Most estimating software will also tie in with job cost processes and help your business better price jobs accurately, submit timely estimates, calculate realistic profit margins, and track costs in real-time. A good estimating program will give you an analytical foundation to understand your costs in different areas within the job. Breaking down estimates and costs by sub-projects, physical areas or by other organizing units provides a wealth of info for understanding which job elements are driving the profit or loss on the project overall.
To identify payback, you may need to segment costs to track the resulting revenues. This would require a need to track the cost of the overall project—by building or by unit. The best construction estimating software will help create whatever type of estimate you business needs. What determines the information that gets put on the estimate? There are four main types of construction estimates, and which one gets used will usually depend on the stage of the project.
Electricians, plumbers, many manufacturers, builders, and HVAC companies all deal with estimating on a daily basis. However, some of the elements of the estimating process can be different in each environment. QuickBooks Online has been used successfully by thousands of construction companies. While not an industry-specific construction management software , the solution can handle the needed accounting for most construction businesses.
Intuit, the developer of QuickBooks, does not offer a dedicated construction estimating tool. However, QuickBooks solutions do have the ability to create estimates as part of their overall accounting package. Estimates created in QuickBooks can be used to create a bid, proposal, or quote. These can later be turned into a sales order or an invoice.
Some options recommended by QuickBooks themselves include:. Talk with a Software Expert…. Construction Estimating Software Get the best construction estimating software for your business. Get a free consultation from an independent system expert. Get Recommendations. Popular Products No products found. ProEst is a top construction estimating software that allows you to create bids in half of the time as other options—letting your cost estimators win you more bids than ever before.
ProEst can be used by a variety of businesses—including large civil…. Price Range. Clear Estimates is the easiest tool for contractors looking to make professional proposals in minutes instead of hours. A database of over 10, pre-loaded parts includes labor and materials costs specific to your area for added accuracy. The parts and…. Estimating Link. Estimating Link is a sophisticated estimating software application ideal for both state and private work in heavy highway, environmental, bridges, site-work, railroad and civil projects.
RSMeans Data Online from Gordian is an online construction cost estimating software with a large construction cost database available in a variety of formats. Some estimators are individuals who have risen through the ranks as construction workers. These experienced construction professionals also know how to negotiate with subcontractors and may be better able to appreciate the factors that impact estimated amounts.
But as construction has gotten more specialized, professionally trained cost estimators are increasingly common. Most certification programs require continuing education and recertification. Dedication to continued learning is necessary for all cost estimators, whether certified or not. In addition, cost estimators must be highly organized and highly attentive to detail.
They should know how to communicate cost information with accuracy and integrity. Moreover, given the competitive nature of the construction industry, they must maintain confidentiality when communicating with stakeholders and commit themselves ethically to delivering accurate estimates despite possible pressures to engage in corner-cutting and expediency.
Some best practices can lead to more accurate estimates and more successful bids. The cost estimator must follow industry norms and standards for measurement units. He must also consistently fill out costing-related documents, such as quantity surveys, and follow cost-recording procedures in a way that makes their work verifiable and easy to handoff to another cost estimator if necessary. The best way to do this is in a recognized construction classification system, such as the UniFormat. The estimator examines contractual terms to see which of them may impact indirect costs.
Determining the level of effort — project work that cannot be traced to specific components of a work breakdown structure — is also a skill that takes some developing. They will review construction drawings for constructability and accuracy in representing the project scope.
Their job may involve analyzing completed estimates for accuracy. The cost estimator also helps track costs in the field so as to allow the comparison of actual costs with cost estimates.
A skilled estimator will provide as much detail as possible on the impact of change orders. Ultimately, the cost estimator may have to exercise specialized skills, such as value engineering, which usually refers to increasing the function-to-cost ratio.
Experienced cost estimators say you can often avoid common pitfalls by consistently following standard procedures. One common source of problems is the failure to read the project documents carefully, which frequently leads to a poor understanding of the project scope and certain associated costs. Others include forgetting to incorporate costs or entering costs incorrectly. These issues can be compounded by neglecting to thoroughly check the completed estimate. Other oversights include the failure to visit the site and the inability to fully understand the site conditions.
This makes site visits imperative. Finally, some cost estimators who draw from cost data repositories will fail to adjust costs based on local conditions or will make arbitrary adjustments without considering prior experience or quantitative comparisons.
