Pricing: Estimating Consultant
Every estimating consultant engagement is priced per-project, not per-hour. We quote a fixed fee at engagement, you accept or decline, no surprise invoices. This page lists the ranges most clients fall into.
Pricing ranges
| Engagement type | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Order-of-magnitude estimate (AACE Class 5) | $400-$1,200 | Parametric / analogous estimate from a written program or schematic drawings |
| Budget estimate (AACE Class 3-4) | $1,500-$5,000 | Design-development stage estimate with measured bulk quantities |
| Bid-grade estimate (AACE Class 1-2) | $3,500-$15,000 | Full bottom-up takeoff against complete CDs |
| Dedicated retainer | $9,000-$14,000/mo | Embedded senior estimator at 80-160 hours/month |
Factors that move pricing within the range
- Project size
- Drawing completeness
- Scope of services
- Trade complexity
- Turnaround urgency
- Public-bid compliance
How quotes are produced
When you send us your project documents, a senior estimator reviews the scope within 4 business hours and replies with a fixed quote. The quote includes:
- The scope of work to be performed
- Turnaround time (standard or rush)
- Total fee
- Deliverable format
If the scope changes during the engagement (drawings revised, additional trades added, accelerated turnaround), we re-quote in writing before doing the work. There are no surprise invoices.
What’s always included
- Free 4-business-hour scope review before any work begins
- Senior estimator with trade-specific expertise assigned to your project
- Color-coded plan markups linked to every line item
- Second-estimator QA review before delivery
- Bid-day support included during your submission window
- One round of revisions for measurable errors at no extra cost
- NDA available on request
What’s not included
- Markup, profit, and contingency (those are your decisions)
- Bid bond or performance bond procurement
- Sub solicitation or buyout management (separate scope on request)
- Construction-administration support during build phase (separate engagement)
Pay structure
Most engagements are 50% deposit at engagement, 50% at delivery. Retainer clients are invoiced monthly. Volume clients (more than 5 projects per quarter) can move to net-30 terms.
We accept ACH, wire transfer, and major credit cards. International clients can pay via international wire.
Why we don’t publish a flat hourly rate
Construction estimating scope is highly variable. A 50,000 SF commercial estimate might take 16 hours; a 500,000 SF healthcare estimate might take 200 hours. An hourly rate punishes our clients for asking about complex projects (they pay a lot) and overpays simple ones (they pay more than fair). Per-project quotes match cost to scope cleanly.
Want a real quote on your project?
Send your project documents to [email protected] or use the contact form. You’ll get a fixed-fee quote within 4 business hours.