Cost Estimating Services for Bids, Budgets and Preconstruction
Priced estimates built from measured quantities: labor, material, equipment, subcontracts, general conditions and markups, with assumptions written down.
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Cost Estimating Services prepare the expected cost of a project from its drawings and specifications, by pricing measured quantities for labor, material, equipment and subcontract work and adding general conditions, overhead, profit, taxes, bonds, insurance and contingency.
Cost estimating is the pricing stage that follows the takeoff. The estimator takes the quantities, applies production rates and unit costs, collects subcontractor quotes, and builds the number a contractor can bid or an owner can budget against.
The same estimate can serve different purposes: a hard-bid price on a fixed date, a conceptual budget during design, or a check on the numbers a general contractor has received.
How a cost estimate is built
- Measure quantities by CSI division or your cost-code structure.
- Price labor using crew rates, production rates and the wage basis for the project, including prevailing wage where the solicitation requires it.
- Price materials from current quotes or unit cost data, with tax and freight.
- Carry equipment, small tools and subcontract scopes after bid leveling.
- Add general conditions, bonds, insurance, overhead, profit and contingency.
- Price alternates, allowances and unit prices as the bid form lists them.
Estimate types by project stage
- Conceptual or order-of-magnitude: cost per square foot or per unit for early feasibility.
- Schematic and design development: assembly-level pricing that tracks design changes.
- Bid or construction-document estimate: full takeoff and detailed pricing.
- Change order pricing: scope-specific cost build-up for owner review.
See our design-phase estimating page for early budgets.
Public and private bids
On public work we price to the bid form, apply the stated wage determination and carry alternates and unit prices as written. On private open-shop work we use market labor rates. Either way, the assumptions are listed so your team can review them. Read more on public bid estimating.
Checking an estimate you already have
Some clients send their own number for an independent check. We compare quantities, unit costs, productivity and markups, and list gaps in scope or items carried twice. This is useful before a bid is submitted or when comparing a contractor's proposal.
What you receive
- Priced Excel estimate by division or cost code
- Summary sheet with markups and alternates
- Assumptions, allowances, inclusions and exclusions
- Subcontractor quote log and bid-leveling notes
- PDF output for review
- Updates for addenda before bid day
Technical scope and terminology we work with
- Direct cost, indirect cost and general conditions
- Labor hours, production rates, crew composition
- Material pricing, freight, sales tax
- Overhead, profit, contingency, escalation
- Alternates, allowances, unit prices
- Bid form, addenda, scope gaps
Who this service is for
General contractors and subcontractors preparing bids, developers and owners setting budgets, and homeowners comparing contractor proposals.
How it works
- Upload plans, specifications, addenda and the bid form.
- We confirm scope, estimate type and turnaround, and send a firm quote.
- We take off, price and send the estimate for review.
- We update for addenda and answer questions before submission.
Software, standards and file formats
We use PlanSwift and Bluebeam Revu for digital takeoff and markup, Excel with current local cost data for pricing, Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project for schedules, and AutoCAD-compatible tools for drawings. Deliverables are Excel and PDF files, plus DWG for drawings.
When to use this service
Use cost estimating services when a bid date is close, when your team is stretched across projects, when you need an independent check of your own numbers or drawings, or when you want consistent deliverables in the same format every time. Tell us the due date when you request a quote so the schedule can be planned around it.
Engagement options
- One project: order cost estimating services for a single bid or job and receive a firm price and turnaround before we start.
- Several trades or divisions: combine this service with related scopes so quantities, drawings and pricing agree.
- Bid-season capacity: send multiple projects with their due dates and we schedule the work to hit each one.
- Ongoing support: repeat-volume contractors can agree standard formats, cost codes and turnaround so every delivery drops straight into their process.
Quality control, confidentiality and communication
Every deliverable is reviewed by a second team member before it reaches you, and assumptions, inclusions and exclusions are written down so they can be checked. If information is missing we send a short list of questions rather than guessing, and we tell you which assumption we used when a question cannot be answered in time. Your plans, specifications and files are used only to prepare your project work and are not shared publicly; see our privacy policy.
Related services, guides and pages
Frequently asked questions
What does a cost estimate include?
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It includes labor, materials, equipment and subcontract costs, plus general conditions, overhead, profit, taxes, bonds, insurance and contingency, with alternates and allowances priced separately.
How is a cost estimate different from a bid?
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The estimate is the cost build-up. The bid is the price the contractor chooses to submit after reviewing the estimate, adding risk and strategy.
Can you estimate from incomplete drawings?
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Yes, as a conceptual or design-stage estimate with allowances and stated assumptions. The range narrows as drawings are completed.
Do you use my unit prices?
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Yes. Send your labor rates, markups or recent supplier prices and we apply them.
Bid Sharp at a glance: 3 steps, 50 states
Bid Sharp prepares construction estimates, takeoffs, shop drawings, structural and permit drawings and schedules for contractors and homeowners in all 50 states, on public and private projects. Typical turnaround is about 48 hours; the turnaround and a firm price are confirmed before any work starts.
- 1. Upload plans. Send PDF, DWG or a plan-room link with your bid due date.
- 2. Get a firm quote. Scope, price and turnaround in writing, with no obligation.
- 3. Receive deliverables. Excel and PDF files, plus DWG for drawings, checked by 2 team members.
Standards and official sources
Rules, wage rates, codes and procurement procedures change and differ by agency. Confirm the requirements that apply to your project with these primary sources and with the solicitation itself.
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Last updated by the Bid Sharp estimating team.