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Life Cycle Cost Comparison
The Tile Council of North America commissioned an independent
construction cost consulting firm, Scharf-Godfrey (a
Division of Phoenix Engineering, Inc.), to conduct a
Life Cycle Cost study comparing various types of ceramic
tile, including porcelain, mosaic, and quarry tile,
to 12 other floor finishes such as hardwood, laminate,
concrete, stone, carpet, terrazzo, vinyl, and poured
epoxy (for specifics see chart).
Definition of Life Cycle Cost
Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is an economic method
of project evaluation in which all costs arising from
owning, operating, maintaining, and disposing of a project
are considered important to the decision.
The definition of Life Cycle Cost used in the 2005
study was the initial cost to install, which includes
labor, materials, normal contractor’s overhead
and profit, plus periodic maintenance costs to preserve
and maintain the appearance of the product, and the
final costs to remove the floor covering at the end
of its useful life. Future expected costs were discounted
to today’s dollars using the Present Value (PV)
of a future payment calculated as a function of interest
rate and an assumed inflation rate. It was assumed that
there is no salvage value to any of the products at
the end of their useful life, but there are disposal
fees associated with the removal of the floor covering.
How the Study Was Conducted
Scharf-Godfrey, construction cost consultants, chose
the Life Cycle Cost method for collecting and comparing
the data used in the study. The costs represent an appraisal
of actual inital installation costs, custodial maintenance
expenses, and removal costs for each material over the
product life cycle.
Each of the firms contacted answered questions in those
areas they felt qualified to discuss, particularly in
relation to costs and usable lives of various floor
finish materials. For some materials, the price was
developed from Scharf-Godfrey’s extensive database
used to estimate construction projects, or quotes were
obtained from various construction estimating sources.
In all cases, the developed costs reflect high standards
for installation and good maintenance practices.
Scharf-Godfrey
Scharf-Godfrey is an independent construction cost
consulting organization with no vested interest in ceramic
tile or any other floor finish. The study was conducted,
and this report was prepared by Scharf-Godfrey staff
members without special regard to one type of finish
over another.
Malini Gupta Glueck, P.E.
President
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