ACostE Estimating Guide
The ACostE Estimating Guide, developed by the Association for Cost Engineering, now the Controls & Skills Authority, is a comprehensive resource for cost estimating within project controls and construction environments.
The guide provides detailed methodologies for developing estimates across the full project lifecycle, from early stage concept and feasibility through to detailed estimating, cost control, and forecasting. It places a strong emphasis on structured estimating processes, governance, and the integration of estimating within wider project controls disciplines.
Widely used across infrastructure, energy, and major capital projects, the ACostE Estimating Guide supports consistent, auditable, and reliable estimating practices. It also highlights the importance of data quality, benchmarking, and continuous improvement, all of which are critical in delivering successful project outcomes.
As the industry continues to evolve towards more integrated and data centric delivery models, the principles within this guide remain highly relevant for organisations seeking to improve accuracy, transparency, and control.
Key Highlights
Comprehensive guide to estimating within project controls frameworks
Covers the full lifecycle from feasibility to forecasting and cost control
Strong focus on governance, assurance, and auditability
Supports infrastructure, energy, and major capital programmes
Emphasises benchmarking, data quality, and continuous improvement
Aligns estimating with wider project controls disciplines
The ACostE Estimating Guide aligns closely with Sterling’s vision of fully integrated cost and carbon estimating within a broader project controls ecosystem.
Sterling enables organisations to operationalise the principles set out in the guide through a modern SaaS platform, moving beyond static tools to connected, real time data workflows.
Key areas of alignment include:
End to end estimating and forecasting, supporting the full project lifecycle
Structured and auditable data, improving governance and compliance
Benchmarking capabilities, enabling comparison across projects and historical data
Integration with project controls, linking estimating, cost planning, and forecasting
Resource based estimating, providing detailed insight into labour, plant, and materials
Dual currency estimating, combining cost and carbon to support modern sustainability requirements
By aligning ACostE best practice with Sterling’s platform, organisations can enhance control, improve forecasting accuracy, and deliver more predictable project outcomes.
Access more information via the Controls & Skills Authority: https://www.controlsandskills.co.uk/
