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The Ultimate Guide to Renovation Cost Estimating Software

The scarcity of home inventory and subsequent high prices have led many homeowners to stay put and renovate their existing properties.

Residential renovation companies and independent trades must use new tools and methods to seize the opportunities presented by the coming market.

In this eBook, we’ll show you how to get started with cost estimating software so that you can win more work and grow your business. 

You’ll learn:

• How renovation estimating software makes you more efficient through faster takeoffs and accurate costs;
• The impact software has on every aspect of a project, from estimating to job management and crew collaboration;
• How the right software makes you more profitable and gives you greater control.

Download

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The post The Ultimate Guide to Renovation Cost Estimating Software appeared first on Buildxact AU.

• Back to all eBooks

Share:

The Ultimate Guide to Renovation Cost Estimating Software

The scarcity of home inventory and subsequent high prices have led many homeowners to stay put and renovate their existing properties.

Residential renovation companies and independent trades must use new tools and methods to seize the opportunities presented by the coming market.

In this eBook, we’ll show you how to get started with cost estimating software so that you can win more work and grow your business. 

You’ll learn:

• How renovation estimating software makes you more efficient through faster takeoffs and accurate costs;
• The impact software has on every aspect of a project, from estimating to job management and crew collaboration;
• How the right software makes you more profitable and gives you greater control.

Related content

• Blogs

Top Construction Project Management Tools

Discover our comprehensive guide to construction project management software, including features and pricing for top construction project management tools.

• Job management

• Blogs

Find the Construction Management Software that Works for You

Switching to construction management software can be challenging. Learn a few simple steps that get you on the path to the right choice.

• Buildxact, Industry insights, Project management

• eBooks

How AI Works for the Homebuilder

Ready to learn how AI impacts residential construction? With this eBook learn the basics of AI-based tools and how home builders of all sizes can in minutes fully understand the size, scope and cost of their projects.

• AI tech, Construction advice, Estimating, Quoting

• Blogs

Streamline Your Next Renovation with Buildxact

Learn to grow a construction business with advice from Buildxact’s Dustin Elliott. In this blog, he discusses cost tracking and purchase orders.

• Industry insights, Project management

• Webinar

Running Low on Work? How to FIll Your 2025 Pipeline

Watch this webinar and learn how traditional marketing for your construction business is not enough. Learn to create a lead-generation system.

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The post The Ultimate Guide to Renovation Cost Estimating Software appeared first on Buildxact AU.

The post How modern material takeoff methods benefit home builders appeared first on Buildxact AU.

Ready to try Buildxact for yourself? 

Like Keith and Stephanie, you too can benefit from the power of Buildxact construction estimating software. Schedule a live demo or get started today with a risk-free trial. 

The post All-in-one construction management boosts builder productivity appeared first on Buildxact AU.

The post Nailing takeoffs and estimates appeared first on Buildxact AU.

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How to estimate construction costs

A new construction comes with its own set of challenges and establishing clear customer expectations is the key to a smooth building process. By creating detailed, accurate estimates you can help your customers make informed decisions, keep the home build in budget, and enables you to win more work for your time and effort. 

You’ll learn:

• The construction estimating basics to get you started;
• How high-quality accurate estimates are your ticket to long-term success in the building business;
• How construction software can revolutionise the accuracy and efficiency of your project estimates.

Download

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The post How to estimate construction costs appeared first on Buildxact AU.

• Back to all eBooks

Share:

How to estimate construction costs

A new construction comes with its own set of challenges and establishing clear customer expectations is the key to a smooth building process. By creating detailed, accurate estimates you can help your customers make informed decisions, keep the home build in budget, and enables you to win more work for your time and effort. 

You’ll learn:

• The construction estimating basics to get you started;
• How high-quality accurate estimates are your ticket to long-term success in the building business;
• How construction software can revolutionise the accuracy and efficiency of your project estimates.

Related content

• Blogs

Top Construction Project Management Tools

Discover our comprehensive guide to construction project management software, including features and pricing for top construction project management tools.

• Job management

• Blogs

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• Buildxact, Industry insights, Project management

• eBooks

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Ready to learn how AI impacts residential construction? With this eBook learn the basics of AI-based tools and how home builders of all sizes can in minutes fully understand the size, scope and cost of their projects.

• AI tech, Construction advice, Estimating, Quoting

• Blogs

Streamline Your Next Renovation with Buildxact

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• Industry insights, Project management

• Webinar

Running Low on Work? How to FIll Your 2025 Pipeline

Watch this webinar and learn how traditional marketing for your construction business is not enough. Learn to create a lead-generation system.

