Monthly estimating plans
Outsourced estimating services for contractors who bid every week
Bidmere works as your outsourced estimating department. You keep a steady bid calendar, we measure and price each job at your rates, and your team sets the final number.
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
Quick answer
Bidmere is an outsourced construction estimating service for US specialty subcontractors and general contractors: a remote estimating team that measures your plans and prices them at your rates, while your team sets the final number. Single-trade estimates start at $195 and are ready in 48 hours, and monthly plans start at $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids. Every job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept.
What are outsourced estimating services?
Outsourced estimating services are a remote team that does your takeoffs and estimates under your direction. You decide which jobs to bid, and the remote estimator does the measuring and pricing work.
For a contractor who bids every week, the problem is rarely one estimate. It is the steady pile of plan sets that arrive faster than one person can measure them. Bids get passed on, or they go out late and thin.
A monthly plan with Bidmere covers that recurring load. You get:
- Measured quantities by scope item, area and sheet
- A cost estimate priced with the labor rates and material pricing you approve
- Written assumptions, exclusions and open questions for each bid
- Delivery as an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, and a written list of assumptions, exclusions and open questions
Your team still reviews the estimate, sets markup and decides the bid price. Bidmere never signs or submits a bid.
How much do outsourced estimating plans cost?
Monthly plans are priced by how many bids you send in a month. Pick the plan that matches a normal month on your bid calendar, not your busiest one.
| Starter | Pro | Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price and bid allowance | $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids | $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids | $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids |
| Good fit | One trade, steady weekly bidding | A sub or GC bidding most days | Several estimators’ worth of bids |
| Your rates and templates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Assumptions and open questions on every bid | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bid calendar planning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If you bid only now and then, you do not need a plan. Single-trade estimates are sold one at a time from $195, and multi-trade estimates are from $1,150. See estimating pricing for the full list. For what outsourced and in-house estimating cost across the market, see the construction estimating cost guide.
Not sure which plan fits? Start with one estimate at 25% off. You see the work on a live bid before you commit to a month.
How does a monthly estimating plan work?
A monthly plan runs on a shared bid calendar. You tell us what is coming, we schedule it, and estimates arrive before your bid dates.
- Set up once. You send your estimate template, labor rates or labor units, material pricing and standard exclusions. We use them on every bid in the plan.
- Load the bid calendar. Add each invitation to bid with its due date and the trades you need. We confirm what we can deliver and when.
- Send the documents. Plans, specs and every addendum for each job. We check the set for missing sheets before measuring.
- Confirm each date. We confirm each delivery date before you rely on it, so busy weeks are planned, not discovered.
- Review and set your number. You get quantities, the priced estimate and the open questions. Your estimator or owner sets markup and the final price.
One bid is one trade on one project for one bid date, and addenda for that bid are included. A multi-trade project uses one bid per trade. Unused plan bids roll over to the next month, so a slow week is not wasted.
In-house estimator, freelance estimator or outsourced estimating plan?
Each option buys estimating capacity in a different way. The right one depends on how steady your bid volume is and how much management time you have.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $78,740 for cost estimators in May 2025. That is about $6,562 a month in salary alone, before payroll taxes, benefits, software, a desk and the months it takes to hire.
| Full-time in-house estimator | Freelance construction estimator | Bidmere monthly plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost basis | Salary plus benefits and overhead. BLS median pay: $78,740 a year (May 2025) | Hourly or per job, set by each freelancer | Fixed monthly price: Starter, Pro or Scale |
| Capacity | One person’s hours | One person’s availability | Planned bids each month |
| Cover for vacation or a busy week | None unless you hire again | Depends on their other clients | Scheduled on your bid calendar |
| Knows your company | Strongest, over time | Varies | Uses your templates, rates and exclusions |
| Management time | Hiring, training, review | Finding, vetting, chasing | Calendar and review |
| Price known before work starts | Salary is fixed, output varies | Often hourly | Fixed price per plan |
An in-house estimator is still the right call for some firms. If you bid enough to keep a full-time person busy all year, and you want someone at every pre-bid meeting, hire. A plan fits the space between “too much for the owner” and “not yet enough for a full hire.”
