Construction Cost Estimating
Priced estimates: quantities, material and labor costs, equipment, general conditions, overhead and profit, organized by CSI division.
What Construction Cost Estimating Covers
A construction cost estimate answers "what will this cost to build?" It starts with a quantity takeoff, then prices each quantity: material unit cost, labor hours multiplied by a crew rate, equipment time, and the project-level costs (general conditions, bonds, insurance, overhead, profit) that never appear on a single drawing sheet.
You need a priced estimate, rather than a takeoff alone, when you do not already have reliable unit prices for the work, when you are bidding a trade you rarely self-perform, or when an owner or lender needs a defensible budget.
Who This Is For
- General contractors: A full-project number to check subcontractor pricing against, or to carry trades that have no sub coverage on bid day.
- Developers and owners: A budget at schematic or design-development stage, before committing to a design or a lender draw schedule.
- Trade subcontractors: A priced estimate for a trade outside their normal scope (for example, a concrete sub pricing site paving).
Not quite what you need?
Only need measured quantities and have your own prices? See quantity takeoff services.
Need to compare subcontractor bids on bid day? See construction bid estimating.
What You Receive
Priced estimate workbook (.xlsx)
One tab per CSI division, each line with quantity, unit, material $/unit, labor hours, crew rate and extended cost. Formulas are left unlocked so you can change a unit price or markup and see the total move.
Estimate summary
Division subtotals, general conditions, overhead, profit and contingency on one page, in a format you can paste into a bid form.
Marked-up drawing set (PDF)
Every measured item color-coded on the sheets it came from, so a project manager can check what was counted.
Assumptions & exclusions list
Drawing revision used, pricing basis and date, labor basis (union, open shop or prevailing wage), and everything not priced.
See the sample deliverables page for what each file contains.
How It Is Produced
Confirm estimate class and pricing basis
We agree whether this is a conceptual budget or a detailed bid estimate, which labor basis applies, and whether you want your own unit prices or ours.
Quantity takeoff
Measured from the drawings by division; each quantity is traceable to a sheet and a markup color.
Pricing
Material and labor are priced for the project location; any supplier quotes you provide replace our unit prices.
Project costs
General conditions (supervision, temporary facilities, equipment, cleanup) and markups are added as separate lines, not buried in unit prices.
Check and deliver
Totals are checked against cost-per-square-foot ranges for the building type before delivery; outliers are flagged in the notes.
What to Send Us
- Complete drawing set (architectural, structural, MEP, civil) as PDF or CAD
- Project specifications or at least the finish schedule
- All addenda issued to date
- Project address, and whether prevailing wage or union labor applies
- Your bid form, if the owner provided one
Not Included Unless Requested
- Permits, impact fees and utility connection charges, unless you provide the amounts
- Design fees, testing and inspection, and owner contingency
- Escalation beyond the pricing date stated in the estimate
- Scope not shown on the drawings or specs provided
Pricing & Turnaround
A single-trade priced estimate typically falls in the $150 – $350 per project range; a full multi-trade estimate in the $400 – $950 per project range. Large or phased projects are quoted after plan review.
Every project gets a fixed quote after we see the drawings. Standard delivery is 24 to 48 hours from scope approval; large packages take longer and the date is set in the quote. Full fee tiers are on the pricing page.
Trades Commonly Included
Questions About Construction Cost Estimating
What is the difference between a cost estimate and a quantity takeoff?
A takeoff gives you quantities only: cubic yards, square feet, linear feet and counts. A cost estimate prices those quantities with material, labor, equipment and markups to produce a dollar total.
Can you use my labor rates and supplier prices?
Yes. Send your crew rates or supplier quotes and we build the estimate on them. Where you do not have a price, we fill the line and mark it so you can see which numbers are ours.
How close will the estimate be to real bids?
That depends mostly on how complete the drawings are. A detailed estimate from a full construction document set is far tighter than a budget from schematics. We state the estimate class and the gaps in the drawings in the assumptions list rather than quoting a single accuracy percentage.
Do you include overhead and profit?
Yes, as separate editable lines at the percentages you specify. If you do not specify, we leave them at zero so the markup decision stays yours.
Prepared by the estimating desk at Construction Estimating Services (F&K Estimations LLC). Last updated September 2026.