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Practical articles, methodology guides and market analysis from CAF Corporation cost engineers — covering AACE practices, location factors, escalation trends and more.

All Topics AACE Methodology (12) Location Factors Cost Escalation (1) Benchmarking (7) Equipment Costs (4) Renewable Energy Labor Rates General (11)
Featured · General
The KPEX Ecosystem: From First-Generation Estimating to a Connected Cost Intelligence Network
The capital project industry is shifting from spreadsheets to integrated platforms and fully connected KPEX ecosystems. This transformation is redefining how cost estimates are produced, improving accuracy, accelerating decisions and enabling data-driven competitive advantage, while exposing the limits of fragmented, traditional approaches.
Ca
Carlos Fuenmayor
· May 2026 · 5 min read
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AACE Methodology 12 Cost Escalation 1 Benchmarking 7 Equipment Costs 4 General 11
General
Module Z: the calibration layer behind every Kpex estimate
Labor rates, location and time-adjustment indices, and a full set of project assessment tools, integrated into a single ecosystem....
Jul 2026
5 min read
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AACE Methodology
Kpex · Module C: A Cost Model for Every Facility, in One Platform
Module C is the only place an estimator can put a credible, defensible number on a refinery, a rail line, a hospital, a solar farm...
Jul 2026
5 min read
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AACE Methodology
Kpex Exchange: The Intelligence Flywheel
How a closed-loop data architecture connecting estimators, vendors, and executed project cost data is redefining cost intelligence...
Jun 2026
5 min read
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General
The Intelligence Behind Every Cost Estimate
In every estimate — regardless of class — there is a moment where the quotes run out. A vendor hasn't responded. A specialty item...
Jun 2026
5 min read
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AACE Methodology
Class 3 vs. Class 2: The FID Line That Transforms Your CAPEX Estimate
A Class 3 and a Class 2 estimate are not just different levels of accuracy — they operate in fundamentally different data environm...
Jun 2026
5 min read
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General
The Future of Capital Cost Intelligence Is Almost Here
The upcoming launch of Kpex represents more than the release of a new software platform. It represents the emergence of a new app...
May 2026
5 min read
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AACE Methodology
Class 1 Cost Estimate: Definitive Estimate for Bid, Tender and Claims
Class 1 is the gold standard of cost estimation — prepared when the project is fully defined, all vendor quotes are received, and...
May 2026
9 min read
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AACE Methodology
Class 2 Cost Estimate: Control Estimate with Resource-Loaded WBS
The Class 2 estimate is the cost baseline for project control — built on detailed quantities, market labor rates, and equipment re...
May 2026
11 min read
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AACE Methodology
Class 3 Cost Estimate: Budget Estimate with Four-Level WBS
The Class 3 estimate is where most capital project decisions are made — it's the "approved budget" number that management carries...
May 2026
10 min read
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