Figuring concrete construction cost, especially for a large project, can be a complicated task fraught with errors. When doing a concrete cost estimate it is imperative to know how much concrete is needed, in what thickness, with what materials, and how much base material is needed. All these need to be wrapped up into a neat bid estimate or takeoff so you know how much of each item you need.
Miss even one area, or not account for something and your concrete building estimate could be off by a large margin. Moreover, as anyone who has been in the industry knows, it is easy to make small mistakes like that and those small mistakes can take what would have been a good job and turn in into a money sucking operation.
“PlanSwift is great because I am able to import plans without having to do it manually. The digitizer is a time saving tool. Also, the updates are frequent and have proven to be effective.”-Star Concrete Foundations, Inc. / William Stone
This is where construction takeoff and estimating software programs, like PlanSwift, can be an amazing asset.
Drag and drop materials list. Contractors can build material lists once then simply drag and drop them when needed. A six-inch slab can have the materials needed per square foot determined once then saved. The next time a 6″ slab is used all that is needed is to mark the area, and drag the material from the materials list and drop it into the area. The computer program will figure the area and the amount of each item needed. You can even have the amount of cement you need returned in cubic feet or bag.
Color code areas so you know what you have done. Mark the entire area with a specific color as you work so you will know at a glance what you have done and what type of area it is. Makes life easier and allows contractors to get a “big picture” of a project at the same time.
Combine multiple areas into one takeoff. PlanSwift allows you to combine easily multiple areas into one material section for easy takeoff and estimating. Have four separate concrete sidewalks about a building, no problem; just keep adding them to one section and end with a total area of sidewalks in record time.
“I use the software and it works great! It saves me so much time doing take-offs that it pays for itself everytime I use it.”-Mulford Concrete / Steve Novy
Handle curves and irregular widths. Construction programs can handle curves such as with sidewalk or concrete driveways. No need to guess at the area, the program can handle the issue with simple accurate precision. Same thing for irregular areas. Just mark the outsides, regardless of where, and the construction software will return the exact area.
Coming up the concrete construction cost numbers has never been as easy as it is with takeoff and estimating software.
Concrete and Masonry Estimating and Takeoff Software
Concrete and masonry jobs are already labor intensive enough, so why add to your workload by using a manual plan takeoff process for estimates? PlanSwift is the #1 takeoff and estimating software for the construction industry.
How much concrete do you need for that next foundation job? How many 8″ blocks are in that estimate that’s due tomorrow? With PlanSwift you can determine everything from lengths of rebar to how many yards of concrete should be on the next truck. You will quickly and accurately compile material assemblies for any foundation or poured wall scenario as well as brick and block structures.
How do you calculate brick counts when you have excluded areas like windows and doors? PlanSwift automatically makes the deduction with a click of the mouse. Plus PlanSwift gives you the ability to account for adjustments on the fly, saving you from recalculating change orders by hand.
A better bottom line begins with PlanSwift.
