Divisions 01 to 33: whole project
General contractor estimating for whole-project bids
We take off the divisions you need, carry your subcontractor numbers for the rest, and show the source and gaps behind every line.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price agreed before any work starts
- Plan review is free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- Single-trade estimates in 48 hours
- Your rates, your markup, your final number
- 01General requirementsQuoted
- 03Concrete4 lines
- 04Masonry4 lines
- 05MetalsQuoted
- 06Wood and plasticsQuoted
- 07Thermal and moistureRoofing5 lines
- 08OpeningsDoors4 lines
- 09FinishesPainting, Drywall, Flooring, Ceilings19 lines
- 10SpecialtiesQuoted
- 22Plumbing6 lines
- 23HVAC5 lines
- 26Electrical6 lines
- 31-32Earthwork and siteSitework6 lines
1Callout 1: 59 lines across 9 of 13 divisions
Quick answer
General contractor estimating from Bidmere builds a whole-project estimate organized by MasterFormat division. GCs, construction managers and design-build contractors get a division summary, a general conditions build-up, priced alternates and allowances, and a scope gap log, all at your rates. Multi-trade estimates are priced from $1,150; single trades are priced from $195.
What does general contractor estimating include?
It covers the trades in your plans plus the costs only a GC carries: general conditions, allowances, alternates, fee and contingency.
- Division summary: costs rolled up by MasterFormat division, with trade detail behind each line
- General conditions build-up: time-based and fixed project costs using your durations and rates
- Alternates and allowances: each alternate priced as an add or deduct; allowances carried as the documents state
- Scope gap log: items no trade covers, document conflicts and questions for your team
- Delivered as an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, and a written list of assumptions, exclusions and open questions
What does a general contractor estimate measure?
| Item | Unit or basis |
|---|---|
| Trade quantities and costs by MasterFormat division | Per trade units |
| General conditions: staff, temporary facilities, equipment | Weeks or months |
| Allowances named in the documents | Lump sum |
| Alternates | Add or deduct each |
| Self-performed and subcontracted scope | By division |
| Fee, overhead and contingency | Percentages you set |
What a general contractor estimate includes
A general contractor estimate is the whole-project number a GC submits as its bid: every trade, plus the cost of running the job. A complete one has these parts, roughly in the order the summary sheet shows them.
- Trade costs by division. Measured self-performed work and subcontractor quotes, rolled up by MasterFormat division.
- General conditions. Site staff, temporary facilities, equipment and other time-based costs for the project duration.
- Division 01 requirements. Testing, temporary utilities, cleaning and other items the specifications assign to the contractor.
- Allowances, alternates and unit prices. Carried exactly as the bid form asks for them.
- Bonds and insurance. Premiums at the rates your surety and insurer give you.
- Fee, overhead and contingency. Percentages your team sets.
- Qualifications. The assumptions, exclusions and addenda the number reflects.
Bidmere prepares the division summary, the general conditions build-up, allowances and alternates, and the scope gap log from your documents and rates. Fee, overhead, contingency and the final number stay with your team. To build one yourself, start from the free construction estimate template.
Can you take off some divisions and carry my sub numbers for the rest?
Yes. Tell us which divisions to measure and which to carry from your quotes. The summary shows the source of each number: measured, subcontractor quote, plug or allowance.
Fictional example: an invented office project with 13 divisions. We measure concrete, masonry, roofing, doors, finishes, plumbing, HVAC, electrical and sitework, 59 takeoff lines across 9 divisions. General requirements, metals, wood and specialties carry your subcontractor numbers or allowances.
Have plans for this scope? Send them over. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteWhich scope gaps cost general contractors the job?
Gaps between trades, not inside them, cause the worst misses. We check for:
- Blocking, firestopping and equipment connections that no trade carries
- An alternate description that does not match the plans
- An allowance amount or scope not stated
- Phasing or occupied-building rules that change general conditions
- Subcontractor quotes that exclude work the specifications assign to them
- Division 01 requirements, such as testing or temporary utilities, left unpriced
How do you keep subcontractor quotes from hiding scope gaps?
By comparing each quote’s inclusions, exclusions, alternates and addenda with the scope you ask us to review. Missing work and overlaps stay visible.
An allowance is used only with your approval. Selecting subcontractors and accepting their terms remain your decisions. For a full side-by-side, see bid leveling.
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Division | Source | Lines | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 General requirements | Your allowance | Durations from your schedule | |
| 03 Concrete | Measured | 4 | Slab, footings, rebar, forms |
| 08 Openings | Measured | 4 | Doors, frames, hardware |
| 09 Finishes | Measured | 19 | Painting, drywall, flooring, ceilings |
| 23 HVAC | Measured | 5 | Duct, devices, VAVs, exhaust |
| 05 Metals | Sub quote | Compared to scope |
Fictional example: division coverage summary for an invented office project
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will I lose control of my number?
No. We price with your rates. You set markup, review every line and choose the bid price.
Who is responsible for the final bid?
Your company. Bidmere prepares the estimate. Your team reviews, signs and submits.
Do you visit the site?
No. We measure from the documents. Existing conditions go on the open-question list for your team to verify.
What if the plans are incomplete?
Gaps go on the open-question list with the source sheet. Nothing is guessed silently.
Monthly estimating plans
Bidding every week? Put estimating on a monthly plan
If plan sets arrive faster than your team can measure them, a monthly plan keeps a remote estimator on your bid calendar. 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. Every estimate uses your rates and lists its assumptions and open questions. Start with one estimate to see the work first.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does general contractor estimating cost?
Multi-trade and whole-project estimates are priced from $1,150. Single-trade estimates are priced from $195. Each job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours after we review the plans and the divisions you want measured. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
How fast is a whole-project estimate delivered?
Single-trade estimates are ready in 48 hours. Whole-project estimates get a delivery date in the quote, based on plan set size and the number of divisions measured. Turnaround runs from your accepted quote and complete documents. Send your bid date so the quote reflects it.
What should I send for a GC estimate?
The complete plan set by discipline, the project manual with Division 00 and 01 and technical sections, the bid form, alternates list and addenda, subcontractor quotes you have received, and your approved rates, markups and general conditions assumptions. A plans link is enough for a quote.
Why organize the estimate by MasterFormat?
MasterFormat, published by CSI and CSC, organizes construction specifications into numbered divisions, so costs line up with the project manual. If your company uses its own cost codes, the summary can map to them. Tell us in the request so it is in the quote.
Do you solicit subcontractor bids for us?
No. Your company invites and selects subcontractors and accepts their terms. We carry the quotes you send and compare them with the scope. If a division has no quote, we can measure it so you have a check number or a self-perform price.
Who sets the prices in the estimate?
You do. Quantities are priced with the labor rates, material pricing and markup you approve, and they sit in their own columns. You review every line, adjust what looks wrong and decide the final bid number. We never sign or submit a bid.
What happens when an addendum is issued?
Send it as soon as you receive it. Every quantity ties to a sheet and revision, so we can show which lines change. Whether the revision is inside the original quote or needs a small added quote is confirmed with you before work continues.
Do you offer monthly estimating plans?
Yes, for contractors who bid every week. Plans start at $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids, with Pro at $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids and Scale at $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids. Each estimate uses your rates and lists assumptions and open questions. Most contractors start with one estimate to see the work first.
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.