When it comes to construction projects, each building is different, and this applies to even similar-looking buildings. Every construction project requires a separate cost estimation, which is quite different from manufacturing products where similar products have the same production cost. Underestimating or overestimating the cost of a construction project can be highly detrimental. Thus, accuracy in cost estimation is the key to the success of a construction project.
Though uncertainty is always there when it comes to estimating the cost of a construction project, experienced professionals aided with the right construction estimating software can definitely help in improving accuracy of this job. Accurate cost estimation can help you in making better decisions and ultimately ensure success of your business.
Here, we have come up with the top 9 free and open-source construction estimating software, which you can deploy to gain accurate estimation for your construction projects. But, before you go through the details of these construction estimating tools, let us have a look at what exactly is construction estimation software, how does it works?, why should you use it?, and the features to look for in one to gain maximum benefits out of it.
What is Construction Estimating Software?
Construction estimation software is a tool that helps business owners, contractors, architects, engineers, and other professionals within the construction industry to prepare cost estimates to determine the labor & material expenses, overheads, and profit goals. It helps in checking the feasibility of the construction project, getting a basic idea about how much would be the total cost of the project, and ultimately deciding whether to go ahead with the project or not.
Construction estimating software is a system that can streamline and automate the process of calculating a construction project's total expenditures. It automates the processes and formulations based on the information and data fetched from the database or spreadsheets. The use of construction estimating software can help in improving accuracy, speed, and productivity, which ultimately results in increased profitability of a construction business.
Obsolete Methods of Estimating the Cost of Construction Projects
Many building contractors and construction business owners still rely on manual registers or excel spreadsheets. These manual methods of estimating the cost of a construction project are perceived to be simple to master but fail to provide speed and accuracy. Data entry is prone to errors and highly time-consuming. It is quite common to find mistakes and regret when the project is about to complete as at that stage, nothing can be rectified to recover the loss. Moreover, when it comes to sharing information and collaborating with the team, these manual methods can become redundant.
Pricing a construction project should not be based on guesswork, inaccurate data, or some other project's figures. Especially if the construction project is huge, it requires a significant amount of investment. In that case, if your cost estimation is wrong, you end up wasting your hard-earned money and efforts.
Thus, in this highly-competitive business era, it becomes essential to adopt the best construction estimation solution. The below-mentioned benefits can tell you why -
Benefits of Using Construction Estimating Software
So, these were the benefits of deploying construction estimating software. If you are looking for one, it becomes necessary to know the basic components of a construction estimating software.
Basic Components of a Construction Estimating Software
Besides these components, you also need to look out for must-have features in a construction estimation solution, as mentioned below -
Must-Have Features of a Construction Estimating Software
Cost Estimation
The cost estimating functionality in a construction estimation software helps users to save time and achieve accuracy in calculating the overall cost of a construction project. The automated calculations save a lot of time of the contractors and construction cost estimators otherwise wasted in data entry, manually calculating sundry costs and profit margins.
Cost Database
The cost database feature in a construction estimating software helps you in creating the database of regularly used materials, which you can quickly use in your estimate calculations. Automatically pulling out the cost information of the items can eliminate human errors in the calculations and provide accurate results.
Proposal Generator
The proposal generator helps you in preparing the client proposals that provide complete information about the cost codes, material quantity, unit costs, and calculations. You can customize these proposals that align with your brand identity, print them, and share them online with the client or other team members.
Takeoff
Takeoff functionality helps you in digitally measuring the construction site and calculating the quantity of material required. For example, the user can use takeoff functionality to calculate the number of tiles required on a floor and then cost estimated based on that calculation.
Reporting
Reporting is one of the essential features which represents the data showing cost analysis in the form of graphs and charts. It gives a better understanding of how much was spent in each construction project, profit & loss, thus helping you to make better decisions for your future projects.
Accounting
The contractors and business owners can manage their cash flow, track payment invoices like equipment bills, material cost, labor charges, etc., using the accounting functionality that comes in-built in a construction estimating software.
Change Order Management
Through this, constructors are able to auto calculate the production changes quickly whenever there is any change to project schedule or scope. It also helps with communicating the change orders, assigning tasks, approving/managing change orders.
