Two projects can have similar floor areas and specifications yet face very different costs. Labor conditions, procurement, local construction practices, and the availability of materials all affect what a project will cost to deliver. A useful comparison needs to account for those differences.
We have developed Aestor's location indices to give teams a more structured way to investigate cost differences between markets. Alongside them, we are previewing Deep Research, which extends our citation-driven approach to information across the web.
A clearer basis for comparing locations
Our location indices are Aestor-developed research measures that bring selected market research onto a consistent comparison basis. The initial research preview covers 69 U.S. locations and six Canadian locations, with coverage varying by cost category and publication period.
Our analysis reinforces a practical point: location depends on what you are costing. A market's relative position can change between general construction, office hard costs, industrial buildings, and fit-out work. A single adjustment applied across every type of project can overlook those differences.
We keep cost categories and publication periods distinct. Comparisons use an explicit reference location within the relevant country and cost category. Where multiple inputs are available, we examine their disagreement rather than reporting an average without that context.
The indices are currently research references. They support investigation and review, rather than acting as quotations for a particular project or automatic adjustments to an approved estimate. Scope, specification, procurement, and local advice still need to be considered before applying an adjustment.
Making your portfolio more useful
For a team planning work in a new location, its own completed projects remain a valuable starting point. Those projects contain experience about scope, delivery, and the decisions behind the final cost.
Location research can help the team assess which parts of that experience are transferable. It gives a cost manager a clearer basis for questioning a comparison, identifying what needs adjustment, and deciding where more information is needed. That makes historical project data more useful while keeping responsibility for the estimate with the people reviewing it.
Deep Research, with sources attached
We are also previewing Deep Research: web research that helps teams investigate questions beyond the documents already in their workspace. It can bring relevant external information into a discussion of market conditions, materials, or regional cost considerations.
The same citation-driven policy applies. Research results include source links and supporting excerpts so the team can inspect the material behind an answer. The publication date, geography, and scope of a source still need to fit the question being asked. Current information is useful when it is relevant and supported, not simply because it is new.
An index can help identify a difference worth investigating. Research can help the team understand the conditions around it. Together, they support a more considered discussion of the assumptions behind a decision.
These previews continue the reason we built Aestor: to make estimating and portfolio decisions clearer, with useful context, visible assumptions, and evidence that another person can review.