How much does a construction takeoff service cost?
At Bidmere a quantity takeoff costs from $149, ready in 48 hours for one trade, and a single-trade estimate with pricing costs from $195. Every job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours before any work starts, plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
| Job size | Takeoff only (quantities) | Single-trade estimate (quantities and pricing) |
|---|---|---|
| Small job: up to 10,000 SF | $149 to $295 | $195 to $395 |
| Mid-size job: 10,000 to 50,000 SF | $295 to $695 | $395 to $895 |
| Large job: over 50,000 SF, or several buildings | From $695 | From $895 |
Source: Bidmere pricing. The fixed quote you get will usually land in the range for your job size.
What changes the price. The number of sheets, renovation versus repetitive new work, and how complete the plans are. Rush (24 hours) adds 30%.
How it compares. The two 2026 market guides below publish $150 to $800 for a takeoff only of one residential trade (The Virtual Estimation) and $250 to $600 for a single-trade takeoff on a small project (Edge Estimates). Firms also charge by the hour or on a monthly plan; the published ranges for each model are in the pricing models table below. See construction takeoff services for what a Bidmere takeoff includes.
How much does construction estimating cost by scope?
Outsourced estimating is priced by the work in the drawings, not by the value of the job. The ranges below are what two 2026 market guides publish, each checked on November 9, 2026. Bidmere’s own prices are the last row so you can compare them against the market.
| Scope | Typical fee published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Takeoff only, one trade (residential) | $150 to $800; quotes under $300 are usually quantities only | The Virtual Estimation 2026 guide |
| Single-trade takeoff, small project | $250 to $600, about 24 hours | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Single trade, small commercial, labor hours included | $300 to $1,000 | The Virtual Estimation 2026 guide |
| Single trade, large or complex | $500 to $1,200, 24 to 48 hours | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Multi-trade package, 2 to 4 divisions | $800 to $1,800, 48 hours | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Full multi-division commercial estimate | $1,200 to $2,500, 48 to 72 hours | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Commercial multi-trade estimate, bid-ready | $800 to $3,000 | The Virtual Estimation 2026 guide |
| Large commercial or industrial bid package | $3,000 to $10,000 or more | The Virtual Estimation 2026 guide |
| Bidmere (our own published prices) | Takeoff only from $149. Single-trade estimate from $195, ready in 48 hours: $195 to $395 up to 10,000 SF, $395 to $895 for 10,000 to 50,000 SF, from $895 above that. Full project from $1,150: $1,150 to $2,500 small, $2,500 to $5,000 mid-size, from $5,000 large. | Bidmere pricing |
Ranges are each source’s own published figures. Drawings that are incomplete or badly organized price at the top of a band.
A takeoff and an estimate are different products. A takeoff lists quantities; an estimate prices them. If you are not sure which one you need, read what a takeoff is and the types of construction estimates first.
How do estimating services charge?
Firms sell estimating in five ways. Fixed fees per estimate are the most common and the easiest to compare. Monthly plans make sense only when you send enough bids to use them.
| Pricing model | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Per estimate, fixed fee | $250 to $2,500 per estimate, the most common model | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Hourly | $10 to $60 per hour, offshore to domestic | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Hourly (freelancers and small firms) | $30 to $175 per hour | The Virtual Estimation 2026 guide |
| Monthly plan or retainer | From about $1,500 per month for a set volume | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Monthly plan or retainer | $1,500 to $20,000 per month | The Virtual Estimation 2026 guide |
| Monthly capacity plan (BidAccurate) | From $2,997 per month for 10 added planned bids; $1,000 more per month for each 5 more bids, up to $5,997 | BidAccurate pricing |
| Dedicated estimator (World Estimating) | From $1,500 per month for 10 to 15 typical jobs | World Estimating pricing |
| Percentage of construction cost | 0.5% to 1.5% of estimated project value, mostly on very large or negotiated work | The Virtual Estimation 2026 guide |
| Bidmere (our own published prices) | Per estimate: takeoff from $149, single trade from $195, full project from $1,150. Monthly plans: $1,395 for up to 6 bids, $2,595 for up to 12, $4,795 for up to 25 (about $233, $216 and $192 per bid). Rush in 24 hours adds 30%. | Bidmere pricing |
Checked November 9, 2026. Published prices are starting points; most firms confirm a fixed price after seeing the plans.
Edge Estimates’ benchmark makes one point worth keeping: a fee quoted as a percentage of construction cost prices your budget, not the work. Two jobs with the same drawings take the same effort to estimate whatever the contract value.