• Industry insights, Project management

• Blogs

Working Capital Builds Financial Resilience for Small Builders

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• Industry insights, Project management

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• Buildxact, Scheduling, site management

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The post How to estimate construction costs appeared first on Buildxact AU.

What does quantity takeoff mean?

You may know it as a ‘material takeoff,’ ‘bill of quantities’ or ‘construction takeoff’ – but these all effectively mean the same thing. It’s the process of determining and measuring the exact quantity of physical materials you need to complete a job, along with their costs. It applies to just about any material you can think of, including key items like concrete, bricks, steel, lumber, insulation, flooring, roofing materials and more.

Taking information directly from blueprints, a quantity takeoff is a detailed inventory, and means you know exactly how much material you need to fulfill the customer’s request as efficiently as possible at a price you both agree.   

Why are takeoffs important?

Because construction takeoffs serve as the building blocks for estimating exactly how much a project will cost from start to finish, speeding through the process without eliminating any potential mistakes only backfires on you later.

However, when you use the right construction software system that includes digital takeoff software, you will work with both speed and accuracy. The right software links to your preferred suppliers’ price lists for even more accuracy. Doing takeoffs digitally means you stay competitive and profitable while avoiding the risks of either overestimating or underestimating. In time, the best takeoff software also helps you build a trusted reputation among your customers.

Bidding with confidence

Once you’ve worked out the exact amount of construction materials needed, you can then price more easily, including the labor and overhead needed to complete all phases the home build. Software simplifies this process, helping you achieve targeted profit margins.

The best takeoff software quickly and easily pulls together estimates that include pricing tailored to your project’s location. Reusable templates make life even easier, allowing you to streamline repeatable jobs without ever missing an item.

Efficient material management

Ordering too much material can end up costing you extra money and creating storage issues. On the other hand, if you order too little, you’ll run into delays and unexpected expenses. A precise digital takeoff optimizes procurement and avoids unnecessary expenses.

It also means you minimize offcuts and can easily identify potential recycling or reuse for all the associated materials. This way you can reduce material waste, eliminate storage logistics, and keep on track without any costly delays.

Ultimately, getting all phases of the project right means you can execute projects within budget, on time and with minimal disruptions, leading to happy customers and more predictable profits.

How are takeoffs done?

• Manually: The old-school way of measuring your quantity takeoff is of course with a pen and paper, scale ruler and calculator. While this method is familiar for lots of builders and low cost, it’s also very time-consuming and can lead to unintentional oversights or double counting. However experienced you are, mistakes can happen, which throw off your estimates and leave you out of pocket. Even using a spreadsheet doesn’t guarantee accuracy and efficiency.

• Outsourcing: Some builders prefer to outsource their takeoff requirements, leaving it to specialists. Doing it this way means you can save your time, avoid human error and rely on accurate results. However, outsourcing means you then have less control over the process. It can also be costly and relying on third parties can cause delays with your estimates.   

• Digitally: Builders nowadays are increasingly adopting their own software to create quick and accurate takeoffs.  Easy to use takeoff software lets you measure and count materials in just a few clicks, helping you work more efficiently. The most effective software is also paired with intelligent estimating and quoting tools that pull the information straight from the takeoff, making the whole process easy, streamlined and error free. 

The power of modern takeoff software

Quantity takeoffs are the backbone of estimating, helping you with procurement, competitive bidding, budgeting and planning. This is why accuracy is essential. The knock-on effect of any errors at this important stage can impact your time and profits, and customer satisfaction down the line.

With the power of modern takeoff software, construction professionals like you can quickly and simply pull together precise takeoffs, allowing you to quote on more projects with confidence.  It not only speeds up the whole process, giving you back your valuable time, but it gives you an accurate, error-free foundation for your estimates. It means you can optimize your material procurement and usage, and streamline your project planning, allocating resources more effectively. It also allows you to plan construction activities and sequencing more effectively and mitigate risks associated with material excesses or shortages.

Save Time and Quote More

If you’re keen to save time and end the paperwork and frustration that comes with manual takeoffs, software can significantly enhance your approach – helping you stay ahead and quote for more work, without the extra stress. Experience the benefits for yourself by scheduling a demo or trying a free 14-day trial with Buildxact. No downloads, installations, or credit card information required

The post Choosing the right takeoff tool protects your profitability appeared first on Buildxact AU.

