Professional EstimatingConstruction Estimating ServicesBid-ready estimates.
Built to win work.
Professional Estimating Services prepares accurate construction cost estimates, quantity takeoffs and material takeoffs for general contractors, subcontractors, developers and owners — every CSI division, every trade, priced to your project's ZIP code.
Your estimating department — without the overhead
Experienced estimators take off every item on your plans and price it with current local rates, so you can bid more projects, faster — and spend your time building instead of counting.
We work as an extension of your preconstruction team: one point of contact, a fixed quote before work starts, and estimates organized the way your bid form, schedule of values or GMP proposal needs them. Learn more about our company or see how our estimating process works.
Every estimate your bid needs
From an early conceptual budget to bid-day numbers and change orders, our construction estimating services cover every stage of preconstruction — for residential, commercial, industrial and civil work.
Construction Cost Estimating
Detailed, line-item estimates with material, labor and equipment costs priced to your project's ZIP code.
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Quantity Takeoff
Precise measured quantities from your drawings — lengths, areas, volumes and counts — organized by CSI division.
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Material Takeoff
Itemized material lists with waste factors, ready to send to suppliers for pricing and ordering.
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MEP Estimating
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing estimates — equipment, ductwork, piping, conduit and fixtures counted and priced.
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Preliminary & Budget Estimates
Conceptual and schematic-stage budgets that help owners and developers test feasibility early.
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Bid Preparation & Change Orders
Bid-day support, scope reviews and change-order pricing so you never leave margin on the table.
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Specialized estimates, outsourcing options and preconstruction support — each with its own scope, deliverables and pricing.
Core estimate types
- Construction Takeoff
- Residential Estimating
- Multi-Family & Apartment Estimating
- Commercial Estimating
- Industrial Estimating
- Civil & Infrastructure Estimating
- Change Order Estimating
- Value Engineering
- BIM / 5D Estimating
- Green Building Estimating
- Renovation & Remodeling Estimating
- Home Addition Estimating
- Xactimate & Insurance Claim Estimating
Outsourcing & estimator roles
Every CSI MasterFormat division, covered
From sitework to specialties, our estimators work trade by trade so subcontractors get exactly their scope — and GCs get the full picture. Every takeoff follows CSI MasterFormat numbering, so it drops straight into your bid form.
Specialty trade takeoffs
Need one scope priced in depth? These trade estimates go below the division level — from rebar and formwork to glazing, ductwork and solar.
From plans to price in four steps
Upload your plans
Send drawings, specs and scope through our secure form — PDF, DWG or a link. See what to send us.
Get a fixed quote
We review the scope and reply with a price and delivery date — no obligation. See estimating pricing.
We take off & price
Estimators measure every item and apply current local material and labor rates.
Bid with confidence
Receive your Excel estimate and marked-up plans, with revisions included.
Any project. Any size.
From single-family homes to hospitals and highways — we estimate the work you bid.
01Residential
Custom homes, subdivisions, remodels →
02Commercial
Retail, office, hospitality, healthcare →
03Industrial
Warehouses, plants, manufacturing →
04Multi-Family
Apartments, condos, mixed-use →
05Civil & Sitework
Roads, bridges, utilities, grading →
06Renovation
Tenant improvements, retrofits →Built for the people who build
Estimates shaped to how each client buys, bids, designs or lends.
Projects we estimate
A look at the building types and scopes our estimators price — from wood-frame homes to steel towers and heavy civil work.
Estimates you can hand straight to the owner
Every estimate gets a second-estimator review before delivery — see our quality and accuracy standards.
Download a Sample Estimate ↓| DIV | DESCRIPTION | QTY | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Existing conditions | 1 LS | $18,400 |
| 03 | Concrete | 412 CY | $96,820 |
| 05 | Metals | 38 TN | $142,500 |
| 09 | Finishes | 24,600 SF | $118,080 |
| 22 | Plumbing | 46 EA | $74,600 |
| 26 | Electrical | 12,400 SF | $86,800 |
| Project total | $537,200 |
[Client testimonial — a real quote from a general contractor about accuracy and turnaround.]
[Client testimonial — a real quote from a subcontractor about winning more bids.]
[Client testimonial — a real quote from a developer about budget planning.]
- Construction estimating services turn drawings and specifications into a priced, line-item forecast of what a project will cost to build.
- Estimates are organized by CSI MasterFormat division and priced with local material, labor and equipment rates for the project's ZIP code.