A part-time estimator or contract estimator can also work. The risk is the same as any single person: when they are busy or away, your bids wait.
To compare named outsourced estimating firms by published price and turnaround, see outsourced estimating services compared.
What does a remote construction estimator actually do on your bids?
A remote construction estimator does the same desk work as an in-house one, from your documents instead of your office. The work is takeoff, pricing and organizing questions.
On each bid in a plan, Bidmere:
- Reads the drawings and specification sections for your trade
- Measures quantities by item, area, floor and sheet, tied to the revision you sent
- Prices quantities with your labor units or rates and your material pricing
- Lists assumptions where the documents are silent, such as routing not drawn
- Flags conflicts between plans, schedules and specs
- Lists exclusions so scope gaps do not hide inside your number
- Updates quantities when an addendum changes the scope
A remote estimator does not visit the site, attend walkthroughs, call your suppliers for quotes, or negotiate with the GC. Those stay with your team. If you need site verification, keep that with someone local.
What should you send to set up an outsourced estimating department?
Send the things your own estimator would use on day one. The better the setup, the less you change on each estimate.
Setup documents (once):
- Your estimate template or a recent estimate you liked
- Labor rates or production units by task
- Current material pricing, or the supplier quotes you rely on
- Standard inclusions, exclusions and qualifications
- The trades and project types you bid, and the ones you skip
Per bid:
- The invitation to bid with its due date
- Full plans and specifications, with every addendum
- Any scope sheet or bid form from the GC or owner
- Notes on what you want included or broken out
The first inquiry form does not take files. We arrange secure document sharing after we confirm the plan.
Which scope gaps cost weekly bidders the most?
Contractors who bid often lose money in the same few places. A plan builds checks for them into every estimate.
- Missed addenda. A revised sheet changes quantities after the takeoff is done.
- Spec items not on the drawings. Testing, mockups, attic stock and warranties live in Division 01 and the trade sections.
- Responsibility gaps between trades. Equipment connections, blocking, patching and cleanup assigned to nobody.
- Alternates and unit prices. Left blank or priced from guesses.
- Phasing and access. Night work, occupied buildings and hoisting that change labor.
- Old pricing. Material numbers copied from a bid six months ago.
Each estimate lists what was assumed and what was excluded, so your reviewer can see these items before bid day.
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 quoteWho should outsource construction estimating, and who should not?
Outsourcing estimating works well when your bid volume is steady and your documents are complete. It works poorly when the job depends on site knowledge or on relationships.
A good fit:
- Specialty subcontractors bidding several jobs a week from full plan sets
- General contractors who need trade quantities to check sub bids
- Owners who do their own estimating at night and want their evenings back
- Firms between estimators, or covering a leave or a busy season
Not a good fit:
- Work bid from a site walk with no drawings
- Service and repair work priced on the spot
- Contractors who want someone else to choose the bid price
- Jobs that need a licensed engineer’s design or calculations
If your volume swings a lot, start with single estimates and move to a plan once you see a normal month.
Start with one estimate at 25% off
Your first estimate is a normal paid estimate at 25% off. There is no free trial. The first estimate lets you judge the work on a real bid before you commit to a monthly plan. You see the takeoff, the pricing at your rates and how questions are written up.
Send one upcoming bid through the normal quote process. You get a fixed price within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept the price and delivery date. A single-trade estimate is ready in 48 hours from your accepted quote and complete documents.
If the estimate fits how you work, we set up the plan with the same template and rates.
Estimator for hire, part-time estimator or outsourced estimating services: what to check
Whether you outsource estimating services, use a freelance estimator for hire or add a part-time estimator, test each option the same way. The rate matters less than two things: bids go out on time, and you can check the number.
| Part-time estimator on staff | Freelance estimator for hire | Outsourced estimating service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Hourly wage plus payroll costs | Set by each freelancer, often hourly or per job | Fixed quote per bid, or a monthly plan |
| Hours available | The schedule you set | Around their other clients | Booked on your bid calendar |
| Your rates and template | Learned over time | Varies | Used on every estimate |
| Management | Hiring, training, review | Finding, vetting, chasing | Calendar and review |
Freelance rates vary by person and trade, so this page does not quote them. Ask for a written rate and a delivery date before work starts.