Despite your best planning, keeping on top of all these moving parts manually is near impossible when you need to be at the job site with your team. This is why construction management software has become such an essential tool for residential construction businesses – helping builders take full control of projects while saving time and money in the process. 

Progress is required at all job points

When researching the right construction management software options, it’s worth first considering fro where job progress needs to be tracked.

Construction projects are not confined to one single location—multiple sites are involved, each directly affecting the overall success of your build. So, to effectively track progress and streamline your approach, builders need software to work wherever they go, including:

• In the Office

From initial planning right through to invoicing, a lot of important progress happens “behind the scenes” of the build. Creating takeoffs, estimates and customer quotes, handling variations, and taking care of invoicing are all part of office work. The key to success is limiting office time as much as possible so late nights away from the family are a thing of the past.

• At city hall

Whether you’re obtaining permits, scheduling inspections, managing fees, or handling official filings, you’re consistently dealing with government officials to authorize work. Efficiently monitoring communication and progress in this area is key to avoid unnecessary delays and to make sure all work has been given the official green light.  

• At suppliers

Aside from managing your material orders, you need to watch delivery times, keeping an eye on fluctuating costs, checking product availability and making substitutions when needed. Keeping tabs on your material suppliers and associated deliveries is crucial and will help you avoid unexpected hold-ups, inaccurate shipments or higher-than-expected costs.

• With customers

Client interaction involves a lot of back-and-forth, including RFQs, quote acceptance, handling change requests, and ensuring timely payments. Staying across progress here, means you can offer effective, transparent communication and manage customers’ expectations for quick responses. 

• On the job site

When you’re onsite you need to closely manage your workforce, ensuring their time is well-utilized and their performance is up to par. You’ve got to be vigilant about material usage and waste, swiftly handling any shortages or complications that may arise. You also need to address any on-site injuries promptly and make necessary accommodations for any changes that may come up. Lastly, staying on top of deliveries is crucial to keep the job moving forward smoothly.

Keep things moving with simple, efficient construction management software

While it’s helpful to have software that automates individual parts of a job, for simplicity you need one platform that can monitor progress from start to finish. Construction management software that offers end-to-end support, gives you a comprehensive view, allowing you to make informed decisions, streamline job management and ensure efficient progress at all stages.

Here’s what the right software should do to keep you on track with your job progress:

• Document management

It should provide centralized storage for all your important documents like plans, permits and contracts. With everything in one accessible location, you can say goodbye to piles of paper, and be assured you’ll always easily retrieve important files. 

• Takeoffs & estimates

Forget manual measuring and spreadsheets, the right software helps you create accurate digital takeoffs in a fraction of the time, helping you win more work. You’ll link to pricing from preferred suppliers and add mark up or wastage to make sure estimates and quotes are accurate. Reusable, customized estimating templates make the whole process quick and easy, giving you a real competitive edge as you make future profit margins easier to predict.

• Professional quotes

You can reach more customers in less time and give a great first impression with the right construction management software. Once the estimate is complete, it will help you create professional-looking quotes in minutes, allowing you to include varying levels of detail depending on the nature of the project.

• Material ordering and scheduling

Software helps you streamline material ordering by assessing delivery times, costs and availability. It also makes job scheduling straight forward, helping you to keep the team organised and on track. You can create schedules directly from estimates, optimize resources, and keep suppliers updated with on-the-job comms.

• Change tracking

It can help you keep a close eye on all aspects of your job, allowing you to manage critical paths on the fly and manage jobs your way. You can create and assign tasks to your team and track any delays or changes as they happen – monitoring everything on one simple dashboard.

• Invoicing clients & tracking payments

Having a system that seamlessly integrates job management with accounting means you can design and send accurate timely invoices to customers. The right software also tracks costs and payments, so you manage profitability in real time and always have a view on cashflow.

• Templates for future jobs

It allows you to create useful templates for similar future jobs, saving you time and effort. Choose between ready-to-use standard templates or create your own bespoke versions based on the job at hand.

• Access from anywhere

With the right construction management software, you can access all your key information from any location, at any time, utilizing different devices. It means you stay connected and in control of your project’s progress whether you’re at the office, on-site or even away from the business entirely.

Get Started Today

Using the right end-to-end builder’s software to track progress on your construction jobs will help you maximize your time, manage more efficiently and increase your profits.

To learn how Buildxact can help you track progress on your projects from start to finish, book a demo or get started with a free trial.

