Estimating Link: Heavy Civil Construction Estimating Software
Built for unit price and lump sum bidding on highway, DOT, utility, and site work. New teams start on EL4, our browser-based version, generally available since October 5, 2026. Need Move Money or full Cost Types? Get Estimating Link 3 (Classic) on Cloud Link, hosted by TCLI.
Trusted by top civil contractors
"Truly makes it 60% faster. Very happy with my purchase.
The ease of pricing each bid item, being able to make your own crews, haul factor has helped out enormously, being able to see the cost and able to add profit nargins and overhead."
“I liked that we could get up and running in a fraction of the time it took to set up other software solutions.
It was easy to train others and the customer service is always very accommodating and helpful.”
“Dealing with the TCLI team over the years has been a pleasure.
There are few businesses left where, when you call support, you are just as likely to speak to the company president and software developers about issues or to kick around ideas.”
“Great Software, Easy and Powerful. Easy to use and easy to teach. If you can work in Excel, you can work in Estimating Link.
No nonsense program. Easy to build projects and to create professional proposals for bid."
"Don't Overlook this Software, it operates just like the one from Texas, for a lot less!
Easier to setup and use than Heavy Bid. Onboarding was easy, done over teleconference call.
Support was wonderful, addressed the issue and I was up and running within 30 minutes!"
“By far the easiest, most adaptable software I have ever used and the staff are readily accessible. This software gives the Project Estimator all the tools and reports necessary to put together and accurate and concise estimate and any breakdown of resources you might require to further analyze your bid, pre and post bidding. I've been a user since 1988 and will continue to be.”
Top Features of Estimating Link for Civil Construction Bidding
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Immediate Productivity
Complete your first bid the same day you get set up with Estimating Link. It’s easy to use, so there is no required training. Implementation is a breeze - import your rates or easily build them as you go.
Bid Smarter
Your business depends on fast and accurate bids and Estimating Link is the right tool for the job. Quickly build a job, know your job’s actual cost, and produce professional proposals and reports.
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Central, Organized Database
Store and reuse estimates, items, rates, crews, assemblies, templates, catalogs, vendors, and customers. Re-use task data from job to job and scale it. Quantities adjust and labor and equipment cost will automatically scale.
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Any size Job
Small and large jobs can be quickly pulled together without any special setup processes. You can manually enter bid prices without the need to perform any cost workups at all. You can literally bid job in a matter of minutes.
Estimating Link® Features
EL4 includes the estimating features described below except Move Money and Cost Types, which are currently available only in Estimating Link 3 (Classic). The Gain Accuracy screenshot shows EL4; the remaining feature screenshots show Classic.
Gain Accuracy
Experience confidence with Estimating Link by eliminating the guesswork and inevitable errors that come with bidding on spreadsheets. The built in feature, Check Bid, checks for any possible errors and reports them to you so you can fix them.
Organized Estimates
All your estimates and resources in one place and organized logically. Create folders to put similar estimates in and easily jump from project to project without ever having to hit save.
Browser-Based EL4
EL4 runs in your web browser. If you need Move Money or Cost Types, choose Estimating Link 3 (Classic) through Cloud Link, hosted on TCLI’s private cloud. Existing Classic desktop customers remain supported.
DOT Integration
EL4 imports proposal items and exports bid data for supported state DOT electronic bidding formats. Ask TCLI to confirm compatibility with your state’s current requirements.
Drill Down Functionality
Estimating Link was designed by a contractor so it works the way you think. Our unique drill down functionality makes it super easy to navigate through the program. It’s so easy to use that there is no required training.
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How it works
Expertly designed by DOT utility contractor.
Bid Sheet - Dashboard of all Primary Items
Your Bid Sheet is a summary of all the primary Items with the unit costs extended by the Bid Quantity. Here, you can add project overhead, bond costs, corporate overhead, and desired profit percentages. Tools for calculating optimal bid units and unbalancing gives you the flexibility of making last minute changes with immediate final results.
Item Sheet - Cost analysis of each Item or Phase
The Item Sheets allow you to build a cost analysis of each phase or item of a project. A complex item can be composed of many sub items by use of the costs/combine function. Estimating Link provides an easy what-if analysis of costs with different production rates or day lengths.
Rate Table - Organized, reusable resources
Rate libraries allow you to enter unlimited Labor, Equipment, Rental, Material, Subcontract and Other (Misc.) rates. You can also create crews which combine different rates into a single crew entry.
