Maximum Allowable Cost - 2010

Maximum Allowable Costs For School Construction - 2010

In accordance with RSA 198:15-b VII(a) the table below provides the maximum allowable cost per square foot for the purpose of calculating School Building Aid for projects which begin construction between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011. These cost limits apply to the gross building size of the school facility measured from exterior surface to exterior surface. Costs include the cost to erect the building from the foundation upwards including all building system equipment. The costs of land, site work, utilities, planning and design, legal and administrative fees, kitchen equipment, furniture, fixtures, and other equipment which is not part of a building system are not included.

Costs are derived from data from the R.S. Means Company. Costs are based on a 1200 pupil high school, 800 pupil middle school, and 400 pupil elementary school located at the county seat in each county. The current condition of the economy has resulted in widely varying estimates of construction cost changes. Lack of actual data from many areas appears to lead to calculations which are likely to be invalid. The limits for 2010 represent an overall increase of about 2% over the previous year. The Department of Education will continue to review these calculations and may publish revised numbers later in the year.

The Department of Education is concerned that this annual document may be overly influencing design cost estimates and subsequently construction bids. School districts, designers, and construction firms should understand these costs to be the upper limit for the payment of school building aid. They are not intended to be an accurate estimate for the actual cost of construction for a particular design in current or future market conditions. Project budgets should be developed independent of these cost limits. Bidders should not assume that these limits represent the budget available for a particular project.