- Expected accuracy follows design maturity — from roughly −50% / +100% at concept to about −10% / +15% or better for a bid-ready estimate (AACE International classes).
- Professional Estimating Services quotes a fixed fee and delivery date before any work starts, and handles addenda revisions quickly.
What are construction estimating services?
Contractors use them to bid more work without carrying a full-time estimating department; owners, developers and lenders use them to set budgets and check bids. At Professional Estimating Services, every estimate is built from your actual plans — not square-foot rules of thumb — and delivered as an editable Excel file with marked-up drawings.
Who hires a construction estimator?
Anyone who needs a reliable number before money is committed:
- General contractors pricing full projects and leveling subcontractor bids — estimating for general contractors
- Subcontractors and trade contractors who need only their own scope taken off — estimating for subcontractors
- Developers and owners testing feasibility and setting budgets — estimating for developers and owners
- Architects and designers checking cost at schematic, DD and CD milestones — design-stage estimates for architects
- Engineers quantifying structural, civil and MEP systems — estimating for engineers
- Material suppliers and manufacturers building material lists for quotes — estimating for suppliers
- Lenders and banks who need an independent cost review before funding — estimating for lenders
- Property and facility managers planning capital repairs and replacements — estimating for property managers
Types of construction estimates by design stage
The right estimate depends on how complete the design is. AACE International's cost estimate classification system (Recommended Practice 18R-97) ties expected accuracy to design maturity:
| Estimate type | Design maturity | Typical use | Expected accuracy range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conceptual / order of magnitude (Class 5) | 0–2% | Feasibility, go / no-go | −20% to −50% / +30% to +100% |
| Preliminary / schematic budget (Class 4) | 1–15% | Budget approval, design options | −15% to −30% / +20% to +50% |
| Design development estimate (Class 3) | 10–40% | Budget control, value engineering | −10% to −20% / +10% to +30% |
| Construction documents estimate (Class 2) | 30–75% | Control estimate, bid checking | −5% to −15% / +5% to +20% |
| Bid / detailed estimate (Class 1) | 65–100% | Bids, GMP, change orders | −3% to −10% / +3% to +15% |
We prepare all five: preliminary, conceptual and budget estimates for early decisions, value engineering studies when the number comes in over budget, bid estimates for hard-bid and negotiated work, and change order estimates once construction starts.
Takeoff vs. estimate: what's the difference?
A takeoff measures; an estimate prices. The takeoff counts and measures every item on the plans — cubic yards of concrete, square feet of drywall, linear feet of pipe, number of fixtures. The estimate then applies unit costs, labor productivity, equipment, overhead and markup to those quantities.
- Construction takeoff — a complete, all-trade takeoff for a whole project.
- Quantity takeoff services — measured quantities by trade for estimators and GCs who price in-house.
- Material takeoff services — order-ready material lists with waste factors for purchasing.
- Construction cost estimating — quantities plus pricing, overhead and profit: the full number.
What's included in a professional cost estimate?
A bid-ready estimate from our team typically includes:
- Quantities for every scope item, organized by CSI MasterFormat division and drawing sheet
- Material unit costs from current supplier pricing and cost databases
- Labor hours and crew rates based on realistic productivity for the trade and region
- Equipment, rentals and small tools
- General conditions and overhead — supervision, temporary facilities, permits and insurance
- Subcontractor scopes, allowances and alternates
- Contingency, escalation and markup (overhead and profit)
- Clarifications, assumptions and exclusions, so scope gaps are visible before award
How we price: local cost data, not national averages
Construction costs vary widely from one market to the next. Labor rates, union versus open-shop work, material freight, local code requirements and permit fees all move the number. We adjust every estimate to the project's ZIP code using current supplier pricing, published cost data such as RSMeans, and prevailing-wage rates — including Davis-Bacon wage determinations — for public work. Browse the states we serve for local market notes.
How much do construction estimating services cost?
The main factors that set the fee:
- Project size and the number of drawing sheets
- Number of trades or CSI divisions in the scope
- Complexity — renovation, MEP-heavy and industrial work take longer to measure
- Drawing quality and completeness
- Turnaround — rush delivery costs more
See construction estimating pricing for plans, rush fees and payment methods. For ongoing work, outsourcing your estimating or hiring a dedicated construction estimator can cost less than a full-time in-house hire once salary, benefits and software licenses are counted.
How long does a construction estimate take?
