Substructure
Excavation, footings, foundation walls, grade beams, slab-on-grade, under-slab vapor barrier, and waterproofing below grade.
Building Estimating
Building Estimating Services for Contractors, Builders & Developers
When you bid a whole building, nobody hands you a clean scope. The drawings are split across architectural, structural, MEP, and civil sheets, the specs live in another binder, and the addenda keep coming. Somewhere in between, a few items belong to no one, and those are the ones that end up coming out of your margin.
Our building estimating services price the complete building: foundations, structure, envelope, interiors, MEP systems, and site. You get a quantity takeoff and cost estimate for every trade, organized the way you plan to use it, with the gaps between trades already checked.
Every divisionFoundations to finishes
Excel + PDFWith marked-up drawings
ZIP-code pricedLocal material and labor rates
24 to 48 hoursTypical turnaround
What a Complete Building Estimate Covers
A building estimate follows the building from the ground up. Here's how we work through a typical project:
Superstructure
Concrete, steel, wood, or masonry structure: columns, beams, floor and roof decks, shear walls, and the connections that tie them together.
Exterior enclosure
Wall assemblies, cladding, windows and storefront, exterior doors, roofing, flashing, and sealants.
Interiors
Partitions, ceilings, doors and hardware, millwork, flooring, wall finishes, painting, specialties, and toilet accessories.
Services
Plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, electrical, lighting, low voltage, and conveying systems like elevators.
Equipment and furnishings
Built-in equipment such as kitchen equipment, lockers, and window treatments, when included in the contract.
Sitework
Grading, utilities, paving, curbs, sidewalks, site lighting, and landscaping.
Each section is quantified from your drawings and then priced with material, labor, and equipment costs for your project's location.
Where Building Estimates Usually Go Wrong
Single-trade estimates are rarely wrong about their own trade. Whole-building estimates go wrong at the seams, where one trade ends and another begins. These are the items we check specifically:
Blocking and backing
Wood blocking for cabinets, grab bars, and wall-hung fixtures often isn't drawn by the carpenter's sheets or carried by the drywall sub.
Roof-to-wall transitions
Copings, counterflashing, and parapet caps can fall between the roofer, the sheet metal sub, and the cladding installer.
Firestopping
Every pipe, duct, and conduit through a rated wall needs it. MEP subs often exclude it; drywall subs may exclude it too.
Equipment connections
The mechanical sub sets the rooftop unit, the electrician feeds it, but who provides the curb, the structural support, or the gas line?
Low-voltage pathways
Conduit and back boxes for data, security, and AV may be in the electrical scope, the low-voltage scope, or neither.
Owner-furnished items
Appliances, signage, or equipment the owner buys still need installation, power, and sometimes blocking.
When we find an item that isn't clearly assigned, we price it and list it in the clarifications so you can decide where it belongs before bid day.
General Conditions, Overhead & Profit
The trade costs are only part of what it costs to build. A building estimate also needs the general contractor's costs to run the job:
General conditions
site supervision, project management, temporary facilities, utilities, dumpsters, cleaning, safety, and equipment shared across trades.
General requirements
permits, testing and inspections, bonds, and insurance: depending on the contract.
Overhead and profit
your company's markup on the work.
We can carry general conditions as a line-item estimate based on the project duration, or leave them for you to complete if you prefer to price your own.
Organized the Way You'll Use It
The same building can be estimated in different formats depending on who reads it:
CSI MasterFormat divisions
the standard for bid estimates and subcontractor buyout. Each division lines up with how you'll send out bid packages.
Building systems (UniFormat)
useful for owners and designers comparing options, such as a steel versus wood frame, or two wall assemblies.
Your template
if your company has its own cost codes or bid form, we can work in it.
Building Types We Estimate
Commercial Buildings
Offices, retail centers, restaurants, hotels, medical office buildings, and mixed-use projects. Commercial estimates often hinge on the MEP and envelope scope, and on whether the job is a core-and-shell or includes tenant fit-out. Commercial estimating →
Multifamily Residential
Apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and student housing. Repetition helps (once a unit type is taken off, it scales) but corridors, amenity spaces, podium levels, and parking structures need separate attention.
Single-Family and Custom Homes
New homes, additions, and custom builds for builders and owner-builders. Framing, roofing, and finishes carry most of the cost variation here. Framing estimating → Lumber takeoff →
Institutional Buildings
Schools, healthcare facilities, churches, and public buildings. These usually come with detailed specifications, prevailing wage requirements, and heavier MEP and life-safety systems.
Renovations, Additions & Tenant Improvements
Remodels involve demolition, protection of existing work, and assumptions about hidden conditions. We list those assumptions clearly so the estimate holds up when walls are opened.
Excel + PDFWith marked-up drawings
Deliverables
What You Receive
- A complete cost estimate for every trade, with material, labor, and equipment separated
- Quantity takeoff sheets you can check line by line
- Marked-up drawings showing what was measured
- A summary page by division or building system
- Clarifications, assumptions, and exclusions
- Editable Excel files, plus PDF for sharing
Plans and Documents to Send
- Full drawing set: architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and landscape
- Project specifications and any addenda
- Bid form or schedule of values template, if you have one
- Project location (zip code) and bid due date
- Labor type: open shop, union, or prevailing wage
- Any scope you plan to self-perform or exclude
If your set is too large for email, share a Google Drive folder or plan room link.
Process
How It Works
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01
Send your drawings
Email the bid invitation and plans, or share a folder.
-
02
Receive a quote
We review the set and reply with the fee and turnaround.
-
03
Approve and we start
Questions about the site, schedule, or labor rates come early so the estimate reflects your conditions.
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04
Review the estimate
We aim to deliver with enough time for your review before bid day.
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05
Finalize
Add your sub and supplier quotes, and we'll update the totals if needed.
Why Prime Estimation
Why Builders Use Prime Estimation
One estimate for the whole building
, so scope gaps between trades are caught in one review.
Local pricing
based on the project's zip code.
Assumptions in writing
, so you know exactly what you're bidding.
Per-project fees
instead of a full-time estimator's salary.
Turnaround
Most estimates are delivered in 24 to 48 hours, and single-trade takeoffs often within 24 hours.
Experience and team
More than 1,500 projects priced across federal, institutional, commercial and residential work, with every estimate checked by a second estimator.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a building estimate and a trade estimate?
A trade estimate prices one scope, like drywall or electrical. A building estimate prices every trade plus the general contractor's costs, and checks that nothing falls between them. GCs and developers usually need the full building; subcontractors usually need their trade.
How much does it cost to build a commercial building?
It depends on building type, structure, finishes, MEP systems, and location. Square-foot figures can screen a project early, but two buildings of the same size can differ widely. A takeoff from your drawings is the only way to get a number you can bid.
Can you estimate from incomplete drawings?
Yes. For schematic or design development drawings, we'll prepare an early estimate with stated allowances for missing details. Preliminary estimating →
Do you include general conditions and profit?
We can carry general conditions based on the project duration and apply your overhead and profit percentages, or leave those for you to complete. Tell us your preference when you send the job.
Can I use the estimate to buy out subcontractors?
Yes. Because quantities are broken down by trade, you can compare sub bids against our numbers and spot scope that a sub left out.
Do you estimate renovation projects?
Yes. Renovation estimates include demolition, protection, and stated assumptions about concealed conditions.
Ready to Get Started?
Price Your Next Building
Send the drawings and your bid date. We'll review the set and send a fixed quote for the estimate.