Best Automated Construction Estimating Excel Software [Free Download]

We’ve used all sorts of construction estimating softwares and templates over the years. In this process, we’ve realized exactly what a great estimating program should be like – and what it shouldn’t include as well! That’s why we’ve created, in our humble opinion, the best automated construction estimating Excel software on the internet! Does it allow you to customize units of measurement, labor rates and profit margins? YES. Does it provide a clean, easy-to-use interface for estimating individual work items? YES. Does it break each work item into sections like labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors and more? YES. Does it look good doing it? YES!

Scroll below to preview our original construction estimating Excel software and to download your own easily – completely free of charge.

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Key Features Of Our Automated Construction Estimating Excel Software

We’ve created an estimating spreadsheet that includes all the features we’d like to use ourselves. Our free template allows you to customize several key metrics to suit your project’s needs and an easy-to-use layout that provides as much detail as you need to create a comprehensive estimate.

Here are a few key features our estimator features, many of which are automated. Click to read more and preview each!

• Enter Basic Info. & Establish Custom, Automated Labor Rates
• Set Default Markup For Project & Add Custom Units of Measure
• Detail Individual Labor Tasks For Each Item Of Work
• Establish Quantities of Work For Each Item
• Itemize Equipment Rental & Purchase Costs
• Outline Material Costs Based On Quantities & Unit Prices
• Itemize Subcontractor Costs For Each Work Task
• Outline Travel Expenses For Each Work Item Your Project
• Review Your Total Project Costs & Pricing In A Clean, Automated Summary
• Estimate & Summarize Up to 40 Items Of Work
• Download Our Free Construction Estimate Excel Software

Scroll below for a bit more information on each of our estimating spreadsheet’s features, along with a picture of each.

Enter Basic Info. & Establish Custom, Automated Labor Rates

The first step our construction estimating template requires is to enter some basic information for the project – see screenshot below.

Start off by entering the project’s name, job number (if applicable) and the date.

Step 1: Select how you plan on estimating labor costs – by hours (HR) or days (MD).

Step 2: Create a list of all tradespeople or names of workers, along with their respective pay rates (corresponding to unit selected in step 1). These names and rates will be usable via drop down menus in the actual estimate.

Step 3: Set a default labor rate. This will be used automatically when a name or trade is not selected in an estimate. The worst thing that can happen when estimating a construction project is to accidentally leave out a cost – our template makes this impossible, at least for labor costs!

Set Default Markup For Project & Add Custom Units of Measure

Let’s continue establishing basic info for your estimate.

Step 4: Set a default profit percentage. This will be a fallback profit percentage that is used when no specific profit margin is set for a specific item of work. You can customize the profit percentage for each item if you like, but this default amount ensures that at least the default margin is included on every item – no need to worry about leaving it out!

Step 5: Review and add units of measure for materials, supplies, quantities, etc. We’ve include a list of typical units of measure in our estimator template already, but you can add more that are specific to your project, too.

Our construction estimating excel software is built to automate the estimating process as much as possible. Once you set these parameters, the rest of the estimate gets much simpler.

From here, our estimating template breaks down each item of work into six categories:

1. Labor
2. Materials
3. Equipment
4. Supplies
5. Subcontractors
6. Travel Expenses

Let’s take a look at each in more detail.

Detail Individual Labor Tasks For Each Item Of Work

Our construction estimating excel software allows you to create individual work estimates for up to 40 work items.

Our estimating software allows you to enter up to 10 labor tasks for one work item. As shown below, you get to choose which trade (or name) to assign to each task via a drop down menu, which automatically uses the rates you’ve assigned to them in the ‘Basic Info’ section.

Units of measurement for labor are automatically set based on step 2 of the ‘Basic Info’ section – in this case, it’s days (MD). Notice how the labor rate for blank items matches the ‘default’ rate established at the beginning of the estimate!

