General contractors
Full multi-division estimates reconciled into one number, with sub coverage checked division by division and every scope gap written into the basis of estimate.
Typical use: hard bids, GMP conversions, owner budget updates
Who we help
Built for the people who have to sign the bid
General contractors, trade subs, developers and owners all need different things from an estimate. Here is what each one gets from us.
Trade subcontractors
Your division taken off in depth — quantities, crew hours, material lists and a bid form ready to send, so your foremen stay on the job instead of on plans at night.
Typical use: concrete, MEP, roofing, drywall, sitework bids
Developers & owners
Independent budgets at the stage you are actually at — program, site plan or schematic set — with escalation, contingency and a clear statement of what is excluded.
Typical use: feasibility, lender packages, GC bid review
Restoration contractors
Xactimate estimates and supplements supported by measurements, photographs and line-item explanations. The documentation supports review without determining policy coverage or guaranteeing approval.
Typical use: hail, wind and water losses statewide
Construction sectors and their estimating priorities
Commercial & Office
Shells, core-and-shell, tenant improvements, adaptive reuse.
Multifamily & Residential
Garden and wrap apartments, build-to-rent, custom homes.
Industrial & Warehouse
Tilt-wall distribution, manufacturing, cold storage, racking.
Texas specialty
Oil & Gas / Energy
Pipe racks, process structures, midstream facilities, compressor stations, tank foundations, renewables balance-of-plant.
Healthcare & Institutional
Medical office, surgical suites, university and K-12 work.
Municipal & Civil
Water and wastewater, roadway, drainage, public facilities.
Data Centers & Mission Critical
Shell and core, electrical rooms, generator yards, cooling.
Retail & Hospitality
Ground-up pads, restaurant builds, hotels, rollout programs.
Estimating support by role
Different project teams need different answers from the estimate
A general contractor needs complete bid coverage, a subcontractor needs production-level trade quantities, and an owner needs a budget that exposes uncertainty. We shape the estimate around the person using it, the documents available and the decision date.
For bid teams with more opportunities than estimator hours
General contractors use outside estimating capacity to pursue more work without lowering review standards. We can own selected divisions, prepare the complete estimate, reconcile subcontractor coverage or remain available through bid day for addenda and late scope changes.
Trade subcontractors use the same service to turn plan sets into auditable quantities and supplier lists. Deliverables can follow your cost codes and estimating template, which makes repeat projects faster and keeps historical comparisons useful.
For owners, developers and restoration teams
Developers and owners often need an independent feasibility budget, design-phase cost plan or contractor estimate review before committing capital. Restoration contractors need a different structure: loss-specific scope, current regional pricing and Xactimate line items that can be compared with the carrier estimate.
Texas Estimating Support for Contractors, Owners & Developers FAQs
- Why do general contractors outsource construction estimating?
- GCs usually outsource to cover bid-volume peaks, add trade expertise or create an independent control estimate. The outside estimator can measure selected divisions, prepare a full estimate or level quotes. The contractor still reviews commercial terms, risk, schedule and final selling price before submission.
- Can subcontractors use the service for only their trade?
- Yes. The estimate can match one concrete, framing, roofing, drywall, mechanical, plumbing or electrical scope. It separates quantities, direct labor, equipment and material so the subcontractor can apply its own productivity, burden and markup. Adjacent-trade responsibilities are documented to protect the proposal boundary.
- What kind of estimate should a Texas developer request?
- A developer typically starts with a conceptual or budget estimate based on program, area, site and quality assumptions. As design advances, milestone estimates replace allowances with measured systems. The report should retain escalation, contingency, soft-cost boundaries and Texas location assumptions so feasibility decisions are not based on false precision.
- How does restoration estimating differ from a construction bid?
- Restoration estimates organize damaged repair scope, detach-and-reset work, code documentation and pricing-database line items for comparison with the carrier estimate. A construction bid prices a defined contract scope and execution plan. Coverage decisions belong to the policy and carrier; the estimate documents repair quantities and cost support.
- Can owners request an independent estimate review?
- Yes. An owner-side review can test quantities, scope, unit prices, allowances and estimate methodology without reproducing the contractor’s exact means and methods. Differences are categorized so stakeholders can distinguish an arithmetic error, missing scope and a reasonable commercial judgment. The review standard is agreed before confidential files are shared.