Now, when you know the benefits, components and features to look for, let us have a look at the details about one of the most well-featured software in this category known as Stack.
Stack
Stack is an all-in-one free construction estimating software designed for an excellent pre-construction process. It helps in driving maximum efficiency and improving project profitability by streamlining team collaboration, quantity & material takeoff, and project reporting. It works as a centralized hub for construction takeoff and accurate estimations. Whether you are a subcontractor looking to bid and win profitable construction projects or a general contractor looking for flexible takeoff tools, or a supplier requiring to keep customers updated with the material they need, this free construction estimating software can help you with all your cost estimation related needs.
(Source: Stack)
Key Features
- Helps in organizing plan specifications, and important documents.
- Allows accessing documents, project plans, reports, etc., from anywhere.
- Increases speed and eliminates mistakes in construction estimating and takeoffs.
- Provides in-depth reporting for each task and project to analyze important details.
- Keeps team members, contractors, business owners, and stakeholders on the same page of ongoing and upcoming construction projects.
- In-built automation tools such as Auto Count, Autoname, hyperlinking, etc.
- Up to 10 custom label creation to help group, filter and organize takeoffs.
- Seamless bill of materials creation
- Intuitive, well-designed and user friendly UI to reduce the learning curve for new users.
- Offers features for project, field, property and facility operations management.
- Templates library to store takeoff templates for quick use.
Are you looking for the free options? Just go through the below details about the top 9 free and open source construction estimating tools with a comparison chart helping you to select one as per your business processes & standards.
The Top 9 Free and Open Source Construction Estimating Software Comparison Chart
The Top 9 Free and Open Source Construction Estimating Software
#1 Estimate
Estimate is a free and open source construction estimating software. It is a fast, accurate, and intelligent solution built for small to large enterprises. It has been released under GNU Affero General Public License and is a community-supported project. Its source code is freely available, and so the companies can customize the application as per their business logic and add new features as per their requirements.
(Source: Estimate)
Key Features
- Ability to maintain Assemblies and Bill of Material (BOM)
- Can maintain multiple costing standards
- Ability to manage suppliers and clients database
- Can generate Bill of Quantity, and extensive cost sheets with breakups
- Can analyze subcontractor and vendor quotes
- Can upload and archive documents for quick reference
- Web-based interface compatible with all the browsers
- Includes simple to use interface
- Includes centralized database for easy backup and maintenance
- Access rights management for registered users
- In-built system configuration management
- Unit converter and expression parser
- Cumulative cost sheet for project and estimate comparison
If you have already used Estimate, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#2 CatalystK
CatalystK is an open source and free construction estimating software that can estimate quotations for all construction projects accurately. It can help you in calculating all types of work estimation like material cost, labor cost, job scheduling, budget planning, etc., quickly and easily. CatalystK also helps in executing all the necessary plans like cost estimation, work tracking, monitoring the work done, etc. Its capacity for integration and creating quotations help businesses to provide a precise estimation of the construction project requirements.
(Source: CatalystK)
Key Features
- Can create customized quotations with/without images
- Allows you to email quotations
- Can create sales orders
- Allows leads and task management
- Includes automated sales order invoice mailing system
- Can generate reports helping to make informed decisions
- Separate general, client and supplier ledgers
- Automated sales order and invoice mailing system
- In-built HSN code and GST calculations
- Excel uploads and downloads
- Easy sales and procurement management
If you have already used CatalystK, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#3 Methvin
Methvin is an intuitive and user-friendly online construction estimating and procurement software. It helps in estimating projects, publishing tenders, and creating a comparison which can help businesses in grabbing potential business opportunities. It automates the entire process of pre-construction planning accurately, thus making your workflow smooth and seamless.
