Estimating by trade and by stage
Construction cost estimating services, measured from your plans
Bidmere is a construction estimating company for US contractors. We measure your plans and price them with your rates, so you can bid more work without more estimators.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price within 2 business hours
- Plan review is free
- Pay only after you accept
- Single-trade estimates in 48 hours
- Your rates and your final number
Quick answer
Bidmere’s construction estimating services give commercial general contractors and specialty subcontractors measured takeoffs and cost estimates priced at their own rates. You send plans and specs. You get quantities, a cost summary, assumptions and exclusions. Single-trade estimates are priced from $195 and are ready in 48 hours. Every job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours.
What do construction estimating services do?
Construction estimating services measure the quantities in your plans and price them, so you can bid without doing the takeoff yourself. Bidmere measures each trade, prices it with rates you approve and lists every assumption and exclusion.
The work follows the same sequence an in-house estimator uses:
- Read the drawings, specifications and every addendum.
- Measure quantities by trade, area and sheet.
- Apply your labor, material, equipment and subcontract rates.
- Write out assumptions, exclusions and open questions.
- Hand the estimate to your team to review, mark up and price.
What stays with you: the markup, the final number, the bid form and the signature.
Construction estimating services by trade
Pick your trade to see what is measured, the units, the documents we need and the scope gaps we check.
Concrete, masonry and metals
- Concrete estimating: footings, slabs, walls, forms and rebar
- Rebar takeoff and estimating: bar lists by size and element, laps, weight and tonnage
- Masonry estimating: CMU, brick, grout and reinforcing
- Structural steel estimating: tonnage, members and connections
- Steel detailing and steel takeoff: steel quantities for bidding. Bidmere does not produce shop drawings.
Building envelope
- Roofing estimating: squares, edge, flashing and penetrations
- Siding and stucco estimating: wall area by finish, trim and openings
- Glazing estimating: storefront, curtain wall and windows
- Insulation estimating: area by assembly and R-value
Interiors and finishes
- Drywall and framing estimating: partitions by type, board and finish level
- Acoustical ceiling estimating: ceiling area by type, grid and wall angle
- Flooring estimating: area by finish, base and transitions
- Commercial painting estimating: surface area by coat and system
- Doors, frames and hardware: openings and hardware sets
- Millwork estimating: casework, counters and trim
MEP and building systems
- MEP estimating: mechanical, electrical and plumbing together
- Electrical estimating: devices, fixtures, conduit, wire and gear
- HVAC and mechanical estimating: duct, equipment and devices
- Ductwork takeoff: duct by size and gauge, fittings, liner and wrap
- Plumbing estimating: fixtures, pipe by size and system
- Fire protection estimating: sprinkler heads, pipe and risers
- Elevator estimating: units, stops and related scope
- Solar estimating: modules, racking and electrical balance of system
Site and exterior
- Sitework and earthwork estimating: cut, fill and utilities
- Paving estimating: asphalt, concrete paving, base and striping
- Landscaping estimating: plants, sod, mulch and irrigation
- Demolition estimating: removals by area, volume and item
Whole project and other work
- General contractor estimating: all divisions in one estimate
- Residential estimating: homes, additions and remodels
- Lumber takeoff: framing lumber, sheathing and engineered members
- Insurance restoration estimating: line-item claim estimates and supplements
Availability for each trade is confirmed at scope review.
Which estimate type fits your project stage?
Match the estimate to the documents you have. Early plans support a budget range. Construction documents support a bid-day number.
| Stage | Estimate type | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Concept to design development | Budget and conceptual estimates | A cost range to test the budget |
| Before and during design | Preconstruction services | Estimates at each design milestone |
| Any stage with a measurable plan set | Quantity takeoff services | Measured quantities only |
| Construction documents and bid day | Bid-day estimates | A priced number ready for markup |
| During construction | Change order pricing | Priced changes with backup |
Not sure which you need? Describe the project and the documents you have, and the quote will say.
What to send a construction estimating company
Send what your own estimator would need. Complete documents mean a faster quote and fewer open questions.
- Drawings: the full current set for the trades you want priced, not just the floor plans.
- Specifications: sections that define products, systems and finishes.
- Addenda: every addendum and the revision list.
- Bid form: so alternates, allowances and unit prices are broken out the way the owner asks.
