What a construction estimate costs in the USA depends on project size, trades, drawings and bid deadline. Single-trade takeoffs at EliteBid start at $150; larger projects are quoted after plan review. Based in Florida, serving contractors nationwide.
If you are bidding a job in the USA and thinking about getting your estimate done by someone else, the first question is usually the price. Fair enough — here is the honest answer. A small single-trade takeoff and a full multi-trade bid package are two very different pieces of work, so they are priced differently.
That $150 starting point is from EliteBid's own Pricing page. The final fee is confirmed only after we have seen the plans — not before.
For one trade — concrete, drywall, roofing, flooring, framing, painting, plumbing, electrical, or another single scope. You get trade-specific quantities, a material takeoff, and an organised Excel deliverable.
For a complete residential or commercial bid package with several trades, labour, material and a cost breakdown. We quote it after reviewing your plans.
Industrial, civil, multifamily, healthcare and hospitality work, or anything with a lot of detail, is also quoted after a scope review.
If you want a lower fee, the easiest way is to send complete plans, the spec, and your bid due date up front — so nothing has to be guessed at or chased later.
A single room is not a whole building.
One trade is quick. Ten trades take longer.
Clear, complete plans are faster to measure. Missing sheets, unclear details and lots of addenda slow the work down.
A rough budget number costs less than a bid-ready estimate with quantities, rates and totals broken out by scope.
Excel quantities only, or marked-up plans as well? The deliverable matters.
A tight turnaround needs more hands on it at once.
Not just a number. A usable estimate is one you can put straight into your bid.
| Deliverable | Purpose | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity Takeoff | Quantities you can check against the drawings | Pricing and procurement |
| Cost Breakdown | Material and labour broken out, not lumped together | Budgeting and bidding |
| Estimate Summary | A cost breakdown by scope, so you can see where the money is | Management review |
| Excel Deliverable | A format you can put straight into your bid | Bid submission |
One wrong concrete volume, one missed drywall scope, or a bid submitted late because the takeoff took all week — any of those costs more than the estimate itself. Most contractors who outsource estimating do it for that reason: they can bid more jobs, and bid them with more confidence, without hiring a full-time estimator.
Tell us the project type, where it is in the USA, which trades you need, and when the bid is due. We review the drawings and come back with a project-specific quote and a delivery date — before any work starts. EliteBid is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, and serves contractors across the USA.
It depends on the project. At EliteBid Solutions, a single-trade takeoff starts at $150. Multi-trade and larger projects are quoted after the plans are reviewed, based on size, trades, drawing completeness and bid deadline.
Project size and scope, number of trades, how complete the drawings are, the level of detail needed, the deliverables requested, and the bid deadline.
Yes, for anything beyond a single-trade takeoff. The final fee is confirmed after plan review, so the quote matches the actual work.
Quantities, material and labour broken out by scope, and a bid-ready Excel deliverable — with marked-up plans when requested.
Yes. EliteBid Solutions is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, and serves contractors across the USA. Send the project location with your plans and scope.
Tell us what you need estimated, where the project is located and when you need the deliverable.