Module 04
Construction estimating software
Turn measured quantities and defined scope into a structured budget, with the assumptions, unit basis and scale provenance behind every line visible instead of buried in a spreadsheet.
An estimate is a set of assumptions, so show them
Two estimators pricing the same house arrive at different numbers because they made different assumptions — waste factor, crew productivity, whether the allowance covers installation, what the finish level really is. The number is the easy part; the assumptions are the estimate.
PBG Precon builds line items from your quantities and scope and states the assumption behind each one, so a reviewer can argue with the assumption instead of guessing at the arithmetic.
Built on measured scope
Quantity in, price out
Accepted takeoff quantities carry their units and their scale basis directly into the estimate.
New construction and remodel
Category handling differs — sitework, foundation and framing sequencing for new construction; demolition, protection and existing-conditions risk for remodels.
Line-item structure
Description, quantity, unit, unit cost and extended cost, grouped by trade for buyout.
Export
CSV export so the estimate lands in whatever cost model or accounting system you already run.
Where the pricing comes from
Unit pricing should reflect your market and your history, not a national average. The estimate is structured so your own costs can be applied to the measured quantities, and so the parts of the budget that are still assumptions — allowances, unresolved selections, scope the drawings do not define — are visible as assumptions rather than hidden inside a rolled-up number.
Frequently asked
- Is this a conceptual estimate or a detailed one?
- It follows the documents. Early in design it produces an assumption-heavy budget with those assumptions named; with a complete set and a full takeoff it produces detailed, quantity-backed line items.
- Can I use my own unit costs?
- Yes — the value of the system is the measured, defensible quantity and the stated assumption. Your cost data is what turns it into your number.
See it on your own drawing set
Create an account, upload a set, and run review, takeoff and scope on a project you are pricing now.