What is your favourite software for estimating construction costs?

This topic has 1 reply, 6 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 4 months ago by Theodore Tegen.

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August 5, 2010 at 7:51 am #168366

Laith Wark
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What is your favourite software for estimating construction costs?

August 5, 2010 at 1:05 pm #168375

Theodore Tegen
Participant

I don’t use anything special beyond a custom spreadsheet in ms excel. I fill the spreadsheet with pricing knowledge gained over the years. I update this periodically based on bid tabulations that I receive from contractors for various projects. I’m sure someone will chime in, but I don’t even know of any landscape specific estimating software.

November 10, 2010 at 5:11 pm #168374

Laith Wark
Participant

thanks for your input. Really appreciate it.

We also use Excel which is great for storing data like rates for each item. But we find it has limitations in managing complexity. Prices vary due to the scale of the project, location etc. We are looking for something more database-like to manage the data.

November 10, 2010 at 5:57 pm #168373

Jason T. Radice
Participant

A dartboard.

November 11, 2010 at 12:29 pm #168372

Laith Wark
Participant

Hi Keith

For the record we call an estimate an “Opinion of Probable Cost”. However we try to get these as close as possible, within 10% of the tender price, is good.

November 11, 2010 at 9:35 pm #168371

Ryland Fox
Participant

Worksheets in Vectorworks so that the quantities update themselves.

November 13, 2010 at 6:29 pm #168370

Laith Wark
Participant

We use data from past tenders. We want a tool to manage this data to use for new “estimates”. For example, we can extract a relevant rate for granite paving given a certain quanity based on rates from past tenders.

November 13, 2010 at 6:30 pm #168369

Laith Wark
Participant

For quanitity take offs this sounds good. We use LandFX which could be similar. Kind off BIM for site (SIM).

May 22, 2014 at 6:48 pm #168368

Ricardo Librero
Participant

Here in Spain I use Menfis 8. We use to work with specifical software for construction cost like Menfis or Presto, they can be join with CAD software and every price can be with a technical specification so when you finish your project you can have the final document of specifications accord with your messurement

July 11, 2014 at 5:57 am #168367

Doug Prouty
Participant

Laith ifyour stillinterested in opinions I’ve used On Screen Takeoff for very accurate quantities takeoffs only. It has a worksheet tab but it is not exportable. This program is also favored by contractors here in Phoenix (I learned the program while working at ValleyCrest). I’m going to give Land FX a try.
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