(Source: Methvin)
Key Features
- Provides fast and accurate takeoffs for any construction plan
- Enables real-time collaboration
- Includes integration capabilities providing extra functionality
- Provides simple and complex estimation with a worksheet
- Includes Gantt scheduler
- Make collaboration easier between the contractor and the client
- Reusable template creation to improve time savings and accuracy
- Modular nature to customize estimates
- Proactive risk management approach for better decision making
- Optimized resource allocation and utilization
- Highly customizable for flexibility and scalability
- Dynamically linked tender comparisons
- Quality and safety inspections
If you have already used Methvin, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#4 ClearEstimates
ClearEstimates is an easy to use construction estimating software. It includes powerful templates that allow you to get complete estimates within seconds. It also helps in creating professional proposals with your brand identity. ClearEstimates can easily integrate with CRMs and email marketing tools to provide extra functionality. It can have multiple users and allows for easy collaboration. You can try it for free for 30 days and know whether it suits your business or not before purchasing it. Its latest version is ClearEstimates PRO that offers additional integrations and multi-user access for enhanced security.
(Source: Clearestimates)
Key Features
- Can create accurate estimates in minutes
- Includes pre-loaded data including material and labor costs for 15,000+ line items
- Includes 160+ project estimation templates which can be customized as per the project requirement
- Helps in creating professional proposals with brand identity
- Quickly create payable invoices
- Custom filtering and report generation
- Quarterly material and labor rate updates
- Easy integration with BuilderTrend for effective project management
- Send estimates to multiple email addresses
If you have already used ClearEstimates, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#5 Joist
Joist is a powerful estimation software that construction firms of all sizes use for hassle free project collaboration, construction estimation, reporting, payments, and invoicing. With a rating of 4.5, this app for contractors can help to quickly create project estimates within minutes. Features like cost markup, payment schedule, deposit requests, job photos, line items reusage, estimation templates, etc., significantly save the time, cost and efforts for contractors. Joist supports integration with QuickBooks Online Sync to organize, manage and automate the bookkeeping process for better efficiency and cost savings. This integration also offers real time data synchronization, duplicate entry removal, better cash flow visibility and improved ability to efficiently organize the business estimation and financials.
(Source: Joist)
Key Features
- Mobile app support to access customer information anywhere
- Client notifications to improve sales process
- Provide flexible online payment options
- In-app eSignatures
- Cash flow creation options
- Get instant payouts directly to bank account
- One-click markup tools to cover transaction fees
- Buy Now Pay Later option with interest free payments
- Invoice customizations
- Custom payment schedules
- Simple sales reports with monthly view
If you have already used EZ Construction Estimator, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#6PriMus
PriMus is the complete construction estimation solution for accurate planning and controlling costs. It is used by project designers, site managers, and construction companies for simplifying collaboration, coordination, and data exchange. This construction estimation software is highly secure with flexibility and convenience at the same time. You can try it for free for 30 days to know whether it suits your business requirements or not.
(Source: Accasoftware)
Key Features
- Includes extensive construction cost estimation database
- Helps in optimizing work execution costs
- Allows you to obtain fast and accurate construction cost estimates
- Allows extracting accurate metric data directly from the project’s BIM model
- Helps in recording daily site reports easily even from mobile devices
- Quantity takeoff from CAD designs
- Free access to database of construction industry price lists
- Price lists and books import
- Construction site materials requirements analysis
- Supports real-time collaboration
- Project time schedules and planning
If you have already used PriMus, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#7 iScope
iScope is a loss estimating software designed by a public insurance adjuster for accurately estimating losses pertaining to the construction industry. It has a quick and powerful interface with an integrated pricing database. It suits the unique needs of contractors, appraisers, public insurance adjusters, and others involved in estimating losses. As it offers a 30 days free trial, you can use it before purchasing to know whether it suits your type of business or not.
(Source: Constructionbidsoftware)
Key Features
- Includes user-friendly controls
- Has built-in room lists with standard measurements
- Includes customizable policyholder acknowledgment clauses
- Can import pictures
- Has the ability to add factoring to the entire estimate
- Can add task lists
- Includes powerful search features
- Supports macros and short code
- Pre integrated templates
If you have already used iScope, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#8 eTakeoffDimension
eTakeoff Dimension is a complete electronic viewer and takeoff solution written using advanced database technology for speed and efficiency. It is a perfect solution for estimators across all construction disciplines. It can help you in preparing takeoffs in any file format quickly to improve performance. Whether it is a single page TIF file or a 200 page PDF file with lots of images, the construction estimation is created quickly and accurately.
