator,
National Earthwork & Heavy Equipment Estimator.

To date, I have 129,860 books in print, and several of my books are required in many states for contractor licensing tests.

I have been an invited guest speaker at the American Association of Cost Engineers and the American Society of Professional Estimators' national conventions, and I’ve published numerous technical papers in many nation-wide trade magazines.

I have been associated with Quest Solutions, either as a full-time employee, or as a consultant for almost ten years. Sporting the title of Senior Estimator, I have been assigned numerous and varied tasks. I give input to the programmers as to what the estimator needs in an earthwork program. I've been the "chief test pilot" for testing the program through every release version of the program. I've also made training videos and have trained hundreds of students to use the earthwork program and have written several Quest earthwork training manuals, including one for advanced students. Another of my duties has been that of quantity verification. I check Quest Gold Partner clients’ earthwork projects for errors. I have done hundreds of quantity verifications.

While in the technical support area, I was given the tough questions to solve for customers, resulting in my writing over sixty technical papers, fondly referred to by colleagues as “The Doctor Dirt Papers.” Click on the following link if you'd like to see some of my favorite works: Dr. Dirt Papers I will endeavor to add as many new papers as possible in the near future. Right now, they're still in my head, only.

I have made a science of studying earthwork estimating, to the extent of building physical models of projects.
	Here's a plexiglas model I made for a Swedish contractor bidding a project in the South Pacific. The challenge was to determine the least expensive location for the project, as well as the path of the haul road whose maximum grade could not exceed 3 percent.

To the right are some models I made for testing the Quest for Cross Sections program's calculation engine. I really enjoy my work and research! Below are some Plexiglas Models I have built over the years.

I use a computer program called Quest for Earthwork, which is linked to a digitizer board. This is a very accurate and fast system, and I've had a lot of experience using it.

THE FEE: It depends on the project. Please write for details.

HOW TO CONTACT ME:
E-mail: Woodsculptor@comcast.net

My Office At Home