- Your rates: labor, material, equipment and subcontract rates, or the quotes you want used.
- Your format: cost codes, units and spreadsheet layout.
- Bid date and time: so the delivery date leaves review time.
You do not need any of this to get a quote. Rates and plans are exchanged securely after you accept the scope.
Scope gaps that cost contractors bids
Most estimate errors are missing scope, not bad math. Every Bidmere estimate is checked against this list before delivery.
- Specs that override plans: a product or finish named in the specs but not drawn.
- Addenda not carried: a revised sheet or a changed spec section missed on bid day.
- Alternates and allowances: priced into the base bid by mistake, or left out.
- Work by others: scope the drawings assign to another trade or to the owner.
- Hidden quantities: blocking, backing, firestopping, patching and cleanup.
- Schedule conflicts: door, fixture or finish schedules that do not match the plans.
- General conditions: permits, testing, temporary facilities and supervision.
When a gap is found, it goes into the open questions list so you can send an RFI before the question deadline.
Fictional sample takeoff: one small office, three trades
This is what the quantity sheet looks like before your rates are applied. It is a fictional example for a one-story office of about 2,000 SF. Real estimates follow your cost codes and units.
Have plans to price? Send the plans and specs. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteCommercial estimating services for GCs and subcontractors
Bidmere’s commercial construction estimating services are built for commercial general contractors and specialty subcontractors. Construction cost estimating services for commercial work have to match the bid documents line for line, not just land near a budget. The two buyers need different things.
General contractors need every division covered, scope lined up across trades and subcontractor bids compared on the same terms. A whole-project estimate or bid leveling helps when sub coverage is thin.
Specialty subcontractors need a fast, defensible number for their trade and a clear scope letter. A single-trade estimate plus a subcontractor proposal covers both.
Common project types include offices, retail, warehouses, schools, healthcare, multifamily and public work. Estimating for public bids follows the owner’s bid form, including unit prices and alternates.
Cost estimating services vs hiring an estimator
Cost estimating services charge per bid, while an estimator draws a salary every week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for cost estimators at $78,740 in May 2025, before benefits and software.
A service fits when bid volume swings, when one estimator is the bottleneck, or when you bid trades your team rarely prices. A hire fits when you have steady volume in your core trade every week. Many contractors do both: keep core trades in-house and send overflow out. The estimating software vs service guide and outsourced estimating page compare the options.
Construction estimating companies compared. Most construction estimating companies fall into three groups: a freelance estimator or estimating consultant who works alone, a cost estimating firm with a team and fixed turnaround, and offshore takeoff shops that sell quantities without pricing. Before you hire an estimator or a construction estimating firm, ask four things: does the price stay fixed, are your rates used, is every quantity tied to a sheet, and who answers questions after delivery. Bidmere answers all four in writing before you pay. For named firms side by side, with published prices and turnaround, see outsourced estimating services compared.
Construction estimating services near you, nationwide
Searching for a construction estimator near me usually means you need someone fast. Bidmere provides construction estimating services across the USA, remotely, so the nearest estimator is the one who can open your plans today. Everything is measured from digital drawings and specs. That works the same for a job in your town or across the country.
Local pricing comes from you: your labor rates, your supplier quotes and your subcontractor numbers. For public work, state rules on bid forms, bonds and prevailing wage matter. See estimating by state for state notes, including Texas, California, Florida, New York, including construction estimating services in NYC, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Spanish version: Español
Does Bidmere use AI for takeoffs?
AI can draft a takeoff fast, but it also miscounts and misses notes buried in the specs. On AI estimating work, every quantity is checked against the drawings before delivery. You get the speed without trusting an unchecked count on bid day.
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Item | Quantity | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partition type A, metal stud and gypsum board | 85 | LF | Full height to deck |
| Partition type B, sound rated | 53 | LF | Conference room and restroom |
| Gypsum board ceilings | 417 | SF | Corridor and break room |
| Acoustical panel ceiling ACT-1 | 1,348 | SF | Open office |
| Carpet tile CPT-1 | 1,348 | SF | Add waste per your standard |
| Luxury vinyl tile LVT-1 | 417 | SF | Corridor and break room |
| Rubber base RB-1 | 452 | LF | All rooms |
| 2x2 LED troffers | 24 | EA | Per lighting plan |
| Duplex receptacles | 42 | EA | Includes 4 GFCI in break room |
| Branch conduit and wire | 1,850 | LF | Home runs to panel LP-1 |
Fictional example: quantity takeoff for a 2,000 SF one-story office, before rates are applied
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will an outside estimator know my trade?