The post Streamline job tracking with construction management software appeared first on Buildxact AU.

The continued high cost to borrow money for home projects and related fluctuations in the number of home builds and existing home sales will drag on the available renovation projects into the first quarter of 2024, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

But successful home construction pros always have known their market is competitive, if not unpredictable. Although this seems truer now, there are ways builders like you can stay on top of the ‘quoting game’ to bring in your share of work as you face down a tough economy.

This starts with your initial estimate, because once your potential customers decide to renovate, they want to move quickly. So, for the residential construction pro, sharing estimates speedily can be the difference between winning the job and not.

But a speedy estimate relies on an equally fast and efficient takeoff, and doing takeoffs quickly is tricky to get right.

Troublesome takeoffs

Takeoff accuracy is important, and if you’re still using a pen and paper, you probably have that gut feeling that you are a step behind. Even if you’re using a spreadsheet to crunch the numbers, you’re still not being as efficient as you could be.

That’s because digital takeoff tools are dramatically reducing the amount of time it takes to quote customers. That’s a good thing. Customers already expect instantaneous results thanks to the high standards set by mobile phones and social media that stream a never-ending flow of content.

Many contractors and builders mistakenly stick with the familiar, thinking that is the fastest way to an accurate takeoff. Measuring by hand may feel reliable, but it is slow by today’s standards and is prone to human error.

One small miscalculation can throw off the entire quote, especially if you are doing multiple measurements for common tasks like door or window installations. Plus, doing it this way is really time-consuming when compared to digital takeoff tools. The next time you lose a job, it probably will be to a competitor who has taken the time to learn digital takeoff tools.

Let’s look at why the upfront investment in tech is warranted.

Taking Time for Tech

Many contractors are turning to construction management software to solve a lot of their issues because using technology for calculating takeoffs can significantly improve the accuracy and speed of your quotes. With advanced cloud based software and computer software, you can generate material counts and cost estimates quickly and with precision. This means you can provide clients with more accurate and timely quotes.

Plus, all your measurements are stored in one place so you can create templates to reuse time and again. Having an established place to start with a template makes light and speedy work of an initial quote of a similar project.

Digital takeoffs protect profits

Time it takes to learn construction management software is well worth it. For one thing, an inaccurate estimate can mess with your profit margin. If you underestimate materials needed, you end up spending extra to rush materials to your job site. If you overestimate, you’ve spent money you don’t need to be spending. Either way, it’s not good for your bottom line.

But it’s not just about the money – an inaccurate estimate also leads to scheduling headaches. If you don’t have the right materials on hand when your tradies need them, you might have to delay the project until contractors can return to your job site. And that can throw off your entire timeline, not to mention the added cost of materials.

Let’s look further at making the switch to construction management software:

The Why

Take the time to work out why you want to invest in cloud based construction management software. Sure, it can speed up takeoffs and budgeting, but the best digital takeoff software is just one part of an entire platform. There are still other benefits to using software.

Think about all the features that are important to you, including job management, resource management, budget tracking and scheduling. Make a list of the features that are most important to you and prioritize them based on your needs.

The What

A platform of construction management software tools allows job management in one place and also allows for online collaboration with subs and material suppliers as well as your customers. Having everything in one package can make the whole process from start to finish easy to track and, let’s face it, the last thing you need is a bunch of separate tools.

When evaluating software, it’s also important to consider the level of customization available. Every business is different, so you want software that can be tailored to your specific needs.

Top tip: remember to ask what’s included in the standard package and what you may have to pay extra. You don’t want any surprises when it comes to billing.

The Who

The best construction management software is scalable. If you’re growing your business, remember to consider who you may want to access all your project details in the future, as well as right now.

And user experience shouldn’t be overlooked. You want software that is intuitive and easy to use. If the software is too complicated or difficult to navigate, it may actually hinder productivity rather than help it. Look for software with a clean and simple user interface that is easy to understand.

Think about training too, because even though you want intuitive software, you also want a provider that will give you free demos and provide you with the resources to train your team.

Anything else?

Pricing is, of course, an important consideration as well. You want software that is affordable and fits within your budget. Some software is priced per user, while others are priced per project or based on the number of features you use. Make sure to evaluate pricing options carefully and consider the long-term costs of using the software.

Try us out!

To see how construction management software can speed up takeoffs and build your estimates,  book a demo or try a free 14-day free trial with Buildxact. There’s nothing to download or install and no credit card needed.

The post How renovators stay competitive in unpredictable times appeared first on Buildxact AU.