Find the right starting point
Quantity takeoffs
A bid starts with knowing what the drawings actually ask you to build. A quantity takeoff turns that scope into an organized, traceable worksheet.
Read the guide 02 / SERVICEMaterial takeoffs
Move from drawing measurements to an organized material schedule—with the assumptions behind every purchasing adjustment still visible.
Read the guide 03 / SERVICECost estimating
A useful estimate connects the scope to its cost. It also shows which inputs are measured, quoted, assumed, or still waiting for a decision.
Read the guide 04 / SERVICEBid estimating
A competitive price is useful only when it covers the work you are agreeing to perform. Build your bid around a clear scope and a controlled document set.
Read the guide 05 / SERVICEPreliminary estimating
You do not need every detail to start a cost conversation. You do need a clear record of what is known, what is assumed, and what could change.
Read the guide 06 / SERVICEResidential estimating
A home estimate should reflect the house being designed, the site it sits on, and the selections still ahead—not just its floor area.
Read the guide 07 / SERVICECommercial estimating
From a tenant improvement to a new commercial building, the useful estimate is the one that makes scope boundaries and trade interfaces visible.
Read the guide 08 / SERVICEIndustrial estimating
Industrial projects can share a building shape and have very different costs. The operating requirements are where the estimate needs particular care.
Read the guide 09 / SERVICEMEP estimating
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems meet in the same building. Their estimates need to meet at the same scope boundaries.
Read the guide 10 / SERVICEInsurance restoration estimating
Restoration estimating combines construction knowledge with insurance documentation. The deliverable must satisfy the adjuster and describe the actual repair scope.
Read the guideWhat decision does your project need to support?
Use a quantity takeoff when your team needs a measured baseline and will supply its own pricing. Use a material schedule when product quantities and purchasing assumptions need more detail. A cost estimate brings pricing into the scope, while a bid estimate connects that work to a specific proposal.
Early design usually calls for a preliminary budget with visible assumptions. It should not be presented with the certainty of coordinated construction documents. Sector pages explain how those methods apply to homes, commercial buildings, and industrial projects.
Choose by output, not by label
| Your situation | Start here | Clarify before work begins |
|---|---|---|
| You have prices but need quantities | Quantity takeoff | Trades, units, drawing references, and scope boundaries |
| You need a supplier material schedule | Material takeoff | Product specifications, waste, stock sizes, and ordering adjustments |
| You are exploring a design | Preliminary estimate | Design stage, assumptions, excluded scope, and uncertainty |
| You need a priced project scope | Cost estimate | Rate sources, labor, equipment, indirect costs, and date |
| You are preparing a specific bid | Bid estimate | Addenda, quote reconciliation, bid form, and deadline |
Agree the package before committing to a deadline
An estimate request should include the current drawings, specifications, addenda, location, desired trades, deadline, and output format. The written scope should then confirm what will be delivered, what remains excluded, and how revisions will be handled.
Availability, pricing, software requirements, and delivery timing are confirmed after the actual document set is reviewed. Inspect the demonstration estimate and prepare the document checklist before starting a request.
Questions, clarified.
Which estimating service should I choose?
Describe the decision you need to make. If you already have rates, a quantity takeoff may be sufficient. Procurement may need a material schedule; budgeting needs cost assumptions; a specific proposal needs bid-form and scope reconciliation.
Are all listed scopes currently available?
The descriptions explain the services under consideration. Exact service and trade availability must be confirmed by the business before a project is accepted. Specialist scope is never assumed from a general service label.