Either of these can throw estimates off and make it more difficult for another cost estimator to verify an estimate. Estimation software has become a must-have for anyone generating complex construction cost estimates. For-purchase software, which can be pricey, is a much better option for anyone dealing with complex projects because of the functionality and features it can offer.
Here are a few of the benefits of for-purchase software:. Construction cost estimating continues to evolve as design, building methods, and materials change.
Some trends that impact cost estimating today include:. The following are additional resources concerning construction cost estimating:. Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done.
Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. Try Smartsheet for free, today. Get a Free Smartsheet Demo. In This Article. Construction Cost Estimation Background and Purpose Construction cost estimating is the process of forecasting the cost of building a physical structure.
A good starting point is this construction estimator template. Transform construction management with Smartsheet. See for yourself. Overview of the Construction Estimation Process Understanding cost estimation requires you to have a basic grasp of the construction process.
Here are the nine basic phases of a building project: 1. Level 1: Order of Magnitude Estimate: Made when project design has not yet gotten under way, you only use an order of magnitude estimate to determine the overall feasibility of a construction. Level 2: Schematic Design Estimate: An estimate produced in line with schematic design Level 3: Design Development Estimate : An estimate made during the design development phase Level 4: Construction Document Estimate: An estimate based on the construction drawings and specifications Level 5: Bid Estimate: An estimate prepared by the contractor, based on construction documents.
The bid estimate is the basis of the bid price offered to the customer. Next comes the preliminary estimate, or conceptual estimate, which you base on the schematic design. Then comes the detailed estimate, or definitive estimate, which you base on design development. A simple template can help give an initial assessment of costs involved in a project. A Construction Cost Estimates Perspective on Building Systems Creating a cost estimate for a project as complicated as a building calls for a systematic way of enumerating costs.
These are: Substructure Shell Interiors Services Equipment and furnishings Special construction Building site work The RSMeans Square Foot Costs Book , which compiles building cost data according to these divisions, is a widely used resource for developing cost estimates based on costs per square foot. Taking-Off Quantities: Working from the construction documents, a quantity surveyor will measure the tasks and items of work in a project.
This requires scaling dimensions from drawings. One will record these in standard units such as area, volume, or length. For example, you can quantify excavation in cubic meters and steel supports in linear feet. The surveyor will list the number of each item in the project. Squaring: Next, the quantity surveyor multiplies the dimensions of the component into square area and multiplies this by the number of times this work item occurs in the construction, thus getting the total dimensions, length, volume, and area as applicable.
Abstracting: Abstracting is the collecting and ordering of the squared dimensions. The total price will depend on the number of modules and features a company purchases, how many users or workstations need to access the tool, and whether or not training and support are needed. Sage Estimating has been on the market for a long time originally marketed as Sage Timberline Estimating , is flush with features, and is highly customizable.
Sigma Estimates is a powerful estimating tool built for subcontractors or general contractors. Its long list of features and integrations make it a good fit for most general contractors, subcontractors, architects, and engineers. Sigma Estimates is an especially strong choice for Windows users. In terms of system requirements, Sigma must be installed on a Windows operating system.
Sigma has two different editions of their product designed for different types of users: Professional and Enterprise. The Professional version includes essential features like basic formulas, functional, area, and resource estimation, product databases and price lists, and reporting. The Enterprise version includes everything available in the Professional version, plus stronger tools for estimating and budgeting, greater customization and reporting capabilities, and support for more file types.
It also includes access to the RSMeans database to help contractors and estimators keep on top of constantly changing prices of labor and materials.
Sigma even has an Open API, so developers can build their own integrations and connect their existing apps and workflows into Sigma Estimates. Sigma is competitively priced for the quality of the software, and further, they offer higher discounts for longer-term commitments to the product. Additionally, many universities have existing relationships with Sigma that gives them access to Sigma for free.
With such a strong product and an affordable price, we highly recommend Sigma Estimates as one of the top construction estimating software products on the market. We rate it as the Best Estimating Software for Windows.
The Australia-based company was founded in , and has a good reputation with its customers. They design tailored solutions for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and other specialties. Their collection of estimating features are also top-notch, including a custom quote designer that auto-populates customer data, assembly prebuilds, easy labor calculations, and more. SimPRO also allows contractors to keep a detailed database of their costs, which stores cost, sale price, and markup, allowing for extremely detailed estimating for each project.
The platform includes supplier cost databases and allows the import of any material and supplier cost database that contractors work with. Another great feature is the ability to save common assemblies, which can easily be reused in future projects.
