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The 4 Best Construction Estimating Software on the Market

First things first it completely depends on the size of your company. A multinational company will have entirely different needs and budget than your small residential builder. Licenses for complex solutions can cost thousands of dollars per year per user but there are some really great, simple to use & affordable solutions also.

Another major factor to consider is, who will be using the software? Will it be a professional estimator who has completed a degree in estimating or a will it be a builder or sub-contractor looking to price a job after doing a days work?

Why would you need takeoff/estimating software?

“I spend too much time measuring plans and calculating labour and materials costs”

“I make mistakes when estimating labor & materials costs and quantities”

“I’m not great at creating professional looking quotes”

“My plans, quotes and material estimates are all over the place, and I need to store it in one place”

Estimating (large companies vs small)

In Australia 97% of construction companies are classed as small or medium (19 or less people). Up until recently there was no real software available for these smaller builders and subcontractors. The process of estimating/quoting manually from plans is time consuming and inefficient.

On the other hand estimating for large construction companies is entirely different. Companies like Lend Lease, Brookfield Multiplex and John Holland will have completely separate divisions for their estimating, and will strive to make the process as efficient as possible.

Let’s have a look at the various options out there, and see what is the best for you.