If your team lacks a full-time construction estimator, then bidding for new projects can take up all of your time. Coordinating with subcontractors in the early hours of the day and working on spreadsheets late into the night can drain you of the energy required to concentrate on customer satisfaction, personnel management, and physical construction. So, how can you streamline the bidding process and ensure that you are using precise figures that will help you win projects and maximize profits? Here are four estimation suggestions to help you transform the pricing challenge into a more automated procedure.
Check your construction cost sources
Even if you are just an occasional shopper in big stores, it is apparent that costs for supplies and machinery vary almost daily. The exorbitant rates that timber that witnessed during the previous year are now decreasing while cement and plaster are becoming more expensive. Real-time pricing is accessible for each individual item, whether it pertains to supplies, machinery, or labor, in any area you cater to. Simply select the necessary item, modify the quantity, and include any construction formulae to obtain the final quote.
Update your tech tools
Outmoded techniques hinder the progress of even the most competent contractors, such as crude drawings on napkins and physical measurements on paper, as well as awkward spreadsheets and manual calculations. However, just like any other project, appropriate equipment is necessary to accomplish the task. The same principle applies to your estimation process.
Here are three essential features that you ought to seek in your forthcoming construction estimation software:
- Compilation of construction substances with the precise and current value
- Adaptable estimation creator that permits you to replicate schemes and employ models
- Easy proposal sharing to promptly link with customers
If you possess technological tools to manage these tasks, imagine how much more rapid your estimation procedure will be! It will save additional time to return to construction or to take that holiday you’ve been putting off for a long time.
Creating estimating templates that work
To enhance the pace of your daily estimation assignments, it is advisable to steer clear of unwarranted repetition. The simplest means to achieve this is by crafting reusable models from previous ventures, which will assist you in launching a new estimate that is comparable in extent. When constructing a template that suits your requirements, consider the following tips. It need not encompass an entire project, as you usually won’t be tendering for projects that are entirely indistinguishable. However, components that can be repurposed and reused in other construction estimates, such as wall assemblies, roof framing, flooring scope, or sets of mechanical items, are ideal for templates.
Bid on projects that align with your business goals
Although it may seem unproductive, it is not always beneficial to pursue every bid request, particularly if it does not align with your business objectives. If you invest your time pursuing ventures that are unprofitable or do not contribute to the expansion of your contracting enterprise, then you are squandering valuable time that should be dedicated to appraising projects that generate revenue and enable you to advance.
As you go about modernizing your procedures to increase efficiency and secure more proposals, give Pagebuilding Consultants, the premier estimating services providers a try and experience how accurate estimates based on up-to-date, regional expense information can replace the hassle of traditional cost manuals.
