Takeoff software can be intimidating, especially for small businesses. PlanSwift breaks down the 5 reasons why construction estimating software makes for more successful projects to give you an in depth look into what software can actually do for your company.
1.) Efficiency
Almost all businesses today, including those in the construction industry, are using some kind of software or technology to streamline their processes and improve their business. Specifically, to boost efficiency and to boost both time and money.
Estimating software reduces the amount of human error and can alleviate the tedious manual entry of tasks, saving you time that could be used either completing or finding a new job.
2.) Accuracy
The construction industry can be a very competitive market, especially when it comes to bidding on plans. Not only do they need to be able to quote and estimate accurately, but also faster than the other estimators. By using takeoff and estimating software the contractor can complete a bid faster than ever with reduced human error and precise measurements. With takeoff and estimating software you can pinpoint labour costs, volume of materials needed, and the overall selling price.
3.) Project Management
Project management is one of the most important part of any construction project. If not done correctly there can be significant labour delays and material errors that will end up costing you more in the long run. Takeoff and estimating software makes things simple. Contractors can easily utilise the information given in a bid for sales documents and presentations while also having the flexibility to adjust their labour and resources instantly.
4.) Cost
The industry average for takeoff and estimating software is $852 with a median of $760 per year. Depending on the software you’re looking for prices can range anywhere from $595, which is the cheapest, all the way up to $2,000 which is the most expensive subscription.
Takeoff and estimating software can easily save you more than you would pay for it in the first place though. Hard Dollar was quoted saying that construction estimating software “Can help reduce project costs by 15% while increasing productivity by up to 300%” and many software users claim that it has made their bids “10-15% more accurate.”
5.) Add extra value to estimates
Many people agree that construction estimating software is the best way to help construction companies add value to their estimates. Even The Wall Street Journal has been reporting on it. Construction estimating software can help contractors avoid scope creep. Project scope is the set of tasks, goals, deliverables, costs, and deadlines determined by the people planning the project.
It’s important for the scope to be well defined so that the contractor or sub-contractor to do less or more work than what the client wants or is willing to pay for. Miscommunication is the biggest obstacle when trying to contain scope creep and takeoff and estimating software is the solution. With this type of software everyone will be on the same page with all of the information laid out in front of them.
am a devout user of plan swift. saves the cost of paper drawings, stores drawing and gives a fast accurate edtimation .
Does PlanSwift do mapping by taking the original elevations and applying the new elevations so you can get the quantities on how much material needs to be moved on an excavation job
There is a plugin that accomplishes this (it also does trenching), it is called EarthWorkPro and can be found here.
Here a couple of videos of how it works.
Here are a few reviews.