Estimator / Estimating software

[Danny]

Getting more and more enquires for groundworks job, i can price the simple ones my self but the more complex ones are eating up to much of my time with working full time.

Does anyone use any software? Or is it best try and find someone local to price it which after a quick search is harder than you think

 

[sjs5060]

Danny mate in my opinion I'd never consider a computer doing my pricing, don't even know if such software exists but youd end up in I right mess if it got it wrong.
I'll also say I've tried a couple of self employed quantity surveyors and paid them a couple of hundred quid for doing the pricing, and never won a single job any of them priced.
If the jobs more complex it's even more important imho to look at it yourself, go through it and price it yourself. That way at least if you get the job you've already got in your head what your up against.

I'm aware that that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's the my experience. Like you I'm onsite most of the time and it can be hard, it depends how hungry you are for work I guess, I've been know to spend brew time on the phone chasing prices of suppliers and all night going through drawings/putting quotes together. Nowadays if I'm that busy it'll put me out as a rule I turn it down, but I am backing off the throttle a touch as I get older and wanting a steadier life.

 

[Smiffy]

I work for a firm where the boss and two other people quote jobs and trusted members of staff are asked to look at jobs that dont require materials to give timings and it just causes a massive headache for everyone as everyone has a different idea of how something should be done theres always confusion
As an employee of that system i think it should be avoided as the crossed wires cause a lot of financial loss that can be seen from the lower levels maybe not as apparent from the top

 

[doobin]

I reckon it'd be much easier to find someone to drive the machine for you whilst you price it. That's what I do. Like SJS says, then at least you have a plan of attack in your head.

Depending upon the sort of stuff you're being asked to price, a pricebook can be a great help. I use Spons for a lot of landscaping stuff. About £150 for an eBook but worth every penny. When I bought it, I knew certain jobs (such as sleeper walls) made me good money at £X per metre. When I found Soons to be within 10% of my price for jobs like these I was much more inclined to trust it for other stuff without working it out fully.

 

[Robw5553]

I have a few spons books to aid with a few prices. I think they're based on London prices & you adjust to suit, then add your profit. As a guide they're very useful.

 

[doobin]

I have a few spons books to aid with a few prices. I think they're based on London prices & you adjust to suit, then add your profit. As a guide they're very useful.

Yes. There are weightings for different areas (in my copy at least).

 

[Gunners]

I'd be very careful using a computer to price work. Every job has its different challenges and the programs cant account for everything. I spent a lot of time pricing work and after a couple of years I started to get the hang of where I could guesstimate and where I had to be accurate. I also went back through a few jobs and worked out what my average linear meter rate or square meter rate was. This helped speed up pricing massively but still took the best part of a day to price 100k+ job. Its very time consuming especially when the job has something specific. The guys on here and Twitter are very helpful Dan, I've shared rates with them and likewise, it helps to get an idea that you're in the right ballpark with figures - some can seem high when you look at them but quickly add up.
Doob's right about the Spons book to get an idea of rough rates - they are good but I found talking to others about rates just as helpful.
Feel free to give me a call if you ever want to run some rates past me or just to chat about diggers - I don't mind

 

[Brendan]

I always find for something's the spons rates seem low and biggest issue is the rates don't always transfer down to what you do. Have always seen that the rates for digging out I can't make work but think the spins books are priced on much larger job scales with no tight alleys to get in and out of. There is also the national federation rates which is similiar

 

[Danny]

Its a large existing car park with 2594m2 of tarmac to cartaway and prepare for a new block paved car park and associated works would be the largest job I've ever undertook under my own steam they found me via LinkedIn. Im keen to price and hopefully win the job as it would keep me and my small team busy for a day or two

Ive got a bill of quantities to work from which helps no end, but wouldn't no where to start with working out rates on such a large volume ill have to look at purchasing one of these spons books which one would people recommended as after a quick google theres a few out there......

 

[Brendan]

Probably the civil engineering one but don't take my word for it if you can see if there are any free previews to get an idea if they are the right one
I've got an old copy of the civils one somewhere but Im not sure if it has just a rate for removing the tarmac, from what I can remember majority of rates are for the full dig out of virgin ground and build up of new, which won't suit you.
In theory your looking at removing the tarmac then screed and lay. Might be worth getting a price from a couple of people for the screed and lay side of it but off the top of my head think those rates are around £8-12 a m².
Depending on tarmac depth could be anywhere between 25-50 muck away wagons

 

[Left hooker]

What side of the boarder Danny?

 

[Danny]

What side of the boarder Danny?

Devon

 

[V8Druid]

Devon

JD450 side then ..... no pixscies ....... jus' Rory an' his mates

 

[Gunners]

Dan, go old school and work out the area and volume of gear you need to remove. Convert that to tons per m3 - usually around 1.6-1.8t/m3 depending on what it is, don't forget the bulk factor of 1.4 when digging out too. Once you know how much gear you need to remove and place, then you can get a feel for how many days it will take. Build your price up from there.
In my own opinion I would be careful trusting the BoQ. Maybe check a couple of the figures against your own take off and see if the areas are accurate. 5% discrepancy is a lot of area on the size of job you are looking at and can quickly eliminate any profit.
I also have never had any work come good from Linkedin. Plenty of people approach me but never seem to win any of the work, or they have unrealistic tender timescales or just want to pick your brains on the job and get you to price it as a check against their preferred contractor. Might not be the case with your contact but beware all the same.
Good luck, hope it goes well for you.

 

[Giles]

my mate bought the top package paid £1500 spent weeks inputting all the rates etc and it work fairly well for building work and extensions but wasn't great for groundworks. like ollie said if you've an idea how much 100m2 cost you can scale it up with a economies of scale and you won't be far off. can always get help in the form of your job say ring a planing firm say i need a quote to move 3000m2 of 50mm asphalt etc and then you've got a start etc cheaper to sell it off as plaining than pay to cart away. then speak to commercial pavers about block and sand work so all your pricing is drains and sublease which is a fairly standard rate from other jobs. or use the hive mind of on here or twitter etc.

 

[doobin]

If you're looking for a more efficient way to handle complex estimates, construction estimating softwares like PlanSwift or Procore could help streamline the process. They save time by automating takeoffs and cost calculations, so you can focus on your work. If finding a local estimator is tough, using the right software might be the best solution.

Feck off

 

[doobin]

That’s a good point. I’ve tried PlanSwift too, and while it’s helpful I’ve noticed that relying only on software sometimes misses the bigger picture. A solid construction takeoff done carefully can really improve accuracy before even feeding numbers into these platforms. Combining both manual review and smart software usually gives the best results. What’s been your experience with this balance?

On balance we ban spammers.

But not before @JD450A has his fun with them and a banjo...

 

[Lancs Lad]

On balance we ban spammers.

But not before @JD450A has his fun with them and a banjo...

Or as of yesterday....dental floss

 

[doobin]

Or as of yesterday....dental floss

Dental floss and a G string... squeal piggy, squeal!!

 

[Lancs Lad]

For simple groundwork jobs, pricing them yourself works fine, but once the projects get more complex, it really does start taking too much time especially when you're already working full-time. Many contractors run into the same challenge and end up using professional tools or outsourcing the estimation work.

A lot of people nowadays rely on xactimate estimating to get accurate quantities and pricing quickly, especially when dealing with detailed groundwork scopes. It saves time, reduces errors, and helps you stay competitive without getting overwhelmed. If finding someone local is difficult, using a reliable estimating solution might be the easiest way to manage the increasing workload.

@JD450A didn't you have a bad experience with xactimate estimating?