I am curious as to which estimating software contractors are using, if any. I’ looking into buy an estimating program, but I haven’t decided upon which one I will purchase. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Mike
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I just started contracting myself, but I have recently purchased The Complete Construction (CD) Estimator. Craftsman’s costbooks are quite popular. Notice the number of costbooks included on this CD, I think it’s the best deal you’ll find.
-T
check out xactremodel. its pricey but it has made me more money than it costs so far.
check out xactremodel. its pricey but it has made me more money than it costs so far.
Hmmm....last I checked, Xactimate for Remodelers was around $99 to get signed up, and around $60/month- are you considering that to be "pricey", or have they changed their pricing?
Bob
Edited 3/24/2006 7:49 am ET by BobKovacs
What estimating software do you use Bob?-T
I've been using Excel since I started estimating- it'd take a truly incredible program to come along and get me to change. I've got templates that I've built over the years for different types of projects, so I can do an estimate in Excel very quickly. I still think it's a simple solution for estimating, especially since the program (or it's baby brother Microsft Works) is included free with most computers you buy today.
You can play with Excel for 30 minutes and learn enough to put together a simple spreadsheet that will quickly replace the calculator and yellow pad method that so many contractors start with. It may not be pretty at first, and it may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but the spreadsheet can grow with you as you need more functions.
I've estimated projects as large as $450 million with it, so I'd say it pretty capable....
Bob