Good resources for estimating development costs?

[Mark Hu]

Does anyone know good resources for estimating costs for demolishing old buildings and building new ones, both homes and apartments?
Contractors I have contacted have usually been reluctant to give estimates unless I have the architect plans in hand, which I can understand.

[Craig Grella]

Try to get the contractor to come down for a visit. They can usually give you a quick estimate after seeing the property.

If they won't do it, call another contractor, there are thousands of them out there, and most of them aren't as busy as they were two years ago.

If you can't find a contractor to do it, strike up a conversation with an architect, you'll need that relationship anyway. They may be able to give you a quick quote, or if you're really nice, you might convince the architect to call one of his/her contractors to check the place out.