Itemised, Defensible Detail
Quantities measured directly from your drawings and organised by MasterFormat division — nothing double-counted, nothing estimated by eye.
Construction Estimating Services
Construction Estimating
Construction Estimating
Services Built to Win Bids
Detailed, line-item cost estimates and material takeoffs from professional estimators — delivered in 24 to 48 hours, formatted the way you bid.
Serving general contractors, subcontractors, developers and builders across all 50 states.
- Bid-ReadyLine Items
- 24–48 HrsTurnaround
- ZIP-CodeLevel Pricing
- AACEClassified
Get a Free Quote
Send your plans and get a fixed quote with a delivery time — usually within a few hours.
Your drawings and information stay confidential. We sign NDAs on request.
Takeoffs produced in
Why Choose Us
Your Trusted Construction Estimating Partner
Prime Estimation turns your drawings into a priced, bid-ready estimate. You send plans, specifications and scope documents; our estimators perform a digital quantity takeoff, apply current ZIP-code-level material and labor pricing, and return an itemized breakdown organised by CSI MasterFormat division — usually within 24 to 48 hours.
We work with general contractors bidding full commercial packages, subcontractors pricing a single trade, developers testing feasibility before design is complete, and builders who need a second set of eyes on a number before it goes out the door. Across more than 1,500 completed projects we've priced federal, institutional, commercial and residential work — including the Army Aviation Support Facility, State Correctional Institution at Mahanoy, and The Shoppes at School House Crossing.
You don't carry an estimator's salary. You don't buy a takeoff software licence. You pay per project, and only when you have work to bid.
Learn More →24 to 48 Hour Delivery
Single-trade takeoffs are often back the same day. Large multi-division packages get a confirmed delivery time before work begins.
Experienced Estimators
Every estimate is reviewed by a second estimator. Numbers are signed off by someone who has built what they're pricing.
Fixed Price Per Project
No hourly billing, no scope creep, no surprise invoice. Pay per estimate, scale up in bid season, scale to zero when you're quiet.
Our Process
Start a Project →
How We Build Your Estimate
Five steps from your drawing set to a submitted bid — with a second estimator checking the work before it reaches you.
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01
Document Review
We read your plans, specs and scope documents before we measure anything. Ambiguities, missing details and conflicts between the drawings and the specification get flagged and sent back to you as questions — not silently assumed. This step catches the errors that become change orders.
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02
Quantity Takeoff
Using PlanSwift, Bluebeam Revu and On-Screen Takeoff, our estimators measure every item digitally and organise the results by MasterFormat division and line item. Nothing is double-counted; nothing is estimated by eye.
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03
Pricing
Material and labor costs are pulled from RSMeans and our own maintained databases, then adjusted to your project's location. A concrete pour in Plano does not cost what it costs in San Francisco, and a national average will lose you the bid or lose you the margin.
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04
Review & Delivery
A second estimator audits quantities, formulas and totals. You receive the finished file in your format, with assumptions documented, ready to submit.
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05
Revisions
Scope changed? Addendum issued? Send it over. We update the affected line items rather than restarting the estimate, and revisions are included.
Software and Data Sources
We accept PDFs, CAD files and BIM models. You don't need to own any of this software — that's the point.
Takeoff and estimating
PlanSwift
Bluebeam Revu
On-Screen Takeoff
Trimble
Accubid
Xactimate
FastDUCT & FastPIPE
Quest Estimating
Cost data
- RSMeans by Gordian and Craftsman cost data
- Our own maintained regional databases, kept current against live regional supplier pricing
File formats we accept
- PDFDrawings and specification sets
- DWG / CADNative drawing files
- BIM modelsAnd clear scans of printed drawings
24–48 hrs
Typical delivery window
What You Receive
Every Estimate We Deliver Includes
- Itemised quantity takeoff — linear feet, square feet, cubic yards and counts, measured directly from your drawings.
- Material pricing adjusted to your ZIP code, sourced from RSMeans and our maintained cost databases.
- Labor hours and rates reflecting local market conditions, including prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon where applicable.
