Construction Estimating FAQs

We do detailed takeoffs and bill of quantities for concrete, earthworks, bricklaying, plastering, tiling, painting, civil works, and quantity takeoff for tender documents. We price labour, materials, and preliminaries. If it is a trade we do not cover, we tell you straight.

Two things: colour-coded plan markups and a priced spreadsheet. We mark up your drawings, highlight each footing and slab type with a legend, then hand you a bill of quantities listing every item with rates and a total at the bottom. You get a draft copy to review first, and once you are happy we send the final.

Most residential jobs: 24 hours or less. Commercial and complex jobs depend on the size and file quality, but we aim to get you an answer within 2-3 business days. Send your plans in before 5pm and we work them that evening.

Usually, yes. If a residential job is straightforward and we have capacity, we can often turn it around inside 24 hours. If you send several jobs at once, we ask which one is the priority and get that one back to you first. Call us with your deadline and we will tell you straight whether we can hit it.

Send us your first job, we estimate it at no charge. You get the full detailed takeoff and pricing. If you are happy with the work and want to use us again, you pay our standard rate. No lock-in contract, no strings attached.

Mostly sole traders and small builders. Our typical client is a concreter or subbie who is on the tools all day and quoting at night. You get a professional estimating service without the cost of a full-time estimator, and you only use us on the jobs you want. We take on residential and commercial work, but not tier-one or skyscraper projects.

For most Australian tradies and building businesses, professional estimating is a normal business expense, so it is generally tax deductible. Everyone's situation is different, so confirm the specifics with your accountant. We are estimators, not tax advisers.

We price off real Perth and WA rates. Concrete, steel, brickwork, labour all cost different amounts in Perth than they do in Sydney or Melbourne. We know local subbies, local suppliers, and local council fees. That is why we are Perth-based.

PDF is fine. DWG files are ideal if you have them. We also take Revit, SketchUp, or hard-copy plans that you photograph and send through. If the file is too large for email, let us know and we can arrange an upload link.

For most residential jobs, no. A good set of plans and a clear description is enough. For large commercial projects or jobs with site-specific conditions (slope, poor access, existing structures), we may recommend a site visit. We can arrange that as part of the quote.

We check the plans carefully and measure them. If something does not add up, we ring you and ask. We do not guess. If a plan is drawn to the wrong scale or has conflicting dimensions, we tell you before we price it so you know the estimate is accurate.

All trades. Concrete is our biggest service, but we estimate bricklaying, plastering, tiling, painting, earthworks, civil works, and the full material and labour takeoff for tender documents. See our services page for the full list.

Very. We work from detailed takeoffs, not rough calculations. Our estimates are within 2-5% of actual cost on most residential jobs because we know WA rates and we measure carefully. Commercial projects depend on complexity, but we put the same care into every job.

Yes. We carry professional indemnity insurance with cover up to $1 million, across current and past jobs. It is there as a backstop, but the real protection is our checking process: we measure to scale, cross-check every takeoff, and query anything on the plans that does not add up before we price it.

We will review the takeoff with you and show you our figures. If there is a line item you do not understand, we explain it. If you think something is wrong, we check it. We are not trying to scare you with a high price or hook you with a low one. We give you the real number.

Yes. If the scope changes once you have our estimate, send us the revised plans or a description of the changes. We will quote the variations quickly. There is no lock-in, so you can take just the one estimate or the variation, or use us for the full project.

Yes. Commercial subcontracts often run 50-plus pages and are written in the builder's favour. We read through, flag the clauses that put you at risk, and point out scope the pricing did not allow for. For the legal side you should still use a lawyer, but we make sure you know what you are signing up for.

No. One-off jobs stay one-off. Regular clients do not have to sign exclusivity or minimum-spend agreements. We prefer to earn your repeat business by doing good work, not by locking you in.

The estimator behind this business has a day job and cannot be publicly named due to a conflict-of-interest clause. We are a genuine estimating service, not a side hustle pretending to be bigger than it is. We stand behind every estimate we give. If you need to escalate something, you can reach us by email and we will respond quickly.