Tools for Success in Heavy Civil Construction Projects
Heavy civil construction projects are immense, complex, and costly. To ensure they're completed profitably, it’s critical to accurately estimate all required costs before construction begins. Any mistakes can result in significant financial losses and cause project delays. It’s to the firm’s benefit to utilize heavy construction estimating software that can streamline processes and improve accuracy.
This guide highlights six of the best heavy construction estimating software options for 2024: Estimating Link®, SharpeSoft Estimator, Trimble Quest, InEight Estimate, ProEst, and Benchmark Estimating.
Each tool is designed to cater to the unique demands of heavy civil construction, offering functions that help optimize the estimating process and make project management easier. Companies that use these programs can improve their estimating accuracy, boost productivity, and ultimately enhance their competitive edge in the market.
Join us as we explore these valuable tools that are transforming the jobs of construction project estimators.
1. Estimating Link®
TCLI’s Estimating Link® is a powerful heavy construction estimating software program from a contractor’s perspective. It’s an easy-to-use tool that lets users effortlessly import project data from spreadsheets or state DOT electronic bidding platforms. It efficiently organizes item numbers, descriptions, units of measure, and bid quantities, simplifying the setup and accelerating the start of the estimating process.
Estimating Link® lets you categorize project costs into six primary resource categories: labor, owned equipment, rental equipment, material, subcontractor, and a customizable “other” category. The software also integrates pre-populated crews or assemblies, enhancing both the detail and accuracy of your estimates. Additionally, it offers detailed markup options for entire projects or specific categories and adjustments for overhead and indirect costs.
The platform accommodates "what-if" scenarios, allowing users to tweak and optimize bids using alternates and advanced markup tools. Estimating Link® also supports last-minute bid adjustments by facilitating vendor and subcontractor pricing comparisons, ensuring that bids remain competitive and cost-effective.
To maintain accuracy and completeness, the software's check bid feature identifies potential issues such as zero quantities and items lacking markup. Estimating Link® also produces professional, customizable reports and proposals which helps to boost a firm’s credibility and reputation with stakeholders. We encourage you to explore further on our website how Estimating Link® is perfectly suited for heavy civil construction estimating.
2. SharpeSoft Estimator
SharpeSoft Estimator is a cloud-based construction estimating software renowned for simplifying cost estimations and improving the bidding process in heavy civil construction. The tool delivers exceptional performance and scalability, making it ideal for civil construction contractors of all sizes.
SharpeSoft Estimator possesses many functions, including material takeoffs, labor cost calculations, equipment management, and bid management. These features streamline the estimation process, typically completing an estimate in just 10 minutes, freeing up construction project estimators to focus on other essential tasks.
The software is particularly noted for its collaborative features. Multiple estimators can work simultaneously on the same project or bid, with real-time updates ensuring accuracy and enhancing bid outcomes. Additionally, SharpeSoft Estimator automates the request-for-quote (RFQ) process and manages vendor bid pricing. This capability simplifies the bidding process by allowing contractors to issue invitations, receive proposals, and shortlist the most competitive offers for materials and subcontracting.
3. Trimble Quest
Trimble Quest—a product from Trimble Inc., a leading construction management software company—is a popular heavy construction estimating software program that streamlines pricing bids, monitors on-site progress, and forecasts project requirements. This user-friendly platform assists users in winning and completing more heavy civil construction projects by simplifying budget management and enhancing decision-making capabilities.
Trimble Quest excels at generating accurate project bids, equipping civil contractors with first-principles estimating tools, complete with extensive cost libraries. These tools expedite quote generation, helping contractors understand their true construction costs—crucial for enhancing estimate accuracy and increasing project margins.
Key features of Trimble Quest include straightforward capabilities to create or import construction bids, foster collaboration across teams via a cloud-based platform, and build and reuse costing libraries. The software allows users to rapidly produce detailed cost estimates, manage, and compare supplier and subcontractor quotes, and analyze construction bids using key project indicators.
