Introduction
It's simple: You need to build your project and you've got to have a materials list and/or defined scope of work to do it. We provide that information.
Our core service is an excel document providing a full materials take-off based on your scope of work. Whether you are a single-trade needing a single line item or an apartment builder looking for an entire project, we can meet your needs. Our primary goal is to be entirely transparent to limit follow-up questions and save everyone involved time. If you have reviewed our samples you have already seen the PDF mark-ups that detail every element of your job. We also provide specific excel documents showing both wall and concrete sections to break down your job all the way down to rebar ties and drywall screws. We provide an unmatched level of detail.
We got into this job because of the immense need for construction estimation throughout the industry. Let's face it, people are abandoning trade work and project management in droves. Our education system is pushing people out of construction and the market is getting dire. They are all going to college to be engineers, architects, or some other degree-oriented job. Nobody wants to sit down and count the studs anymore and anybody who knows how to do it is moving into higher paying project management jobs. The average estimator salary is $78,000/year (2018). It's an expensive position to fill that often requires technical skills that nobody has. We are utilizing modern programs to simplify our jobs, but it takes 6 weeks for our starting estimators to be proficient at single-trades. You don't have that time to train somebody. We focus on educating our staff from rookie interns to senior estimators. This development process ensures the highest quality while providing great opportunity.
Single Trade and Contractor Estimates
I’m from Houston. I’ve built a house from the ground up assisting in every part of it through a brutal August summer. I’ve worked all day only to come home and start the admin work after a shower and brief dinner with my wife. I could only grow so big as a builder working myself into the ground.
Take a step back and let’s get your business streamlined. Send us plans for your upcoming projects. We will estimate the scope of work, prepare it for your bidding, and send it over days before it is due. Now you need only to input your own pricing and send the bids in. What took hours before may be only minutes of review. We can do dozens of estimates per week compared to the volume you might be already doing. It’s far less stress and far more efficient than you are capable of.
Maybe you have already grown into a midsize firm. Your success in projects has only increased the number of bids being thrown at you. Why hire more people internally when work may be cyclical? Why waste the time managing extra staff? Send the bids our way as many or few as you have and we will turn it around quickly. It’s a high quality you can constantly rely on without the stiff costs.
Project Management and Large Commercial Jobs
Building a large commercial project such as an apartment complex or hotel requires aggressive project management. Single mistakes are devastating as holding costs are astronomical. When building it seems like every vendor and contractor is doing their best to squeeze every dime possible out of the project. Vendors overestimate materials and contractors constantly try to push change orders. Half of the job is simply trying to keep people honest.
Utilize our take-offs to define the work at hand. Feel free to send out our take-offs in the initial bidding phases to contractors. Expect them to send bids in similar formats so that it’s easy to compare the costs and work. Keep them honest as the project goes by holding their change orders to original cost metrics. Sometimes more or less work is required during a job, but the costs should never be up in the air. Send these materials lists to vendors. Get accurate quantities counts. Get more vendors involved. When the quantities are defined it’s easier to compare back and forth.
At the end of the day, project managers should not be distracted attempting to answer scope of work questions. Managers need to be on-site, checking-in with contractors, and pushing everyone to get it done faster while maintaining quality. Let us focus on the take-offs and keep project managers focused on the project they are working.
We don't want to do your cost estimation.
As a single-trade contractor you already know what you charge for your work. You just need to know the exact amount of work for that project. As a project manager you probably already have contractors lining up with pricing. What you need is to define that metric (SQFT of drywall, CY of concrete, etc.). You need to be able to fight against ridiculous change orders. You need lists to give to materials providers to keep that job moving. We know the holding costs you are facing and the time it takes to be accurate and efficient. We understand that every contractor and materials vendor in the business wants to upcharge and oversell every piece of your project. We are your resource to keep them honest. Our clients will save tenfold what we are charging and it provides such a tremendous amount of clarity that we all sleep easier at night. You'd be a fool not to hire us.