(Source: eTakeoff)
Key Features
- Includes simple measurement capabilities
- Allows you to share takeoff details, annotations, and issues with project managers and other team members
- Facilitates advanced measuring and scaling in a construction plan
- Allows you to flip/rotate measurements
- Can prepare a list of all measurements used in a project
- Can annotate drawings with text, lines, shapes, clouds, arrows, etc.
- Includes FTP integration to present construction estimation in the form of a website
- Allows comparing two drawings. For example, comparing two different floors in a construction plan
- Standard bid codes creation with extensive control
- Issue management and tracking
- Library of predefined tools with user customization
- Multi monitor support
- Purge unused drawings
- Cloud-based license manager
If you have already used eTakeoffDimension, please feel free to share your reviews here.
#9 BidScreen XL
Takeoffs are a breeze with the help of BidScreen XL. Using this software, you can measure and identify the areas, counts, and lengths from your digital drawing files with just a click on a spreadsheet cell. The takeoff drawings with measurements are saved as an Excel workbook, which can be edited and printed whenever required. Estimating takeoff excel template files are readily available for all types of construction projects so that it becomes easy and quick to prepare estimates and share them.
(Source: Takeoffsoftware)
Key Features
- Helps in measuring on-screen from PDF, DWG, DXF, TIF, and other file types
- Provides new excel ribbon user interface under Excel 2007 and Excel 2010
- Can work with vector files and get exact measurements by isolating layers and simply snapping to the object
- Allows you to work with actual drawing file with no file conversion required
- Can open multiple quantity takeoff files or multiple pages of a file quickly with a single click
- Can measure the cut and fill areas for each cross-section and deliver takeoff volumes from cross-sections
- Works with both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of MS Excel
- Easy template creation from the current workbook
- Shortcut keys to quickly draw circles and curves
- Accurate cross section measurement that support different horizontal and vertical scales
If you have already used BidScreen XL, please feel free to share your reviews here.
Now that you have gone through the details of these top 9 free and open source construction estimating software, it must have got easier for you to select the one suiting to your business. Still, if you didn't find exactly what you are looking for, just go through the details of one of the most popular construction estimation solution - ProEst.
ProEst
ProEst is a cloud-based takeoff software that allows you to prepare construction estimating reports with confidence. Instead of spending more time in Excel, you can now focus on profit-driving initiatives with the help of this one of the best construction estimation solutions. Using this software, you get 24/7 access to your cost estimates, digital takeoffs, estimate reporting, client relationships, and much more. It has become the most used construction estimating software among general contractors and subcontractors due to the flexibility, speed, and accuracy it provides.
(Source: Proest)
Key Features
- Includes intuitive interface helping to create quick and accurate construction estimates
- All estimates are stored in a centralized location for quick access
- Helps in analyzing estimates based on the estimator, work, and department
- Allows users to provide a customized view of the important data
- Includes the ability to search and add new items within the estimates
- Provides an at-a-glance summary to know if the bid is on budget or not
- Provides built-in digital takeoffs helping to prepare estimates quickly
- Ability to create professional-looking reports quickly and easily
- Construction CRM features to build better client relationships
- Invite subcontractors to submit bids
- Document management to easily consolidate reports, notes or photos
- Integration with several financial software and tools
If you have already used ProEst, please feel free to share your reviews here.
Besides the free and open source alternatives, the below listed premium construction estimating software comes with an unique set of advanced features aimed to uplift the performance and efficiency of construction projects of all sizes.
List of Most-Searched Construction Cost Estimation Software
RIB Candy
With more than 550,000 users, RIB Candy is a renowned cloud-based, scalable and flexible construction estimating software aimed at improving the speed, accuracy, auditability and transparency of project estimation, budgeting and bidding in the construction industry. Architects, building product manufacturers, C-Level Executive, contracts manager, engineers, estimators, project manager, etc., can use this integrated software for project estimation, on-screen quantity takeoff, project planning, data security, cost analysis, etc. Facilities like customizable high-level architecture, a centralized database, proactive management, and pricing based on First Principles Resource-Based Estimating greatly help businesses enhance the cost and schedule performance, acquire real-time data, and increase productivity. Planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of any size project can be easily handled with RIB Candy.
