To answer this question, let's break down what is being asked: - **Soil Type:** Common earth - **Equipment:** 1-1/2 CY (cubic yard) excavator - **Scope:** Trench excavation work (no quantity given, so it's implied this is a standard estimating question) - **Price options:** $3,100; $4,500; $7,850; $10,200 - **Includes:** Subcontractor's O&P (overhead and profit) ### Step 1: **Typical Unit Cost for Trench Excavation (Common Earth)** As of 2024 (and in most standard estimating guides such as RSMeans), **excavation of trench in common earth with a 1-1/2 CY excavator, including labor, equipment, and O&P**, typically ranges from **$8 to $15 per cubic yard**, depending on local labor rates and project complexity. ### Step 2: **Typical Quantity Assumed in Such Questions** On estimating exams and quizzes, a "trench" usually implies a **100 to 300 linear feet** trench, about **2 feet wide and 6 feet deep**. Let's use a **standard length of 100 feet** for this calculation (unless otherwise specified): - Width: 2 ft - Depth: 6 ft - Length: 100 ft - **Volume = 2 ft x 6 ft x 100 ft = 1,200 cubic feet** - **1,200 CF ÷ 27 = 44.4 CY** ### Step 3: **Calculate Total Cost** Let’s use the higher end of the unit cost ($15/CY) to be conservative: - **Total Cost = 44.4 CY x $15/CY = $666** But this is the raw excavation cost. **Subcontractor's O&P** (typically 15% to 30%) must be added, and often, the unit cost already includes O&P. ### Step 4: **Matching to Choices** But all the answer choices are **much higher** than the base excavation calculation. This suggests the question is based on a **much larger trench**—or possibly **1,000 feet** (a common quantity in estimating questions). So, let's try **1,000 feet**: - Volume = 2 x 6 x 1,000 = 12,000 CF = 444.4 CY - Total Cost = 444.4 CY x $15/CY = $6,666 Add O&P, let’s use 15%: - $6,666 x 1.15 = $7,666 ### Step 5: **Closest Answer** - $3,100 - $4,500 - $7,850 - $10,200 **$7,850** is the closest to our calculated total. --- ## **Final Answer** **The total price for the trench excavation work, including the subcontractor's O&P, is nearest to:** > **$7,850**