SimPRO is also in the process of introducing takeoff features, which are in beta as of , but in the meantime, simPRO supports integration with Groundplan and PlanSwift takeoff software. To learn more about everything available through simPRO, simPRO offers free scheduled demos of their technology and offers a number of helpful videos for anyone looking to learn more about their construction estimating solutions. Current pricing information about simPRO is not currently available, so potential users will need to contact simPRO through their website to learn more.
We rated them as a runner-up in our list of the best construction estimating software. ConEst is far-and-away the most popular estimating software for electrical contractors. Founded in , they are also one of the most experienced estimating software companies in the market. However, ConEst recommends a database server be installed for centralized storage of data. This, of course, should depend on the number of users needing to share information and how the organization manages its data pipeline.
Any takeoffs done within SureCount are also automatically passed to IntelliBid, so users never have to re-enter data. IntelliBid includes many features to improve the estimating and bidding processes, including a massive database of over , parts and pre-built assemblies, calculators, formulas, and easy estimate export. Design Build, an extension for IntelliBid, helps electrical contractors by adding electrical formulas to calculate lighting requirements, load limits, and voltage drops.
This video is a bit dated, but highlights the range of features within IntelliBid:. They also charge startup costs for installation and training. Billing is on an annual basis. ConEst is a strong product with some excellent tools for electrical contractors, which is why we rated it as the Best Construction Estimating Software for Electrical Contractors. Buildertrend was founded in , but is already one of the most popular construction management platforms on the market with more than 1 million users.
Their software is designed for homebuilders, remodelers, commercial developers, and specialty contractors of any size. Users receive additional charges depending on the type and number of jobs started on a monthly or annual basis.
This means the price is proportional to the amount of business you run through the software, which keeps the cost of the product reasonable no matter how large or small the business is. While this review focuses only on their estimating and bidding components, buyers should take note of the extensive collection of features that Buildertrend offers because they may also be a good fit for other construction management needs.
In fact, we recommend that if you choose Buildertrend as your estimating option, that you also take advantage of the project management, accounting, and field service tools for a powerful, comprehensive package of tools.
Buildertrend is a cloud-based solution, so it is accessible from any device with a web browser. Their online interface is very clean and easy to use. It has a modern design with intuitive controls, and we rank it among the best of the estimating software we reviewed. Within the platform users can build estimates, generate professional proposals, and request and send digital signatures. Buildertrend also regularly releases new updates and features to their platform.
The one downside we find with Buildertrend as an estimating solution is that their platform does not include takeoff technology. However, Buildertrend does integrate with popular takeoff solutions including Clear Estimates, eTakeoff, and Square Takeoff. This allows users to seamlessly share data between one of these popular takeoff tools and Buildertrend. Buildertrend also makes it easy to try their product with no commitment.
They offer free product demos that you can schedule with a live representative, and they also have a day money back guarantee for new customers testing out the product. Buildxact is an impressive software product devoted to supporting the construction management needs of small contractors and one of our top choices for estimating software. Buildxact is a great choice for residential builders, remodelers, and contractors.
Buildxact boasts that its estimating features can help users produce estimates five times faster than without the software. With convenient tools like prebuilt templates and price list imports, along with intuitive, built-in takeoff functionality, the estimating process with Buildxact is streamlined and efficient. In addition to estimates, Buildxact includes features for takeoff, project management and scheduling, and construction accounting, which makes it a well-rounded product capable of addressing several key construction management functions.
Reviewers consistently remark on how easy it is to learn and use the product. With a clean, intuitive design, figuring out the core functionality is a snap, allowing users to quickly begin producing estimates. Buildxact offers three tiers for pricing: Entry, Pro, and Teams. Buildxact offers a day free trial in addition to a 30 minute online demo with the Buildxact team.
Buildxact is a cloud-based system, which means it is accessible on PC, Mac, and any mobile device with a web browser. Buildxact is one of our top overall recommendations, especially for smaller contractors, but due to its strong design and ease of use, we give it the nod for Best User Interface. SmartBid is one of the most popular online contractor bid management tools on the market. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
Find items by keyword, MasterFormat number or browse the catalog by division to locate the material, task or construction cost you need. Customize the look and feel of your estimate to include the right information in the right order. Define the structure of your estimate and stay organized while building out rooms or floors.
Organize by trade, by room or design your own system.
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