Procore
Used by over 2 million users in 150 countries, Procore is an intuitively designed all-in-one intelligent construction cost estimation platform for faster project take-off, competitive bidding, accurate estimates and proposals and better project outcomes. Features, such as AI Auto-Count, sync revisions, one-click budget creation, dynamic price setting, material price adjustments, customer-facing construction proposal creation, customizable database, etc., are perfect for civil and infrastructure firms, general contractors, public agencies, and specialty contractors in project estimation and management. Founded in 2002, Procore also supports integration with 500+ apps to ensure centralized data access from a single platform.
Buildxact
Since 2011, Buildxact has been a cloud-based comprehensive construction management and estimation tool that has been helping the construction industry with simplified project estimation, schedule and quotation. Residential builders, suppliers, job managers, tradies, etc., widely use this tool to quote 5X faster, compare prices, add material and labor costs, leverage online construction estimation templates, identify critical paths, measure plans, manage bids, track estimated costs against actual costs, generate project invoices and do many more things. Integration with leading accounting and management software, such as Xero and Quickbooks is available. Buildxact also has a Pro version for builders to assist them in project management, scheduling and invoicing. The software comes with a 14-day free trial, and the premium plans start from $133 per month.
RSMeans Data Online
Another top-notch construction estimating software is RSMeans Data Online, widely leveraged by construction companies, architects, contractors, cost engineers, etc., to evaluate construction costs, validate the scope of work, create estimates, and perform many more functions to control the cost of construction projects. A few notable features of RSMeans Data Online include search by keyword, a comprehensive database, detailed price breakdowns, cloud-based estimation, localized cost factors, and price proposal management. Advanced cost trend insights feature of this software is also popular among the users to gain the required visibility into their construction bidding and estimation processes. The premium pricing of this software starts from $240 per year and varies depending upon the selected datasets.
Buildern
Among the list of comprehensive construction management and estimation platforms, Buildern is a leading name that comes with high accuracy, better visibility, and end-to-end project management capabilities. Construction firms, home builders, general contractors, and specialty contractors of all sizes can use this easy to use construction project management solution to accurately calculate profit margins, estimate project costs, create tailored proposals, analyze labor and material costs, and do much more. Additionally, specifications such as a cost catalog, a centralized database, change orders, timesheets, daily log records, accounting integration, a mobile app, and document management and uploads, makes it an ideal tool for simple to complex construction projects. The premium pricing of this software starts from $225/month, billed annually.
ConWize
ConWize is an AI-powered construction estimating software to simplify and automate the critical and complex functions of construction estimation. This cloud-based platform comes with an advanced set of features for cost estimation, indirect cost calculation, submission price calculation, KPI analysis, predictive analytics, price analysis, etc., enabling firms to effortlessly ensure accurate estimation. Constructors, general & specialty contractors, project management companies, and commercial construction companies can also rely on this construction estimating & bidding automation software for tracking live status, bid leveling, tender management, procurement management, and pre-contract management. The software is available with a free version for everyone to use.
The EDGE
When it comes to an easy-to-use, automated estimating software, The EDGE is a customizable tool renowned for robust commercial construction estimating and takeoff. It comes equipped with powerful features that commercial subcontractors can use to quickly create project estimates with utmost accuracy. In addition, the software also features an in-depth manufacturer database and integration with popular tools like Sage, Viewpoint, Mosaic, Salesforce, etc. It is powered by Smart Labor technology that helps projects adapt to change, calculate adjustments, create bid variations, adjust material rates, etc.
Conclusion
The art of calculating the cost of a project is considered one of the toughest jobs of running a construction company. Whether you are a contractor, builder, or architect with a lot of experience or just a newbie, setting up the right price of a project is the basic requirement and, if not done accurately, can have an adverse impact on the profitability of your business.
Also, go through the complete list of construction estimating software, compare their features, and reviews to select the best one for your business.
If you have used any of the construction estimation solutions mentioned above, please leave your valuable feedback here.
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