A Python-based tool for calculating detailed construction costs by separating resource consumption norms from current market prices.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install cost-estimation-resource
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install cost-estimation-resource using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Cost Estimation - Resource Method?
This skill implements a robust resource-based costing methodology for construction projects. Unlike traditional fixed-price methods, it decouples physical resource requirements (norms) from their monetary value, providing transparency and flexibility. It allows developers and project managers to model complex work items by defining specific labor, material, equipment, and subcontractor needs per unit of work.
By utilizing this tool within Openclaw Skills, users can perform granular cost analysis, apply regional price factors, and generate comprehensive estimates including overhead and profit calculations. It is designed to handle everything from individual resource breakdowns to full project summaries with Excel export capabilities.
Cost Estimation - Resource Method Use Cases
- Generate detailed resource breakdowns for specific construction work items.
- Perform regional cost adjustments across entire project estimates instantly.
- Calculate labor-only price increases or adjust for material waste factors.
- Produce professional project estimates with configurable overhead and profit margins.
- Export cost data to Excel for stakeholder review and further analysis.
How Cost Estimation - Resource Method Works
- Initialize the ResourceBasedEstimator to manage the database of resources and work items.
- Define resources including labor, materials, and equipment with their respective unit prices.
- Create work items by specifying resource norms (consumption rates) and waste factors.
- Calculate the total cost for specific quantities of work items, aggregating costs by resource type.
- Generate a full project estimate incorporating direct costs, overhead rates, and profit margins.
- Export the final data to structured formats like Excel for reporting.
Cost Estimation - Resource Method Setup
To use this tool within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem, ensure you have Python 3.x installed and the necessary data processing libraries:
pip install pandas openpyxl
Cost Estimation - Resource Method Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill uses a structured data model to ensure consistency across estimates:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Resource | Stores code, name, type (Labor/Material/Equipment/Subcontractor), and unit price. |
| ResourceNorm | Links a resource to a work item with specific consumption and waste factors. |
| WorkItem | Represents a task (e.g., Concrete Foundation) composed of multiple ResourceNorms. |
| CostLineItem | The output for a specific quantity, detailing cost breakdown by category. |
| Estimate | The final object containing line items, totals, and statistical summaries. |
Cost Estimation - Resource Method Advanced Features
- Regional Price Scaling: Apply global factors to adjust for different geographic markets.
- Resource-Specific Adjustments: Target price changes to specific categories like labor or materials without affecting others.
- Automated Waste Calculation: Incorporate waste factors directly into material consumption norms for higher accuracy.
- Comprehensive Summary Statistics: Automatic calculation of labor percentages and direct vs. indirect cost ratios.
- DataFrame Integration: Load resource and work item data directly from pandas DataFrames for seamless workflow automation.
SKILL.md
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