Construction estimating software allows companies to perform accurate project estimates. It automates the most time-consuming aspects of estimation procedures and provides a clear breakdown of costs in professional BOQs. It also saves assembly estimates for later use, speeding up the process even further.
Some solutions include a supplier pricing database, which is an important feature for businesses that deal with large quantities of materials. This helps them stay up to date with the latest price fluctuations.
Cost-effectiveness
One of the biggest benefits of construction estimating software is its cost-effectiveness. This type of software can help your organisation save time and increase accuracy in your bids, which can lead to increased profitability. Moreover, it can also help your organisation improve its bidding-to-win ratio. This is a significant factor in promoting growth for your company.
A good estimate software solution should provide a range of features to make it easier for estimators to create estimates. This includes templates, support for construction-related formulas, and the ability to connect with supplier databases for up-to-date pricing. It should also enable users to track multiple estimates and open new ones quickly.
It is important to find a reliable construction estimating software package that offers a transparent pricing model and free trials before making a purchase decision. In addition, look for a product that is compatible with your IT infrastructure and how your team works. Also, consider the amount of training and support that is included with the software, as well as how available customer service representatives are during business hours.
Many estimating software solutions include assemblies, which allow companies to create a set of items and labor costs that can be reused in future estimates. This feature helps reduce the time spent preparing estimates by eliminating the need to recreate the same information each time. For example, a construction firm that has a contract to build several bus shelters can use the same assembly each time to speed up the estimating process.
Scalability
The scalability of construction estimating software is an important factor when choosing the right system for your business. You need to ensure that the software can handle the work load of your organisation, and that it is capable of integrating with your existing systems. This will save you time and money in the long run, and it will help to keep your costs under control. Moreover, the software should be able to support pricing documents like bill of materials, bills of quantities, schedules of work, and more.
Another key feature of construction estimating software is its ability to track multiple projects and estimates. This can make it easier to manage multiple projects at once, which helps you to meet deadlines and increase productivity. In addition to this, it can also improve accuracy by allowing you to perform digital takeoffs and price integrations.
Some estimating solutions come with an in-built supplier database of material prices, which can be very helpful when building large projects. These tools allow you to use the same costs across multiple estimates, which can significantly reduce your rework and re-estimating times. Additionally, some estimating software allows you to store costing information on an assembly, which can be used for future estimates. This is a great time-saving feature and can increase the accuracy of your estimates.
Time-saving features
One of the most important benefits of construction estimating software is that it speeds up the estimating process. It helps you build accurate quotes that meet your clients’ expectations and enables you to deliver projects more quickly than before. It also helps you to track your expenses and keep up with budgets. This is important because it can help you build a strong reputation with your customers and protect your profit margins.
The software may come with pre-made templates, which save you a lot of time if your organisation regularly takes on similar jobs. It may also have support for construction-related formulas, and it can connect to supplier databases for up-to-date pricing. Another great time-saving feature is referenced items, which allow you to change the cost of a specific item once and have it update automatically across all estimates using that item.
Other features that may be found in this software include customer contact management and compliance tracking. Customer contact management is especially useful when a large number of new projects are tendered at the same time, and allows you to manage customer relationships. Compliance tracking is particularly important for construction companies that deal with regulated clients, as it can be an essential tool for maintaining a safe and healthy working environment.
It is also worth looking for transparent pricing models. Most of these products are available on a monthly subscription basis, which can make them more affordable than traditional hardware-based solutions. In addition, they are easy to integrate with existing systems, making them a worthwhile investment for any building or renovation contractor.
Templates
A construction estimate template is a powerful tool that lets you create professional estimates faster. It can help you win more work, protect your profit margins and ensure projects don’t go over budget. It also helps you save time on manual tasks such as calculating labor rates, material costs and overhead expenses. In addition, it can help you eliminate costly mistakes that result in rework and increased project costs.
Some construction-focused software solutions offer a supplier pricing database that automatically calculates materials and labour costs. This feature is especially useful for businesses that work with multiple vendors, or those that have a large number of projects on the go at once. This type of estimating solution is usually available in SaaS or cloud-based formats.
Another advantage of construction estimating software is the ability to save assembly estimates. This allows you to build collections of common items and resources that are used on similar projects. This can drastically cut the time it takes to prepare a new estimate, especially for repetitive projects. For example, a company that builds bus shelters may have a standard design that they use every time, making it easier to reuse assemblies instead of creating each one from scratch.
Construction estimating templates can also be purchased with or without a support subscription, which keeps the template’s material prices updated for a 12-month period. This option is an important consideration when selecting a construction estimating software system, as it will affect the overall cost of the solution.