Outsourced estimating services compared: price, turnaround, trades, format
Each cell below is what the firm says on its own website, checked on November 9, 2026. Where a firm does not publish a figure, the cell says so. The order is not a ranking.
| Firm | Published price | Turnaround | Trades covered | Deliverable format | Source (checked Nov 9, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Estimating | About $200 for a specific trade takeoff; dedicated estimator from $1,500 per month for 10 to 15 typical jobs | 24 to 48 hours, depending on scope (not complex industrial) | All CSI divisions; residential, commercial and industrial | Excel, in its template or yours; estimates also in PDF | worldestimating.com/pricing; worldestimating.com/quantity-takeoff; worldestimating.com |
| Rocket Takeoffs | Not published; quoted from project size, scope, trades and complexity. Monthly memberships on request | 24 to 48 hours for most standard projects | All trades, across multiple CSI divisions; cost pricing and labor hours are optional add-ons | Excel material list and PDF markups | rockettakeoffs.com; rockettakeoffs.com/request-takeoff-service-quote; rockettakeoffs.com/monthly-membership-info |
| Edge Estimates | From $250 fixed fee (subcontractor estimates); fixed-fee quote within 2 hours | 24 to 72 hours; single-trade takeoffs typically 24 hours | CSI Divisions 02 to 33 | Line-item Excel workbook with marked-up plans, in MasterFormat, UniFormat or your cost codes | edgeestimates.com/sub-contractors |
| Union Estimating | Not published; based on project size, trade count and drawing complexity | 48 to 72 hours standard; 24 to 48 hours under 5,000 SF; 3 to 5 business days for 50,000 to 200,000 SF; rush available | All trades, all CSI divisions | Excel quantity workbooks, annotated PDF drawings and PDF summary reports | www.unionestimatingllc.com; www.unionestimatingllc.com/takeoff-services |
| Bidding Enterprise | Not published; one fixed monthly fee for a dedicated estimator | Agreed bid by bid; estimator typically on your bids in under 7 days | 50+ trades across all 16 CSI divisions | Your software, templates and formats | www.biddingenterprise.com/outsourced-estimating-services; www.biddingenterprise.com |
| BidAccurate | From $2,997 per month for 10 added planned bids, up to $5,997 for 25; single projects quoted after plan review | Set per project; smaller standard scopes may fit 24 to 48 hours | Trades listed include concrete, sitework, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall and framing, roofing, flooring and multi-trade | Excel and PDF, in your format and cost codes | bidaccurate.com/pricing |
| Bidmere (publisher of this page) | Takeoff from $149; single-trade estimate from $195; multi-trade from $1,150; monthly plans from $1,395 for up to 6 bids | 48 hours for single-trade estimates; rush in 24 hours adds 30%; fixed quote within 2 business hours | Every trade, commercial and residential | Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, written assumptions, exclusions and open questions | bidmere.com/pricing |
Prices and turnaround change. Confirm both with the firm before you send plans.
Per project, monthly capacity or a dedicated estimator?
The seven firms sell estimating in three ways. Picking the model first narrows the list faster than comparing prices.
- Per project: you send plans and get a fixed quote for that job. World Estimating, Rocket Takeoffs, Edge Estimates, Union Estimating and Bidmere all quote per project. It suits occasional or uneven bidding.
- Reserved monthly capacity: a set number of planned bids each month. BidAccurate sells this from $2,997 a month; Bidmere’s monthly estimating plans start at $1,395 for up to 6 bids; Rocket Takeoffs offers memberships on request.
- Dedicated estimator: one estimator works your bids in your software. Bidding Enterprise works this way, and World Estimating lists a dedicated estimator from $1,500 a month.
For market price ranges by scope and the cost of hiring instead, see our construction estimating cost guide.
What should you ask before choosing an estimating service?
Turnaround claims are close: most firms publish 24 to 72 hours for standard work. The useful questions are about scope:
- Quantities or a priced estimate? Some deliverables are takeoffs only; Rocket Takeoffs, for example, lists pricing and labor hours as add-ons.
- Whose prices? Ask whether labor and material are priced from a cost database, live supplier quotes or your own rates.
- What format? An estimate in your cost codes or software saves re-keying.
- What happens with addenda? Ask how revisions are counted and priced before you accept.
- Who signs and submits? Confirm it in writing. Bidmere does not sign or submit bids; your team does.
Want to see a fixed price for your plans? Bidmere quotes within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept. Get a fixed quote or see takeoff services.
Where does Bidmere fit?
Bidmere measures quantities from your plans and prices them at your own rates. Takeoffs start at $149, single-trade estimates at $195 in 48 hours, and multi-trade or full GC estimates at $1,150. Contractors who bid every week can use a monthly plan: $1,395, $2,595 or $4,795 a month for up to 6, 12 or 25 bids, with unused bids rolling over.
What Bidmere does not do: visit sites, sign or submit bids, or guarantee awards. If you need someone in your office every day, or one estimator who works only in your software, a dedicated-estimator model fits better. For the full price list see pricing, and for software options see estimating software versus a service.
How we compared
This comparison covers the six firms that ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode and Perplexity repeatedly named or cited when we asked US buyer questions about outsourced estimating in November 2026, plus Bidmere.
- Source of every figure: each firm’s own website, fetched on November 9, 2026. The figures are the firms’ published claims. We did not buy estimates from them or test their work.
- Not published: where a firm does not state a price or turnaround, we say so rather than estimate one.
- No ranking: the order is not a recommendation, and we do not score firms on quality.
- Publisher: Bidmere publishes this page and is one of the firms in the table. Its row uses its own published prices.
Frequently asked questions
How much do outsourced estimating services cost?
Of the seven firms compared, four publish a price. World Estimating lists about $200 for a single-trade takeoff, Edge Estimates starts at $250, BidAccurate starts at $2,997 a month for 10 planned bids, and Bidmere starts at $149 for a takeoff and $195 for a single-trade estimate. The others quote after reviewing plans.
Which outsourced estimating firms publish their prices?
As of November 9, 2026, World Estimating, Edge Estimates, BidAccurate and Bidmere publish prices on their websites. Rocket Takeoffs, Union Estimating and Bidding Enterprise do not publish prices and quote after reviewing your project.
How fast can an outsourced estimate be delivered?
Most of the firms publish 24 to 72 hours for standard work. Union Estimating lists 3 to 5 business days for projects of 50,000 to 200,000 SF, and dedicated-estimator firms agree timing bid by bid. Bidmere delivers single-trade estimates in 48 hours, with a 24-hour rush for 30% more.
Should I use a per-project service or a dedicated estimator?
Per-project services suit occasional or uneven bidding because you pay only when you send plans. A dedicated estimator or reserved monthly capacity suits steady weekly bidding, when the same person learning your pricing is worth a fixed monthly fee.
Is this comparison independent?
No. Bidmere publishes this page and is one of the firms listed. To keep it fair, every figure comes from each firm’s own website as of November 9, 2026, firms that publish nothing are marked “not published”, and the table is not a ranking.