Substructure and foundations
Excavation, footings, grade beams, slabs on grade, pile caps, basement walls and waterproofing
CY / SFFoundation plans and geotechnical notes
Ground-up building estimates
Building estimates that reconcile system budgets to a trade-level bid
Owners think in systems and cost per square foot, while contractors buy by trade. A good building estimate speaks both languages. LEEDS measures a ground-up project from the drawings by trade, then regroups it into substructure, shell, interiors, services and sitework so the number can be compared against benchmarks, value-engineered, and converted into a guaranteed maximum price without starting over.
System and trade viewsCost per SF benchmarkingGMP-ready structure
4.9/5 from 180+ contractors
- 5.0 Google
- 4.9 Trustpilot
- 4.9 Clutch
CSI divisions in this scope
- 01General Requirements
- Existing Conditions
- Concrete
- Masonry
- Metals
- Wood, Plastics & Composites
- Thermal & Moisture Protection
- Openings
Organized by MasterFormat so it drops into your cost codes
24 hrs
to re-sort an estimate between MasterFormat and UniFormat
24–48 hours
Typical turnaround
01 · 02 · 03 · 04
CSI divisions
XLSX · PDF
You receive
Scope of takeoff
Building systems we estimate
Quantities are measured per trade and grouped by building system so the estimate works for both bidding and budgeting.
Scroll through all 12 line items
Estimate types
What type of building estimating can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
| Estimate type | Accuracy | Turnaround | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Schematic design estimate Elemental pricing from massing, a program and early plans, using UniFormat assemblies and cost per square foot with a design contingency that shrinks as drawings develop. | ±15% | 2-3 days | Owners and architects testing a budget |
Design development estimate Assembly-based quantities from developed plans, sections and outline specs, with allowances called out so the team knows what remains undefined. | ±10% | 3-4 days | Value engineering and budget confirmation |
Construction document hard bid Complete trade-by-trade takeoff and pricing from the bid set, with sub quote leveling sheets and a bid summary in your format. | ±5% | 4-5 days | General contractors bidding plan and spec work |
GMP estimate and reconciliation A detailed estimate that locks scope, allowances and contingency into a guaranteed maximum price, then reconciles drawing updates against the contract baseline. | ±3-5% | 5 days | CM at risk and design-build teams |
How our estimating process works
Four steps from upload to a bid-ready estimate, with a senior estimator signing off before anything leaves our desk.
- 1
Upload plans and scope
Send your drawings, specifications and bid invitation through the secure upload form. We confirm scope, deadline and a fixed price within two business hours.
- 2
Digital quantity takeoff
Estimators measure every item from calibrated plans in Bluebeam and PlanSwift, color-coding each layer so quantities can be traced back to the drawing.
- 3
Pricing and labor
Quantities are priced with location-adjusted material costs, crew productivity rates and equipment, then marked up to your overhead and profit targets.
- 4
Senior review and delivery
A second estimator audits quantities and pricing, documents assumptions and exclusions, and delivers your Excel workbook, PDF summary and marked-up plans.
Why LEEDS
Why contractors switch to LEEDS
An estimating desk that behaves like an extension of your team, not a software subscription.
- Every estimate maps to both CSI MasterFormat and UniFormat, so owners, architects and subcontractors each get the view they need.
- Cost per square foot reported by system and floor, which makes outliers visible before the drawings are issued.
- Estimators with ground-up preconstruction experience on retail, office, education, healthcare and mixed-use buildings.
- Allowances and exclusions are logged against each line, and the log carries over into your GMP clarifications.
- Sitework priced as part of the building estimate, including utilities, paving and site concrete rather than left as an owner line.
- Design, estimating and escalation contingencies separated so reviewers can see where risk actually sits.
Deliverables
What's included in your estimate package
Every deliverable is formatted so it can go straight into a proposal, a purchase order or an owner report.
XLSX
Estimate workbook
Quantities, unit costs, labor hours and totals organized by CSI division, with subtotals, markups and a bid summary tab.
PDF
Marked-up plans
Color-coded takeoff drawings showing exactly where every measured quantity came from.
XLSX
Material procurement list
Consolidated material quantities with waste factors applied, ready to send to suppliers for quotes.