Questions to ask any option:
- Is every quantity tied to a sheet and revision?
- Are assumptions, exclusions and open questions written down?
- Who sets rates, markup and the final number? It should be you.
- How are addenda handled, and what do they cost?
- What happens if they are busy the week of your bid?
- How are your plans and pricing kept confidential?
With Bidmere, the fixed quote states the price and delivery date before you pay. The fastest test is one real bid. See a sample estimate deliverable, then send one upcoming bid for a fixed quote.
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Week | Project type | Trade | Bid due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Medical office tenant improvement | Drywall and framing | Thursday | Delivered Tuesday |
| Week 1 | Retail shell | Framing | Friday | Delivered Wednesday |
| Week 2 | Charter school addition | Drywall and ceilings | Wednesday | Addendum 2 update sent |
| Week 2 | Apartment amenity build-out | Drywall | Friday | Delivered Wednesday |
| Week 3 | Warehouse office mezzanine | Framing | Tuesday | Delivered Friday prior |
| Week 3 | Restaurant remodel | Drywall | Thursday | Open questions sent to GC |
| Week 4 | Two-story office | Drywall and framing | Thursday | Scheduled |
Fictional example: one month of bids for a drywall and framing subcontractor on a Pro plan. Not a customer 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 and your template. 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. We never sign or submit a bid.
What if a bid date moves up?
Tell us as soon as it changes. We confirm what can be delivered by the new date before you rely on it.
What if I have a slow month?
Pick the plan for a normal month. The plan agreement explains how unused bids are handled.
Monthly estimating plans
Choose a plan that matches 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 plan uses your rates and templates, and every estimate comes with assumptions and open questions. Start with one estimate at 25% off to see the work first.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to outsource construction estimating?
Monthly plans are $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids, $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids, or $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids. One-off single-trade estimates are from $195, and multi-trade estimates are from $1,150. Every job gets a fixed price before work starts, and you pay only after you accept it.
Is a monthly plan cheaper than hiring an estimator?
It depends on your volume. BLS reports a median cost estimator wage of $78,740 a year in May 2025, before benefits and overhead. If you bid enough to keep a full-time estimator busy all year, a hire can make sense. A plan fits steady volume that does not yet justify a full salary.
What is the difference between a freelance estimator and Bidmere?
A freelance construction estimator is usually one person billing hourly or per job. Bidmere works from a fixed price per plan or per estimate, agreed before work starts. Bids are scheduled on your bid calendar, and every estimate uses your rates and lists its assumptions and open questions.
How fast is turnaround on a plan?
Single-trade estimates are ready in 48 hours from an accepted quote and complete documents. Load your bid calendar early, and we confirm each delivery date before you rely on it. A rush option (24-hour rush for 30% more) may be available when capacity allows.
Who sets the prices in the estimate?
You do. We price quantities with the labor rates or units and material pricing you approve. You set markup, overhead and profit, and you decide the final bid price. The estimate shows how each number was built so your reviewer can change it.
How are addenda and revisions handled?
Send every addendum as soon as it is issued. We update quantities for the changed sheets and note what moved. The accepted quote or plan agreement explains how revisions and extra scope are handled, so there are no surprise charges after bid day.
Are my plans and pricing kept confidential?
Yes. The first inquiry form takes text only, so do not paste private rates into it. After we confirm the work, we arrange a secure way to share documents. Your rates and estimates are used only for your bids. See the security page for details.
Should I buy estimating software instead?
Software helps a trained estimator measure faster, but someone still has to do the takeoff and pricing. A plan gives you the estimating hours. If you already have an estimator with spare time, software may be enough. If time is the problem, outsourcing solves it more directly.
Can I try one estimate before signing up for a plan?
Yes. Send one upcoming bid through the quote form and get 25% off your first estimate. You get a fixed price within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept. There is no free trial. If the estimate fits how you work, we set up a plan with the same template and rates.
Can I hire a part time estimator through Bidmere?
No. Bidmere is not a staffing agency and does not place estimators. It delivers the estimating work itself: takeoffs and estimates priced at your rates, ordered per bid or on a monthly plan. That gives you part-time estimating capacity without hiring. Each job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept.
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.