Each trade page lists what is measured, the units and the scope gaps we check. Availability for your trade is confirmed at scope review, before you pay.
Will I lose control of my number?
No. You approve every rate and set markup and the final price. Every quantity traces back to a sheet you can check.
What if the estimate misses scope?
Assumptions, exclusions and open questions are written out, so gaps show up in review instead of on the job.
Who is responsible for the bid?
Your company. Bidmere prepares estimates for your review. Your team signs and submits.
Monthly estimating plans
Monthly estimating plans for contractors who bid every week
If you bid on a steady schedule, a monthly plan books estimating capacity ahead at a fixed fee. No quoting each job, and no estimator salary.
| Plan | Fee and bids included |
|---|---|
| Starter | $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids |
| Pro | $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids |
| Scale | $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids |
Every bid on a plan gets the same deliverables as a single order. Ask about monthly estimating plans.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What do construction estimating services include?
A quantity takeoff measured from your plans and specifications, priced line by line with the labor, material, equipment and subcontract rates you approve. You also get the assumptions, exclusions and open questions behind the number. Bidmere delivers an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, and a written list of assumptions, exclusions and open questions, so your team can check every quantity before setting the final price.
How much do construction estimating services cost?
Bidmere single-trade estimates are priced from $195. Takeoff-only work is priced from $149 and multi-trade estimates are priced from $1,150. Every job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours, and plan review is free. You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date. New customers get 25% off your first estimate.
How fast is a construction estimate?
You get a fixed quote or our questions within 2 business hours. Qualifying single-trade estimates are ready in 48 hours, counted from your accepted quote and complete documents. Multi-trade and whole-project estimates get a delivery date in the quote. When the bid date is tight, rush is available (24-hour rush for 30% more, subject to capacity).
Are there construction estimating services near me?
Bidmere is a remote construction estimating company that works nationwide. Every takeoff is measured from your digital plans and specs, so it does not matter where your office or the jobsite is. Local cost accuracy comes from your own labor rates and local supplier and subcontractor quotes, which we use in the estimate. Bidmere does not visit sites.
How do I choose between construction estimating companies?
Compare four things, not just the price: whether the quote is fixed before work starts, whether the estimate uses your labor and material rates, whether every quantity cites its sheet, and how fast questions get answered after delivery. Ask for the delivery format up front. Bidmere quotes a fixed price within 2 business hours and you pay only after you accept.
Do you use our rates or your own?
Yours. You approve the labor, material, equipment and subcontract rates, or you send the supplier and subcontractor quotes you want used. We apply them to the measured quantities and show the math. Markup, overhead, contingency and the final bid number stay with your team, so you keep full control of your price.
Can you do the takeoff only?
Yes. A quantity takeoff stops at measured quantities by trade, area and sheet, in the units your team prices by. It suits estimators who have their own pricing database and only need the counting done. Takeoff-only work is priced from $149. See quantity takeoff services for what is measured and how it is delivered.
How do you handle addenda and plan revisions?
Send every addendum with the plan set and tell us when a new one is issued. We compare it with the accepted scope and update the affected quantities. Changes inside the agreed scope are handled as the accepted quote describes. A larger change, such as a new building or trade, gets a fixed quote before any added work starts.
Is estimating software cheaper than an estimating service?
Software is cheaper per month but still needs a person to run it. Takeoff software measures faster, yet someone must read the specs, catch scope gaps and price the work. An estimating service supplies that person per bid. Many contractors use both: software in-house for core trades, and a service for overflow or unfamiliar trades.
Do you offer a monthly estimating retainer?
Yes. Monthly plans reserve estimating capacity for contractors who bid every week. Starter is $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids. Pro is $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids. Scale is $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids. Each bid follows the same process as a single order: your plans, your rates, quantities and a cost summary you review before pricing.
Is my bid information kept confidential?
Yes. The quote form takes text only, so no plans or pricing are uploaded through the site. Plans and rates are shared through a secure exchange arranged after scope review. Your rates are used only for your estimate. See the data handling page for how inquiry details are stored and used.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.