- Equipment costs broken out separately.
- Overhead, profit and contingency as clearly separated line items you can adjust.
- A written assumptions and exclusions page — every clarification, every scope gap we flagged, every allowance we carried.
- Your preferred format — Excel, PDF, or dropped straight into your own bid template.
The assumptions page matters more than most contractors expect. It's where an estimate stops being a number and becomes a document you can defend in a scope review.
Accuracy
How Accurate Are Our Estimates?
Accuracy depends on how complete your documents are. That's not a hedge — it's how cost estimating works, and any firm promising a fixed accuracy figure regardless of drawing quality is telling you something that isn't true.
We classify every estimate against the AACE International cost estimate classification system, so you know exactly what tolerance you're working with:
0–2% design complete
−30% to +50%
Screening and concept viability.
1–15% design complete
−20% to +30%
Feasibility and early budgeting.
10–40% design complete
−15% to +20%
Budget authorisation.
30–70% design complete
−10% to +15%
Bid preparation and cost control.
50–100% design complete
−5% to +10%
Final check estimates and bid validation.
When you send us a complete construction document set, you get a Class 1 or Class 2 estimate. When you send a schematic, we tell you it's Class 4 and what the range means for your budget — rather than handing you a false precision you might bid against.
Every estimate is reviewed by a second estimator before it goes out. Any material variance between the two triggers a full re-check.
Cost vs. Capacity
Why Contractors Outsource Estimating
A fully loaded in-house estimator — salary, benefits, software, overhead — runs well into six figures a year in the current market. That cost is fixed whether you're bidding four jobs a month or fourteen.
Outsourcing converts it into a variable cost. You pay per estimate, scale up during bid season, and scale to zero when you're quiet. For most contractors submitting fewer than twenty bids a month, the arithmetic doesn't favour hiring.
But cost isn't usually why contractors call us. Capacity is. When three bid deadlines land in the same week, something gets rushed — and a rushed takeoff is how margin disappears. We absorb the volume so your team keeps its judgment on the parts that need it: scope decisions, subcontractor strategy, and the client relationship.
A variable cost
Pay per estimate, not per salary.
Bid-season capacity
Three deadlines, one week — absorbed.
No software licences
Our tools, our databases, your estimate.
Your team keeps judgment
Scope, subs and the client relationship.
Our Services
Trades and CSI Divisions We Cover
We estimate across the full MasterFormat structure — all 50 divisions, not the outdated 16-division framework. In practice, most of our work falls into these trades:
ConcreteEstimating
MasonryEstimating
RoofingEstimating
MEP / HVACEstimating
PlumbingEstimating
SiteworkEstimating
Structure & Shell
- Concrete
- Rebar
- Masonry
- Structural and miscellaneous steel
- Sitework and earthwork
- Lumber and framing
Envelope
- Roofing
- Insulation
- Waterproofing and dampproofing
- Fireproofing
- Thermal and moisture protection
Openings & Glazing
- Hollow metal and wood doors
- Storefront and curtain wall
- Windows and glazing systems
- Hardware schedules
MEP
- Mechanical
- HVAC and sheet metal
- Duct
- Process piping
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Telecom and low voltage
Finishes
- Drywall
- Painting and coatings
- Flooring
- Millwork and casework
- Interior and exterior finishes
Site & Specialty
- Landscaping
- Paving
- Gutters
- Demolition
- Specialties and equipment
Trade pages: Concrete · HVAC · Plumbing · Masonry. If your trade isn't listed, ask — we've almost certainly priced it. Get a free quote →
Project Types
Projects We Estimate
From a single-trade takeoff to a full multi-division federal package — priced to the market your project is actually built in.
Commercial
Retail, office fit-outs, restaurants, warehouses, mixed-use and tenant improvements.
Residential
Single-family custom homes, multi-family, apartments, townhouses, additions and remodels.
Industrial
Manufacturing facilities, processing plants, warehousing and heavy equipment installations.
Federal & Institutional
Correctional, military support, education and healthcare, including prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon compliance.
Commercial work carries its own code requirements and pricing structures, and we account for both.
