What this service covers
Process, software, and workflow consulting for contractor estimating departments — not the takeoffs themselves but how you do them.
Estimating consulting is for contractors with an in-house estimating department that isn’t performing the way it should. Common engagements:
- Estimating software selection (Sage vs Accubid vs ConEst vs cloud)
- Template and pricebook development
- Productivity benchmarking against published references
- Staff training and certification (AACE CEP, NECA, MCAA)
- Workflow process audit and redesign
- Estimating department restructure
How we work
Every estimating consultant engagement starts with a free scope review — typically within 4 business hours of receiving your documents. We confirm the deliverable scope, turnaround, and fee before any work starts. Estimates and takeoffs are produced by US-based senior estimators with a minimum of seven years on the discipline in question, then reviewed by a second estimator before delivery.
Deliverables ship in your preferred format — PDF, Excel, your estimating software’s native file, or a custom client template. Bid-day clarifications during your bid submission window are handled in under an hour.
Why outsource this work
Outsourced specialty estimating gives contractors access to senior trade-specific capacity without the fixed cost of a full-time hire. The economics are simple: a senior in-house estimator costs $90K-$150K/year fully loaded; outsourced per-project work is paid as it’s used. For shops with irregular bid volume or specialty trades they bid only occasionally, the math heavily favors outsourcing.