Turnaround depends on scope: a single-trade takeoff for a house is much faster than a full multi-trade estimate for a hospital. Your quote always includes a firm delivery date, and rush delivery is available for tight bid days. To speed things up, send complete drawings, specifications and addenda up front — our what to send us checklist covers everything.
In-house vs. outsourced estimating
| Factor | In-house estimator | Outsourced estimating |
|---|---|---|
| Cost structure | Salary, benefits, software and training | Pay per project, per trade or monthly |
| Capacity | Limited by headcount | Scales with your bid calendar |
| Trade coverage | Usually one or two specialties | Every CSI division |
| Software | You buy and maintain licenses | Included — Bluebeam, PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff and more |
| Bid-day risk | Vacations and workload peaks cause missed bids | Backup estimators and firm delivery dates |
Many contractors combine both: in-house staff own bid strategy and client relationships while we handle volume takeoffs. Compare outsource estimating services with a construction estimating consultant for advisory work such as bid strategy and cost reviews.
Software and file formats
We accept PDF plan sets, DWG/DXF CAD files, Revit and IFC models, and links from plan rooms such as BuildingConnected, PlanHub or ConstructConnect. Takeoffs are measured in Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff or STACK; MEP work can be priced in Trimble Accubid; and BIM / 5D estimating pulls quantities straight from models. Deliverables come as Excel workbooks — see our Excel estimating templates — and marked-up PDFs. See all the estimating software we use.
How we keep estimates accurate
- Scope review against the drawings, specifications and addenda before the takeoff starts
- Measured takeoff by an estimator who specializes in the trade
- Pricing with current local material, labor and equipment rates
- Second-estimator QA review of quantities, unit costs and math
- Clear clarifications and exclusions, plus revisions when addenda arrive
Read more about our quality and accuracy process and how your plans are protected under our confidentiality and NDA policy.
Local pricing in all 50 states
Material and labor costs vary by market. We price every estimate to your project's location.
Building in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Ohio or Virginia? We cover those states too — contact our team for local pricing.
How fast will I get my estimate?
[TURNAROUND] for most projects. Larger or more complex projects get a firm delivery date with your quote, and rush delivery is available when your bid date is close.
What do you need from me?
Your drawings (PDF or DWG), specifications if available, the project location and any scope notes, addenda or bid documents. Our what to send us checklist lists everything that speeds up a quote.
How much does an estimate cost?
Pricing depends on project size and scope. Upload your plans for a free, fixed quote — starting from [YOUR PRICE]. See pricing for plans, rush fees and payment methods.
Which trades and divisions do you cover?
Every CSI MasterFormat division — from sitework and concrete through finishes, MEP and specialties — as full-project or single-trade estimates. Browse all trades we estimate.
Do you use local pricing?
Yes. Material, labor and equipment rates are adjusted to your project's ZIP code in all 50 states, including prevailing-wage rates for public work. See the states we serve.
How accurate are your estimates?
Accuracy depends on how complete the drawings are. A detailed estimate from complete construction documents is far tighter than a conceptual budget, and every estimate gets a second-estimator QA review before delivery. See quality & accuracy.
What file formats do you accept and deliver?
We accept PDF, DWG/DXF, Revit (RVT) and IFC files or a plan-room link. You receive an editable Excel estimate and color-coded, marked-up PDFs showing exactly what was measured.
Can you estimate just my trade?
Yes. Trade contractors can order a takeoff and estimate for a single scope — drywall, electrical, roofing or any other division. See estimating for subcontractors.
Will my plans be kept confidential?
Yes. Plans and bid documents are used only to prepare your estimate and are never shared with competitors. Read our confidentiality & NDA policy.
Are revisions included?
Revisions for addenda and clarifications are included and handled quickly; significant scope changes are quoted separately. See the refund & revision policy for details.
Can I outsource all of my estimating?
Yes. Contractors who bid often can outsource their estimating on a monthly plan or hire a dedicated construction estimator who works as part of their team.
Do you prepare Xactimate insurance estimates?
Yes. We prepare Xactimate estimates for fire, water and storm damage claims for restoration contractors, adjusters and property owners. See Xactimate & insurance claim estimating.
Got a bid due?
Send us the plans.
Upload your drawings and get a free, no-obligation quote with a guaranteed delivery date.
- Fixed price and delivery date before any work starts
- Every CSI division and trade, priced locally
- Plans kept confidential
Tell us about your project and attach your plans. An estimator replies with a fixed price and delivery date.
Your plans stay confidential — see our confidentiality & NDA policy and privacy policy. Prefer email? Send files to contact@professionalestimatingservices.com.