Subcontractor, Material, & Rate Comparisons
Create and compare quotes for subcontractors, material, and rates. Split RFQ’s and choose the lowest prices and/or meet minority goals. Post a new vendor and update your entire bid instantly.
Customizable, Professional Proposals & Reports
Print proposals directly from Estimating Link. Proposals can be printed in several formats - you have control over nearly every aspect of what is included. The robust library of pre-designed reports gives you the data you need to analyze every aspect.
Multiple, Simultaneous Estimators
Members of your team can collaborate to create both a division of labor and a higher level of efficiency in preparing winning proposals. You can work simultaneously with your team and have changes in real-time.
Shared License Pool
You have control over who has access to your licenses and when. Our customer portal, User Management Link, makes it easy to toggle licenses between users. You can have 1 license and toggle between multiple users.
Quickly Build Estimate
Copy an entire existing project or bring specific aspects of the project into a new estimate, such as rates, certain phases of the job/items, overhead, etc. and scale it all to your new estimate. The integration of DOT systems and spreadsheets make uploading and working with other platforms a breeze.
Fuel Calculator & Last Minute Changes
The ability to make last-minute changes can be the most important part of submitting the winning bid. Update fuel prices, material price quotes, subcontractor quotes, or anything else in a job, then update your entire bid immediately.
Re-use Task Data
Developing costs for individual tasks can be the most time consuming portion of bidding a job. With Estimating Link’s re-use task data, your labor and equipment automatically scale to your new job.
Tools
Everything you need to get the job done.
Markup Summary
Estimating Link gives you the capability to apply markup differently to Labor, Equipment, Rental, Material, Subcontract, and Other. You can even markup a specific item independently or markup permanent material differently than temporary material. Apply Overhead, Bonds, Indirect Cost, and much more.
Sub-Item Assistant
Quickly and easily add sub level items to primary items using the Sub-Item Assistant feature. It allows you to create, modify, and keep track of sub-level items in a project.
Build Reusable Crews
Crews gives you the ability to assemble multiple rates into a single crew entity. This allows you to select pre-built crews for placement on Items, eliminating the need to individually select labor and equipment rates for common tasks.
Haul Calculator
This tool allows users to input key parameters such as distance, vehicle speed, capacity, total material amount, and rate per unit, providing accurate calculations for time, number of trips, and total cost.
Pipe Trench Calculator
Perform trench excavation calculations by specifying the dimensions of the trench, its bedding layers, and pipe dimensions to obtain accurate volume calculations.
Move Money (Classic Only)
Move Money is available in Estimating Link 3 (Classic), not yet in EL4. Adjust item pricing for anticipated overruns and underruns with an audit trail. New customers who need this feature can get Classic through Cloud Link.
Support Beyond Software That We Provide
Award Winning Customer Support
New user onboarding, customized training, and annual virtual classroom training included with your purchase to ensure your success.
Phone & Email Support
All our support is handled in the United States, and our knowledgeable and friendly team is on stand-by, ready to help.
Knowledge Link
Enjoy our online library of videos, tutorials, how-to documents, and recorded live training at your fingertips.
Virtual Training Series
Take advantage of our live virtual training to stay educated on our programs - included for all customers.
From startup to 25 employees within nine months
For small to medium-sized, finding the right tools is critical to growth. Estimating Link provided an affordable yet powerful solution that allowed the company to streamline its estimating process, scale its operations, and improve overall project management.
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Improving Bidding Precision, Accuracy, and Profit
Since implementing Estimating Link, they avoid taking on projects with insufficient profit margins. For example, a potential bridge project offered only 7% profit, which, when estimated through Estimating Link, showed it would cost them $14,000 per day.
Watch Testimonial
"It’s so easy to use—I love this program."
By using the software, they saw a marked increase in the accuracy of their bids, which in turn allowed them to win more competitive contracts. Additionally, the software’s efficiency helped him maintain a better work-life balance.
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions About Estimating Link
What is Estimating Link used for?
Does Estimating Link integrate with DOT electronic bidding systems?
Can multiple estimators work on the same project at once?
What are the deployment options for Estimating Link?
What kind of customer support does TCLI provide?
What types of contractors use Estimating Link?
Does Estimating Link support both unit price and lump sum bidding?
Does Estimating Link include built-in estimating calculators?
What is the difference between EL4 and Estimating Link 3 (Classic)?
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Discover your Missing Construction Link
