We don't have a public hourly rate because every project's scope is different. Below are three engagement tiers with the ranges most clients fall into, plus the factors that move pricing within those ranges.
Single-trade quantity takeoff for small to mid-size projects.
Complete construction estimate with bid-day support.
A senior estimator embedded with your team on monthly retainer.
Vortex Estimating is per-project, not per-hour. We quote a fixed fee at engagement, you accept or decline, no surprise invoices.
Quotes are generated by a senior estimator after a free 4-business-hour scope review of your documents. If the scope changes after engagement (drawings revised, additional trades added, faster turnaround), we re-quote in writing before doing the work.
Six things affect where in the range your project falls:
Square footage and dollar value drive takeoff time. Larger projects = more line items = more hours.
Complete CDs are faster to estimate than schematic or design-development drawings. We can work from any maturity level but DD drawings take longer.
Quantity-only takeoff is cheapest. Adding pricing, labor productivity, and bid-day support increases scope and price proportionally.
MEP estimating is more time-intensive than wood framing. Industrial process piping with weld counts is more time-intensive than commercial HVAC.
Standard 24-72hr turnaround is the baseline. Same-day rush carries a 50% surcharge. Multi-week timelines are at standard pricing.
Public-bid projects with prevailing-wage and certified-payroll requirements involve more compliance work and run at the higher end of the range.
Send us your plans. We respond within 4 business hours with a fixed-fee quote. Or call (719) 402-6501.