What does an in-house estimator cost?
The salary is the visible part. Employer benefits, payroll taxes, software seats and the months a seat stays empty sit on top of it.
| Cost item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage, cost estimators, May 2025 | $78,740 ($37.86 per hour) | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Lowest 10% and highest 10% of cost estimators | Under $48,530; over $130,820 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Median wage in construction of buildings | $84,610 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Median wage at specialty trade contractors | $80,330 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Median wage in heavy and civil engineering construction | $99,910 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Benefits as a share of employer cost, private industry, June 2026 | 30.0% (wages are the other 70.0%) | BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation |
| Median wage plus that benefits share | About $112,500 a year ($78,740 divided by 0.70, our calculation) | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook; BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation |
| Takeoff software, one seat | $2,000 to $3,000 per year at PlanSwift list prices | PlanSwift pricing |
| Fully loaded estimator, salary plus 25% to 40% burden plus software | $106,750 to $144,640 a year | Edge Estimates 2026 benchmark |
| Bidmere monthly plans, per year (our own prices) | $16,740 for up to 6 bids a month, $31,140 for up to 12, $57,540 for up to 25 (12 times the monthly price) | Bidmere pricing |
BLS wages are medians for all cost estimators, not only construction. The benefits share is an all-industry private-sector average, so treat the combined figure as a rough guide.
What an in-house estimator gives you that a service cannot: cost history from your own crews, supplier relationships and someone in your office every day. On repeat work with good historical data, that usually produces better numbers.
When is outsourcing cheaper than hiring?
Divide what an in-house estimator costs per year by what you would pay per outsourced estimate. The result is the yearly volume at which the two cost the same.
- Edge Estimates’ model: at $125,000 fully loaded and an $800 average fee, the crossover sits at 12 to 15 estimates a month. At a $600 average fee it rises to 15 to 20; at $1,200 it falls to 8 to 10.
- The Virtual Estimation’s model: hiring starts to make sense at around 20 or more estimates a month.
- With Bidmere’s monthly plans: 12 single-trade bids a month cost $31,140 a year and 25 cost $57,540, against roughly $112,500 for a median-paid estimator with average benefits.
Low volume favors outsourcing because a salary keeps running through slow quarters. High, steady volume on similar work favors hiring. Many contractors combine the two: an estimator or owner keeps the final number and an outside service handles peaks. Our software versus service guide covers the tool side of the same decision.
Bidding every week? Bidmere’s monthly estimating plans start at $1,395 for up to 6 bids, and unused bids roll over. Get a fixed quote.
What makes an estimating fee higher or lower?
The same plans can draw very different quotes. Edge Estimates names four reasons, and The Virtual Estimation adds rush fees:
- Document quality. A clean, dimensioned set costs less to estimate than a poorly drawn one. Gaps need written assumptions.
- Number of trades or divisions. Each added division adds measuring and pricing.
- Sheet count. Fee follows the number of drawings more closely than project value.
- Turnaround. Standard delivery is 24 to 72 hours. The Virtual Estimation reports rush fees of 25% to 50%; Bidmere’s 24-hour rush adds 30%.
Compare what each quote includes, not only the total: labor shown apart from material, written assumptions and exclusions, and quantities you can trace back to a sheet. Our comparison of outsourced estimating services lists what seven firms publish.
How long does a construction estimate take?
A single-trade estimate from Bidmere takes 48 hours from your accepted quote and complete documents, or 24 hours with rush, which adds 30%. Multi-trade estimates get a delivery date in the quote.
Other firms publish similar windows. Each was checked on November 9, 2026:
| Firm | Published turnaround |
|---|---|
| Edge Estimates | 24 to 72 hours |
| World Estimating | 24 to 48 hours, not complex industrial work |
| Rocket Takeoffs | 24 to 48 hours |
| Union Estimating | 48 to 72 hours |
Turnaround always runs from complete documents. Missing sheets, specifications or addenda add time whoever does the work.
How much do estimators charge?
Outsourced estimators charge per estimate, by the hour or by the month. Edge Estimates’ 2026 benchmark puts a single estimate at $250 to $2,500 and hourly rates at $10 to $60, with retainers from about $1,500 a month. The Virtual Estimation’s 2026 guide gives hourly rates of $30 to $175, retainers of $1,500 to $20,000 a month and, for some firms, 0.5% to 1.5% of project value. Bidmere charges a fixed price per job, from $149 for a takeoff and $195 for a single-trade estimate, or a monthly plan from $1,395.
