Masonry estimating programs

[ameliasolis]

Hey gentlemen, I am looking in to buying a masonry estimating program or possibly hiring a full time estimator. I am wondering if any of you guys are using any program and to get feedback on ease of use and accuracy of the cost books that come with the program. We are strictly a masonry contractor and over the last 7 years about 85% of our work is in custom stonework and massive fireplaces. I purchased an online estimator from RSMeans called costworks. Don't like it much. Not very user friendly and their expectation of sq. ftge a mason may install on stonework was nowhere near correct. Who and what do you trust? Our company has grown in the last 5 - 7 years from 6 employees to 15 employees of which I train personally as much as possible. Have had a lot of jobs just handed to us because of our reputation for quality. We still have that happening, but with the additional employees I am toying with the idea of getting back into some commercial work to continue to expand. I am leaning toward putting on an estimator so I can be in the field more. The more presence I have in the field the better things go and the more the customer likes it. If I'm not in the office estimating though work flow suffers and if I do we sometimes are not as organized as we should be in the field. If I go with an estimator I first have to find one. Don't even have a clue where to start with that. Any thoughts or ideas would be great.

 

[e hilton]

RSMeans and similar can be useful if you know how to use them. Trying to use sf pricing will push you out of business.

7 years experience? Build an excel spreadsheet using your historical data.

 

[Keystone]

Hey gentlemen, I am looking in to buying a masonry estimating program or possibly hiring a full time estimator. I am wondering if any of you guys are using any program and to get feedback on ease of use and accuracy of the cost books that come with the program. We are strictly a masonry contractor and over the last 7 years about 85% of our work is in custom stonework and massive fireplaces. I purchased an online estimator from RSMeans called costworks. Don't like it much. Not very user friendly and their expectation of sq. ftge a mason may install on stonework was nowhere near correct. Who and what do you trust? Our company has grown in the last 5 - 7 years from 6 employees to 15 employees of which I train personally as much as possible. Have had a lot of jobs just handed to us because of our reputation for quality. We still have that happening, but with the additional employees I am toying with the idea of getting back into some commercial work to continue to expand. I am leaning toward putting on an estimator so I can be in the field more. The more presence I have in the field the better things go and the more the customer likes it. If I'm not in the office estimating though work flow suffers and if I do we sometimes are not as organized as we should be in the field. If I go with an estimator I first have to find one. Don't even have a clue where to start with that. Any thoughts or ideas would be great.

No idea regarding commercial masonry estimating software. I like E Hilton’s idea of a historical spread sheet but I’m not seeing that application if your transitioning from custom residential to commercial unless it’s on the same line of custom stone work.

I’d say rummage through your competitors websites and see if you can find out what they use or just pick up the phone and cold call a few companies.

Try your masonry suppliers, sales and managers can be invaluable resources.

Just a thought from someone who had his teeth ground in masonry, residential custom and commercial whatever it is, are two different beasts so make sure your guys a really on board with it. Custom residential is artwork. Commercial is typically block line work which is repetitive and no creativity, skilled but you understand my point.

Or put out feelers for a retired commercial mason, see about working out a part time arrangement for estimating.

 

[Paul Sweet]

You could base labor hours on past projects if you had them broken down by project. It would be best to get material prices from suppliers, since they will vary from project to project. Also be sure to include enough for your overhead.