Buying on price is false economy.  Formwork materials represent only a small portion of the total installed concrete cost.  Any attempt to cut corners on materials costs, particularly concrete form MDO and HDO, needs to factor the corresponding effects on labor and productivity costs.  Oftentimes, the upfront savings disappear quickly because the cheaper material did not last, and the forms needed to be reskinned or resurfaced.  It has been estimated that formwork, including materials and labor, accounts for between 35 to 60 percent of the total installed concrete cost.  For example, in a typical wall form, installed concrete costs are comprised of 40% labor, 30% steel, 20% concrete, and only 10% for the form material including plywood and lumber supports.1  Although these allocations may vary from job to job, the overall proportions remain fundamental in today’s commercial construction markets.  Buying a low-durability low-use formwork panel on the basis of price actually costs more in the end.  For every low-durability panel purchased, it will require replacement more frequently incurring labor costs in a $4 to $1 ratio every time that material is changed out.  Any anticipated up-front savings anticipated from the low sticker price of the formwork panels is quickly wiped out; not only by the need for additional quantities of formwork panels, but also the unanticipated additional labor cost associated with its repeated installation, removal and disposal.  Using a durable concrete form panel that lasts can help control formwork costs and reduce the overall installed concrete cost. 1 “A Guide to Specifying Formwork for Concrete”, M.K. Hurd, Copyright 1979.