An employed estimator is paid a wage instead: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage for cost estimators of $78,740 in May 2025.
Is outsourcing estimating worth it?
Outsourcing is worth it when your bid volume is uneven or too low to keep a full-time estimator busy, and when you bid trades outside your own. At the BLS median wage an estimator costs about $6,562 a month before benefits, and BLS reports that benefits average 30% of private employer compensation costs. A Bidmere monthly plan is $1,395 for up to 6 bids, $2,595 for up to 12 and $4,795 for up to 25.
The published break-even points differ: Edge Estimates puts the crossover at 12 to 15 estimates a month, and The Virtual Estimation at about 20 a month. Hiring still makes sense when you have one core trade and full-time volume all year. Many contractors keep a senior estimator and send overflow out.
What does Bidmere charge?
Bidmere publishes its prices on the pricing page. Every job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours, plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept the price and delivery date.
- Takeoff only: from $149.
- Single-trade estimate: from $195, ready in 48 hours, with 25% off your first estimate.
- Multi-trade or full GC estimate: from $1,150. See general contractor estimating.
- Monthly plans: $1,395, $2,595 or $4,795 a month for up to 6, 12 or 25 bids.
You get an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans and written assumptions, exclusions and open questions, priced at your own rates. Bidmere does not visit sites, sign or submit bids, or guarantee awards. See takeoff services for the measuring-only option.
How we gathered these figures
Every outside figure on this page comes from a page we fetched on November 9, 2026: two published 2026 market guides from estimating firms, two firms’ own pricing pages, the PlanSwift pricing page and two Bureau of Labor Statistics releases. Each figure is that source’s own published claim; we did not audit them. The two market guides are written by estimating firms that sell the service. Bidmere publishes this page and sells estimating too, so its prices are shown as a separate, labeled row. All sources are listed at the end of the page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a construction estimate take?
At Bidmere a single-trade estimate takes 48 hours from your accepted quote and complete documents, or 24 hours with rush. Other firms publish 24 to 72 hours. Multi-trade estimates get a delivery date in the quote.
Is outsourcing estimating worth it?
It is when your bid volume is uneven or too low for a full-time estimator, or you bid trades outside your own. Published break-even points are about 12 to 20 estimates a month; above that, a hire may cost less.
How much does a construction takeoff service cost?
Bidmere prices a quantity takeoff from $149: $149 to $295 for a job up to 10,000 SF, $295 to $695 from 10,000 to 50,000 SF, and from $695 above that. A single-trade estimate with pricing starts at $195 and is ready in 48 hours. Published 2026 market guides put single-trade takeoffs at $150 to $800, depending on project size and type.
How much does it cost to outsource a construction estimate?
Published 2026 market guides put most outsourced estimates between $150 and $3,000, with large commercial bid packages at $3,000 to $10,000 or more. Single-trade takeoffs start around $150 to $250. Bidmere prices takeoffs from $149, single-trade estimates from $195 and full project estimates from $1,150.
How much does a construction estimator cost per hour?
An employed cost estimator earned a median $37.86 per hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, before benefits. Estimating services that bill hourly publish $10 to $60 per hour (Edge Estimates) and $30 to $175 per hour for freelancers and smaller firms (The Virtual Estimation).
What does an in-house estimator cost per year?
The BLS median wage for cost estimators was $78,740 in May 2025. Benefits averaged 30.0% of private-industry employer costs in June 2026, which puts a median estimator near $112,500 a year before software and overhead. Edge Estimates puts the fully loaded cost at $106,750 to $144,640.
Is it cheaper to outsource estimating or hire an estimator?
At low or uneven volume, outsourcing usually costs less because you pay only when you bid. Edge Estimates puts the crossover at 12 to 15 estimates a month; The Virtual Estimation says around 20. At high, steady volume on similar work, an in-house estimator with your own cost history often wins.
Do estimating services charge a percentage of construction cost?
A few do. The Virtual Estimation reports 0.5% to 1.5% of project value, mostly on very large or negotiated work. Most firms charge a fixed fee per estimate based on the drawings, trades and turnaround, which is easier to compare.
How much does a monthly estimating plan cost?
Published plans start around $1,500 a month. BidAccurate lists $2,997 a month for 10 added planned bids, and World Estimating lists a dedicated estimator from $1,500 a month. Bidmere plans are $1,395, $2,595 and $4,795 a month for up to 6, 12 and 25 bids.