Articles

Construction Quantity Estimation Software

Accurately estimating a construction project cost can be the difference between success and failure. So, finding the right construction estimation software should be top priority.

Construction Estimation Software - Construction Project Cost Estimation

Navigating the Construction Estimation Landscape: A Comprehensive Guide

In the dynamic and competitive world of construction, accurate and efficient estimation is the cornerstone of successful project management. It’s the process of determining the cost of a construction project, factoring in labor, materials, equipment, and overhead expenses. Accurate estimations help contractors make informed decisions, secure financing, and set realistic expectations for project completion.

What is Construction Estimating Software?

Construction estimating software is a practical, industry-specific solution all construction professionals should have in their toolkits. It is key to making accurate materials and labor quantity estimates across multiple construction projects with different requirements, timelines, and assigned teams.

The Role of Construction Estimation Software

Construction estimation software has emerged as a powerful tool that empowers contractors to streamline the estimation process, enhance accuracy, and improve overall project efficiency. These software solutions provide a wide range of features, including:

Takeoff and Cost Calculations: Automated takeoff capabilities enable contractors to quickly and accurately extract quantities from project plans, while comprehensive cost databases provide real-time pricing for labor, materials, and equipment.
Change Order Management: Construction estimation software facilitates the management of change orders, allowing contractors to track the impact of changes on project costs and timelines.
Reporting and Analytics: Robust reporting and analytics capabilities provide contractors with valuable insights into project costs, resource utilization, and profitability.

The Importance of Finding the Right Construction Estimating Software for Your Business

Construction project cost estimating software helps construction professionals estimate the potential project cost to determine profitability, risks, and budget requirements. Before modern construction estimating software was developed, construction professionals used spreadsheets and manual documents to tally up direct costs (e.g., materials, labor, and equipment) and indirect costs (e.g., salaries, insurance, and repairs). These manual construction estimator tools are often inaccurate and time-consuming, but such issues can be things of the past with modern construction estimating software that provides:

A database of supplier pricing and estimates.
Pre-built estimate templates.
Store-specific information on assemblies and components.

How Does Construction Estimating Software Work?

Unlike time-consuming, manual construction project cost estimating methods (e.g., using spreadsheets), construction estimating software is a fast, efficient way to calculate costs. Here’s how it works:

First, a user imports a project’s construction plan into the software.
Then, the software automatically calculates the number of materials and amount of labor the project will require.
Costs are assigned to each listed material and labor item.
And the software generates a cost estimate for the project.

With this completed cost estimate in hand, construction professionals can prepare their bids and final contracts—headache and worry free.

Leveraging Construction Estimation Software

Accurate and prompt estimates are key factors for establishing successful working relationships and ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget. Whether you’re an engineer, architect, general contractor, or subcontractor, construction estimating software is a valuable tool for easily delivering proposals, clearly communicating with stakeholders, efficiently comparing bids between vendors, effectively managing schedules, and quickly performing analyses on current and future projects.

“I needed a system that my accounting department, which is the heart of the company, could utilize. I also needed a system that could communicate with my scheduling and estimating departments. I was looking for a complete system; I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted until we came across Acumatica.” – Anderson Pinto, Owner and CEO, Hartzell Construction

"At the rate technology is changing, if your software isn’t bringing you along, you’ve got a real problem. We were light-years behind [with Sage 300 CRE]. If we planned to keep on existing – not even an eye for growth – we needed to make a change."

Matthew Shamp, Executive Director

Carlson-LaVine Inc.

The Benefits of Construction Estimating Software

Here are some of the many benefits you can expect from construction estimating software.

Benefits of Construction Estimating Software

Pre-Built Estimating Templates

Though different projects have different requirements, much of the information needed to compile a construction estimate is the same across the board. The right construction estimating software provides pre-built estimating templates that contain information you already have. It also prompts you to add relevant information for new projects and organizes that information into bid form, saving time and ensuring accuracy.

Supplier Pricing Databases

Many suppliers list up-to-date pricing and other information in databases provided by local distributors. Construction estimating software can connect to these databases, giving your teams quick and easy access to large-scale lists of supplier prices and quantities. Having the most up-to-date and pertinent information can help your teams manage costs and estimates.

Stronger Proposals

The pre-built estimating templates and supplier pricing databases, combined with the convenience of having all construction estimator information in one system, results in strong, persuasive proposals that get prospective clients’ attention. Your comprehensive bids will be complete and professionally presented, so you’ll stand out from the crowd as a seasoned expert people want to do business with.

Integration with Other Mission-Critical Software

When you integrate your construction estimating software with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, you’ll exponentially extend the software’s functionality. Your teams will enjoy additional, advanced capabilities, including clear visibility of every project, optimized and automated workflows, and access to all business data from a centralized solution. This will accelerate productivity and, ultimately, expand profitability.

Construction Estimation Software and Platforms in Action

“Acumatica’s job costing abilities and controls, along with the ability to provide flexibility of modules to us as we grew, were huge selling aspects for us.” – Jay Feinman, CFO, Tester Construction Group

“With Acumatica, I’m giving employees an ultra-efficient tool they need to do their jobs correctly and allowing them to do things easier. I’m handing them a smartphone versus a rotary phone. They are more well-equipped to do their jobs, which produces good outcomes for customers and helps us build the business.” – Matthew Shamp, Executive Director, Carlson-LaVine Inc.

“The fact that Acumatica can update job costing with weighted cost average is phenomenal. The fact that it came from a distribution company background and had that in its toolbox so that it communicates with inventory and feeds into job costing, and that it can sum up jobs to a WIP schedule regularly[. For me, that] means it’s one of the best platforms out there.” – Scott Lyons, CFO, Alpha Insulation & Waterproofing Inc.

Acumatica’s ProEst Construction Estimating Software

Acumatica debuted Acumatica Construction Edition in January of 2018 as an end-to-end, fully-integrated cloud solution for the construction industry. In addition to Job Costing with Acumatica Project Accounting, which helps you create and send bid packages, you can also implement Acumatica’s ProEst Construction Estimating (Autodesk) integration. It’s a robust, cloud-based estimating platform that brings the power of automation to estimation and provides a “faster, easier way to access, modify, manage and share crucial project information.”

Find Out What Acumatica Can Do for You

The Acumatica Difference

When you implement Acumatica Cloud ERP, you gain access to a completely cloud-operated business management system designed to provide actionable insights, deliver rich data, and facilitate remote collaboration. And Acumatica’s ProEst Construction Estimating software is the perfect tool for helping construction firms save time, create more accurate estimates, and win more profitable bids.

To learn more about the Acumatica difference, contact our team of experts and schedule a demonstration today.