Our Portfolio
View Full Portfolio →
Recent Projects
A sample of recent work across federal, institutional and commercial packages.
Army Aviation Support Facility
Delivered in [N] hours
State Correctional Institution – Mahanoy
Delivered in [N] hours
The Shoppes at School House Crossing
Structural · Architectural · Civil · MEP · Insulation
Pricing
What Does a Construction Estimate Cost?
Pricing depends on drawing count, number of divisions, and how complete your documents are — not on the contract value of the project.
Single-trade takeoff
$250 – $600
Delivered in 24 hours
Multi-trade residential
$600 – $1,500
Delivered in 24–48 hours
Full commercial, multi-division
$1,200 – $2,500
48 hours or more depending on scope
Monthly retainer
from $1,500/mo
Set volume, with priority queue placement
Send your plans and you'll get a fixed quote with a delivery time before any work starts. No hourly billing, no scope creep, no surprise invoice.
Get a Free Quote →
Our Commitment
Why Contractors Stay With Us
The reasons repeat clients send us the next set of drawings.
A US-registered company
Not an anonymous marketplace. Prime Estimation LLC is registered in Texas with an office at 5601 Palisades Drive, Plano, TX 75074. You know who you're contracting with.
Field-experienced estimators
Our team is led by [NAME, CREDENTIAL], with [N] years across [SECTORS]. Numbers are signed off by someone who has built what they're pricing.
Location-specific pricing
Every estimate is priced to your ZIP code, every time. National averages are how contractors lose bids they should have won.
A dedicated estimator
On your account. Repeat clients work with the same person, who learns your bid format, your markups and your preferences.
Revisions included
Scope changes are part of the job, not a change order on our invoice.
Confidentiality as standard
Your drawings, pricing and client information stay confidential. We sign NDAs on request.
Who We Work With
Built for Everyone Who Puts a Number on a Bid
- General contractors
- Subcontractors and specialty trades
- Developers
- Home builders
- Remodellers
- Architects
- Engineering firms
- Project managers
- Suppliers and vendors
Where We Work
We provide construction estimating services in all 50 states, from major metros to rural job sites. Pricing is adjusted to local market conditions in every case.
Browse Service Areas →Federal and state-funded work priced against the applicable wage determination for the project's county and classification.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what contractors ask before sending the first set of plans.
How long does a construction estimate take?
Most projects are returned in 24 to 48 hours. Single-trade takeoffs are often back the same day. Large multi-division commercial packages may take longer, and we confirm the delivery time when we quote — before work begins.
How much do construction estimating services cost?
Fees are fixed per project and depend on drawing count, number of divisions and document quality rather than construction value. Single-trade takeoffs start at $250; full multi-division commercial estimates run to $2,500. You get a firm quote before we start.
How accurate are your estimates?
Accuracy depends on how complete your documents are. Against a full construction document set we deliver AACE Class 1 and Class 2 estimates, with accuracy ranging from −5%/+10% to −10%/+15%. Conceptual estimates from schematic drawings carry wider tolerances, and we tell you which class you're getting.
What file formats do you accept?
PDF, DWG, CAD files and BIM models. If you only have printed drawings, scanned copies work — the quality of the scan affects turnaround, so send the clearest version you have.
Do you work with incomplete drawings?
Yes. We produce preliminary and conceptual estimates from schematic or partial sets, clearly classified so you know the tolerance you're budgeting against. We'll also flag exactly what information would narrow the range.
Can you deliver in our bid template?
Yes. Send your template with the plans and we'll populate it directly. Excel and PDF are our standard outputs.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes, on request. All drawings, specifications and pricing data are treated as confidential by default.
What if the scope changes after delivery?
Send the addendum or revised drawings and we'll update the affected line items. Revisions are included — we don't restart the estimate or re-bill for it.
Do you handle prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon projects?
Yes. Federal and state-funded work is priced against the applicable wage determination for the project's county and classification.
Ready to Get Started?
Send Us Your Plans
Upload your drawings and get a fixed quote with a delivery time — usually within a few hours. No obligation, no software to buy.