How can home builder estimating software help my building company?
Estimating software can expedite your estimating process at least 3-5 times faster than the way you’re doing it now.
The real question is what Home Builder estimating software is right for your business?
It will depend upon what you’re willing to spend and the following:
- The Type of Builder you are and
- The estimating methods you want to use (Stick, Unit Price, Assembly and/or Lump Sum)
For example, a custom home builder needs will be different than a production home builder. Just like a builder that figures materials will be different than the one that does lump sum estimates.
These are some of the estimating features that are important for each type of building company.
Custom Home Builder Estimating Software
- Allow for estimating by stick, unit price, assembly and/or lump sum bidding
- Digital Takeoff integration – integrating with Digital Takeoff software to pull in quantities and footages off digital blue prints to line items/assemblies in a bid.
- Create detailed and summarized estimates by category of work
- Create Proposals/Agreements/Specifications for the client to sign
- Create Budgets, Purchase Orders, Subcontracts, Work Orders and RFQ’s from the estimate in seconds
- Estimate, track and generate client change orders along with the creation of POs, SCs and Work Orders associated with those changes
- Assemblies – The ability to enter one takeoff amount and figure ordering quantities for multiple items
- Job Cost Accounting Integration – for tracking actual versus revised budgeted cost and work in process reporting
- Web Portal Integration – Sharing purchase orders with vendors and project managers via smart phone
Production Home Builder – Estimating Software
- Allow the ability to pre-setup standard floor plans and options
- Create purchase orders, subcontracts and work orders from predefined flow plans and options
- Automate Pricing Updating – You update your pricing and `it can automatically update the standard floor plans and options in seconds
- Vendor Electronic Pricing – Can update the vendor pricing via Excel and/or .csv file
- CRM (Build a Home) Integration – The ability to generate budgets, purchase orders, subcontracts and work orders from the lot, floor plan and options selected in the (Build a Home)
- Job Cost Accounting Integration – for creating actual versus budgeted cost and work in process reporting
- Scheduling Integration
- Web Portal Integration – Sharing purchase orders with vendors and project managers via a web site that can be accessed with any mobile device
Note: Production builders could use some of the same features as a custom home builder to initially estimate the standard floor plans and options.
Semi-Custom Home Builder – Estimating Software
- Allow the ability to pre-setup standard floor plans and options
- Allow for estimating custom options by stick, unit price, assembly and/or lump sum bidding
- Create purchase orders, subcontracts and work orders from predefined flow plans and options along with custom options
- Estimate, track and generate client change orders along with the creation of budgets, purchase orders, subcontracts and work orders associated with those changes
- Digital Takeoff integration – integrating with Digital Takeoff software to pull in quantities and footages off digital blue prints to line items/assemblies in a bid.
- Automate Pricing Updating – You can update pricing it can automatically update the standard floor plan, options and custom options in seconds
- Vendor Electronic Pricing – Can update the vendor pricing via Excel and/or .csv file
- CRM (Build a Home) Integration – The ability to generate budgets, PO’s, SC’s and WO’s from the lot and standard floor plans, options and custom options selected in the (Build a Home)
- Job Cost Accounting Integration – for tracking actual versus revised budgeted cost and work in process reporting
- Scheduling Integration
- Web Portal Integration – Sharing purchase orders with vendors and project managers via a web site that can be accessed with any mobile device
Spec Home Builder – Estimating Software
- A spec builder could need any combination of what production or custom home depending upon if they build the same home or if they customize each home
Contractors Software Group offers three series of estimating products based upon size, needs and budgets. You can customize the database to fit your type of building company and your method of estimating. Also available with our Professional Series products is CSG Central, a web portal to share job information with employee, vendors and/or clients.
To Learn more, go to: https://contractorssoftwaregroup.com/takeoff-estimating-software/
You’ll be glad you did!
