Capital Project Estimating: Why Independent Support Improves Accuracy

In today’s complex project landscape, capital project estimating faces unprecedented challenges. From modularization and decarbonization to supply chain volatility and labor shortages, the rules that guided projects a decade ago no longer apply. Yet owners still rely on early estimates to make billion-dollar investment decisions. 

The results tell the story: most mega-projects miss cost or schedule targets. This is not only a technical issue but a structural one. Many owner organizations have reduced or eliminated their estimating teams, leaving engineers or contractors to fill the gap. That often introduces bias, incomplete scope definition, and commercial pressure. 

Independent support strengthens estimating by introducing objectivity, specialized experience, scalable bandwidth, and current market data through tools like Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE). It also ensures better documentation through a well-structured Basis of Estimate (BoE), where assumptions and methodologies are clearly defined. 

Working with third-party estimators does not replace internal teams. It complements them by adding capacity and perspective. When combined with practices such as developing a defensible should-cost estimate or performing independent estimate reviews, owners can uncover hidden assumptions and sharpen their accuracy range. 

Independent support in capital project estimating provides objectivity, flexible bandwidth, modern tools like Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE), and stronger, defensible results compared to owner-only estimating.

When used effectively, independent support does not replace internal teams; it strengthens them. By combining owner insight with third-party validation, teams uncover hidden risks and avoid repeating the Top 5 Estimating Mistakes in Capital Projects that so often cause overruns. 

This collaborative approach also complements What Is Capital Project Estimating—And Why It Matters, which shows how estimate quality drives alignment across stakeholders. 

So how independent is your estimating process? 

At ROMAN Consulting Group, we help owners strengthen cost confidence by providing independent estimating support, objective cost validation, and structured reviews of estimating methodology, scope coverage, and contingency logic. Our work adds unbiased perspective, market-backed data, and practical expertise so teams can make investment decisions with clearer insight and lower cost uncertainty. 

👉 Read the full article on LinkedIn 

---

Related Articles 

• How to Build a Strong Basis of Estimate (BoE) 

• Top 5 Estimating Mistakes in Capital Projects 

• Should-Cost Estimating: Closing the Gap Between Price and Value