XLSX
Labor hours by task
Crew-based labor hours and productivity rates so you can check the schedule against the estimate.
PDF
Assumptions and exclusions log
Every clarification, allowance and exclusion documented so your proposal scope is defensible.
PDF
Bid summary sheet
A proposal-ready one-page summary with overhead, profit, bonds and contingency applied.
Tools
Estimating software and cost data we work in
Deliverables fit the tools your team already uses.
Bluebeam Revu
Calibrated PDF markup and measurement
PlanSwift
Digital takeoff and assemblies
RSMeans Data
Localized unit cost database
Sage Estimating
Database-driven cost estimating
Procore
Bid management and documents
Reviews
What contractors say after their first bid with us
What general contractors, subcontractors and developers say after bidding with our numbers.
Google
“Washington energy code and seismic detailing were reflected in the pricing without us having to explain anything. That is rare for an out-of-state estimator.”
Kim Nakamura
Co-founder, Pacific Build Collective · Seattle, WA
Clutch
“We use LEEDS for independent bid reviews on every multifamily deal. Their preliminary numbers have landed within 6% of final GMP on three projects in a row.”
Priya Raman
Development Manager, Northgate Partners · Denver, CO
Google
“We were turning down bids because our two in-house estimators were buried. LEEDS gave us division-by-division numbers in 48 hours that leveled cleanly against our sub quotes. We bid 40% more work last quarter and our hit rate went up, not down.”
Marcus Whitfield
Chief Estimator, Whitfield Commercial Builders · Charlotte, NC
Overview
One building, two ways to read the estimate
Building estimating is the process of pricing a complete structure from foundation to roof and from the curb cut to the finished interior. The measured quantities are the same whichever way you present them, but the organization changes who can use it. MasterFormat divisions suit bid leveling and subcontract buyout. UniFormat elements such as substructure, shell, interiors, services and equipment suit design teams who need to see whether the budget holds as the drawings develop.
We build the estimate once and map every line to both. Foundations and slabs, framing or structural steel, roofing and exterior wall assemblies, partitions, ceilings and floor finishes, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems, then sitework and utilities. Each group carries its own cost per square foot so reviewers can spot an outlier at a glance: a shell that runs high against comparable projects, or interiors that slipped as the finish schedule firmed up.
Conditions and markups are built last and shown separately. General conditions come from the schedule, bonds and insurance from your rates, and contingency is split between design, estimating and escalation. When the owner asks for a GMP, the structure is already there, with allowances, exclusions and clarifications recorded for the contract.
FAQ
Building Estimating FAQs
Straight answers on scope, turnaround, pricing and deliverables.
What is the difference between UniFormat and MasterFormat estimates?
MasterFormat organizes cost by trade or division, which suits bidding and buyout. UniFormat organizes by building element such as substructure, shell and services, which suits early design budgets. We build the quantities once and present both so your team and the owner can compare numbers in the format each prefers.
Can you give me a cost per square foot with the estimate?
Yes. Each system and the total are reported per gross square foot, and per floor where useful. We also note the assumptions behind the figure, such as structure type and finish level, so you can compare it fairly with benchmarks from similar projects.
Do you prepare GMP estimates for CM at risk projects?
Yes. We prepare detailed estimates with allowances, exclusions, clarifications and split contingencies that you can attach to the GMP amendment. When drawings update, we reconcile them against the baseline so owner changes are traced clearly.
Is sitework included in a building estimate?
It can be. We include grading, utilities, paving, site concrete and landscaping when they are in the drawings, and we show them as a separate group so you can include or exclude them to match your contract scope.
How do you handle incomplete drawings?
We use assembly pricing for undeveloped areas, document each assumption and carry a design contingency matching the drawing maturity. As the documents progress, we replace allowances with measured quantities and show how the number changed.
How long does a building estimate take?
Schematic budgets usually take two to three days, design development estimates three to four, and full hard-bid estimates four to five depending on size. Rush delivery is available for bid deadlines, and we confirm the date before we start.
Related
Related estimating services
Most projects need more than one trade. Bundle them into a single upload and we price the whole scope together.
Ready for a building estimating quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.