Also, the ‘custom profit %’ has been set to 30% in this item, rather than the default margin.

Profit and pricing is calculated automatically.

Establish Quantities of Work For Each Item

Our estimating template also allows you set a quantity for each item of work.

In the example below, the item of work is ‘demolition’ and the total quantity is 5,000 SF. You can enter any unit of measurement via dropdown box, depending on what the item is (established in the ‘Basic Info’ section).

Why set this quantity? Unit costs and unit prices will be automatically calculated based on this amount (below ‘Total Cost’ & ‘Total Price’ boxes).

Labor costs can be calculated a variety of ways.

For example, the item ‘demo old concrete slab‘ is calculated based on 5,000 SF of work to perform divided by 250 SF / Day (‘Prod. Rate’). The spreadsheet will the calculate the labor quantity based on the production rate you’ve established.

You can also enter labor tasks by days (MD) – just set the production rate as ‘1’.

Itemize Equipment Rental & Purchase Costs

The next aspect of the work that our construction estimating Excel software calculates is the estimated cost of equipment for each task.

Our estimating template allows you to itemize costs for both rentals and purchases of equipment.

In the example above, this item of work requires four weeks of dumpster and excavator rentals. Each of these pieces of equipment are charged on a weekly basis, so the ‘period’ is one week for each.

Separately, the five jackhammers are priced as purchases. Just set the units as ‘each’ and ‘period’ as ‘1’. Then, enter the quantity you’ll be buying and their unit price.

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Outline Material Costs Based On Quantities & Unit Prices

Next, estimate up to 10 material costs for each item of work. Choose whichever unit of measurement suits the material you’re pricing.

In the example above, 5,500 SF of plywood is required for this ‘temporary enclosure’. After factoring in waste, each sheet of plywood covers 30 SF of work (hence the 30 SF ‘coverage’). After entering the total quantity required and the coverage of each material unit, our template will automatically calculate how many ‘units’ are required.

Itemize Subcontractor Costs For Each Work Task

Next, estimate subcontractor costs for each item of work.

In the example above, a subcontractor will be installing temporary waterproofing across 5,000 SF of plywood. The waterproofing subcontractor has provided a unit price of $3.50 per SF of work.

If you don’t want to estimate subcontractor costs based on unit prices and would rather just use a lump-sum, no problem.

In this instance, just set the quantity and coverage to “1”, their units to “Lump Sum” (LS) and the unit cost to match the subcontractor’s total price. In the example above, we’d set the unit cost to $17,500.

Outline Travel Expenses For Each Work Item Your Project

Lastly, our template includes a section for estimating travel expenses for your project. Below is an example to check out.

In this instance, we’ve included a line item for fuel, but you can also include costs for expenses like airplane tickets, deliveries/logistics, other vehicle expenses and so on.

Review The Automated ‘Construction Cost Estimate Breakdown Summary’ In A Clean, Easy Format

The best feature of our estimating software is arguably the ‘Construction Estimate Breakdown Summary‘. Below is an example from the items we estimated above.

Literally everything on this summary is automated. Some of the information presented and calculated is as follows:

• Project Name/Number/Date
• Total Estimated Project Price, Cost & Profit
• Total Estimated Project Costs – Labor, Equipment, Material & So On
• Item Description & Breakdown Summary Of Each Individual Item Of Work, Including All Cost Types, Profit & Price

Any time to add more information or tweak something, this construction estimate summary will be updated automatically!

Estimate & Summarize Up to 40 Items Of Work

The previous section showed a consolidated version of our construction cost estimate summary since we only included three items.

If you’re estimating a large project or simply need to include lots of different items, our construction estimating excel software can estimate up to 40 items of work, which reflects on the summary sheet too. Check out a sample below.

Download Our Automated Construction Estimating Excel Software For Free!

We truly think you’ll love using our free estimating tool. Simply enter your email below to download our ‘Automated Construction Estimating Excel Software’ and start enjoying it today!

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