Mechanical (HVAC): Division 23
Equipment, ductwork, air devices, hydronic and refrigerant piping, insulation, and testing and balancing. Mechanical estimating → Duct takeoff →
Divisions 21 to 28, MEP
MEP Estimating Services for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Fire Protection
On most commercial buildings, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection together are among the largest cost packages on the job, and the hardest for a general contractor to check. Each discipline has its own drawings, its own specifications, and its own subcontractor. The equipment that ties them together appears on all of them and belongs, clearly, to none.
Our MEP estimating services price all four disciplines as one coordinated package, so the connections between them are counted once and the scope split is clear.
Divisions 21 to 28Coordinated across trades
Excel + PDFWith marked-up drawings
ZIP-code pricedLocal material and labor rates
24 to 48 hoursTypical turnaround
What's Included in an MEP Estimate
Plumbing: Division 22
Fixtures, domestic water, sanitary waste and vent, storm drainage, gas piping, water heaters, and specialties. Plumbing estimating → Piping estimating →
Electrical: Division 26
Service and distribution, feeders, branch circuits, lighting, devices, and grounding. Electrical estimating →
Communications and low voltage: Divisions 27 and 28
Structured cabling, fire alarm, security, and access control. Telecom estimating →
Fire protection: Division 21
Sprinkler mains, branch lines, heads, valves, standpipes, and fire pumps.
Where MEP Scope Falls Through the Cracks
Most MEP gaps happen where one discipline hands off to another. These are the items we check on every MEP estimate:
| Item | Typical question |
|---|---|
| Power to HVAC equipment | Disconnects, starters, and VFDs: furnished by mechanical, installed by electrical? |
| Controls wiring | In the controls contractor's scope or the electrician's? |
| Condensate drains | Mechanical or plumbing? |
| Gas piping to equipment | Plumbing to the equipment, or mechanical? |
| Water heater venting | Plumbing or mechanical? |
| Fire alarm interfaces | Duct detectors, damper interlocks, and flow switches: who wires them? |
| Kitchen equipment connections | Owner-furnished equipment connected by plumbing and electrical? |
| Firestopping at penetrations | Each MEP trade, or a single firestop contractor? Fireproofing estimating → |
| Housekeeping pads and equipment supports | Concrete sub, structural steel, or mechanical? |
| Roof penetrations and curbs | Roofing, mechanical, or GC? |
We price each item once, in the scope where the specifications place it, and list any that the documents leave unclear.
Controls and Building Automation
Building automation systems are often specified under Division 23 but installed by a separate controls contractor. The scope includes controllers, sensors, valves and actuators, wiring, programming, and commissioning support. Because it crosses mechanical and electrical, it's one of the easier scopes to miss entirely. We list controls as its own section so it's visible.
For GCs: Checking MEP Subcontractor Bids
MEP bids are hard to compare. Each sub qualifies its number differently, excludes different items, and carries different assumptions about equipment. An independent MEP estimate lets you:
- See whether a low bid is missing scope
- Compare subs on the same scope basis
- Identify equipment that one sub included and another didn't
- Negotiate from documented quantities
Who Uses MEP Estimating
- General contractors pricing and leveling MEP packages
- Design-build firms carrying MEP in-house
- MEP contractors self-performing more than one discipline
- Owners and developers checking MEP budgets Budget estimating →
Checklist
What to Send
- Mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection, and low-voltage drawings
- Equipment schedules
- Divisions 21 to 28 specifications
- Architectural plans and reflected ceiling plans
- Addenda
Send Your Files
Upload the drawings through our quote form, share a Google Drive or plan-room link, or email them. Large sets travel best as a shared folder.
Upload Your Plans →Or email info@primeestimation.com.
Excel + PDFWith marked-up drawings
Deliverables
What You Receive
- Estimates by discipline with material, labor, and equipment
- Equipment list with connections by discipline
- Interface and scope-split matrix
- Clarifications and exclusions
- Excel and PDF files
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does MEP estimating include?
Mechanical (HVAC), electrical, and plumbing systems, and typically fire protection and low-voltage systems: equipment, distribution, devices, labor, and testing.
Can you estimate just one discipline?
Yes. See our mechanical, electrical, and piping pages.
How do you avoid gaps between MEP trades?
By checking every equipment connection and interface against the specifications and listing the scope split in the estimate.
Ready to Get Started?
Price the MEP Package, Including the Connections
Send your MEP drawings and specs. We'll quote the estimate and delivery date.