4. InEight Estimate
InEight Estimate is a tool used by construction project estimators across diverse sectors, including heavy civil, environmental, and public works. The software utilizes AI and historical data to enhance the accuracy of bids, eliminating the clutter of spreadsheet estimating and incorporating advanced benchmarking techniques. These functions refine the precision of each subsequent bid, providing contractors and owners with the data-driven confidence they need for their large-scale construction projects.
Designed to optimize time management and increase operational efficiency, InEight Estimate automates repetitive tasks, freeing users to focus on strategic decision-making. It also integrates with scheduling software like Primavera P6® and Microsoft Project®, and safeguards profit margins by proactively preempting potential delays and adjusting schedules.
InEight Estimate also prioritizes compliance and security, providing a reliable environment for managing sensitive project data. It allows users to efficiently organize their construction estimate libraries, track actual expenses, and analyze past projects to enhance the accuracy of future bids. The intuitive interface facilitates communication within and across teams, ensuring that all project-related information—costs, materials, timelines, and feedback—is effectively shared and managed.
5. ProEst
ProEst is a cloud-based platform that enhances heavy civil construction management by integrating cost estimating, digital takeoffs, and bid-day analysis into a single solution. This integration makes sure that estimates are precise, bids are competitive, and projects remain profitable.
The cloud-based features of ProEst provide enhanced mobile accessibility, allowing project stakeholders to collaborate effectively from any location. This easy access facilitates the sharing of information and coordination of project tasks, which helps break down data silos and unify teams.
Users can easily store, view, update, and share an unlimited number of proposals. Additionally, ProEst enhances document management by eliminating outdated paper-based processes and consolidating all project documents—reports, notes, photos—on one accessible digital platform.
ProEst simplifies and accelerates every estimating and preconstruction task. It equips construction professionals with tools for digital takeoffs and conceptual estimating, reducing the time and effort required for calculating material, labor, and equipment costs. With built-in cost databases designed for competitive costing and integration with construction CRM and accounting software, ProEst enhances client relationships and financial management, ensuring that heavy civil construction projects are managed more efficiently and profitably.
6. Benchmark Estimating
Benchmark Estimating Software is a heavy construction estimating software tool used by asset owners and contractors on significant global infrastructure projects in sectors such as water, roads, rail, and energy. It adheres to a “build once, use often” strategy, enhancing productivity by allowing users to reuse and adapt data across projects with its extensive library database.
This cloud-based platform improves accuracy throughout all project stages, delivering consistent and precise results. It makes secure collaboration possible by allowing teams to estimate construction costs within a unified platform, streamlining communication across an organization and its supply chain.
Benchmark Estimating provides comprehensive coverage of all costs, including base estimates, risk assessments, cash flow, and inflation, supporting the entire project lifecycle from construction to end-of-life. The software offers versatile construction project estimating methods, from detailed, bottom-up estimates using first principles to top-down estimates based on key parameters.
The program also supports multiple currencies and enables users to adjust exchange rates across bids. It retains supplier price lists from various countries, which is ideal for companies that work on a global scale. Tailored for authorities managing large or complex capital works projects, the software employs three-point estimating techniques and Monte Carlo simulation to offer a clearer and more accurate view of potential price variations in capital projects.
Wrapping up Our Review of the Best Heavy Construction Estimating Software for 2024
In this review of the best heavy construction estimating software for 2024, we've highlighted how Estimating Link®, SharpeSoft Estimator, Trimble Quest, InEight Estimate, ProEst, and Benchmark Estimating are transforming the way we estimate construction costs. These applications enhance the accuracy of estimates, streamline project management, and bolster collaborative efforts across teams.
Each program is adept at handling the demands of large-scale projects, utilizing advanced technologies like AI, cloud-based collaboration, and historical data analytics. These capabilities equip construction project estimators with the essential tools to thrive in a fast-paced, competitive industry.
For those looking for additional information about heavy civil construction estimating, we provide extensive resources in our blogs. We invite you to check out our articles on mastering construction bidding in heavy construction projects and 11 construction takeoff software to consider in 2024 for more valuable insights that can support your estimating efforts.
Additionally, we encourage you to download a free trial of Estimating Link® to see how it can make your job easier. This opportunity will demonstrate how integrating high-quality heavy construction estimating software can result in more accurate bids and ultimately, lead to more success for your business.
