Division 09 · Finishes
Finish estimates built surface by surface, inside and out
Finish packages are where a bid gets vague: a stucco allowance here, a tile number carried by the square foot without setting materials, ceilings priced from a plan that never showed the soffits. We take the room finish schedule and the exterior elevations apart surface by surface, measuring stucco by coat system, EIFS by assembly, tile with thinset and grout, acoustic ceilings by grid type and wall coverings by roll, so your Division 09 number carries every layer the field will install.
- 5.0 Google
- 4.9 Trustpilot
- 4.9 Clutch
variance to awarded value on commercial finish packages
24–48 hours
Typical turnaround
09 · 07 · 06
CSI divisions
XLSX · PDF
You receive
Scope of takeoff
Finish quantities we take off
Interior finishes from the room schedule and reflected ceiling plan, exterior finishes from the elevations and wall sections.
- SF / LF
Stucco by coat system
Three-coat over lath and two-ply paper, one-coat systems and cement board substrates, with weep screed and control joints
- SF
EIFS assemblies
Adhesive or mechanically fastened EPS by thickness, base coat, reinforcing mesh, finish coat texture and drainage plane
- SF / LF
Siding, soffit and fascia
Fiber cement, engineered wood and composite lap siding, panel siding, vented soffit and trim boards
- SF / LF
Ceramic and porcelain tile
Floor and wall tile by size and format, thinset, grout, waterproofing membrane, crack isolation and metal edge trim
- SF / LF
Acoustic ceilings
ACT panels and suspension grid by panel size and edge, perimeter trim, hold-down clips and seismic bracing
- SF / EA
Specialty ceilings and soffits
Linear metal, wood and felt ceilings, gypsum soffits, clouds and baffles
- SF / Rolls
Wall coverings
Type II vinyl, fabric-backed, digital murals and wood veneer with wall liner, adhesive and sizing
- LF
Interior trim and running moldings
Base, casing, chair rail, crown and wall caps by profile and species, including returns and outside corners
- SF
Wall panels and wainscot
Fiber reinforced panels, laminate wall panels, acoustic fabric panels and tile wainscot
- LF
Exterior sealants and joints
Control joints, expansion joints, backer rod and sealant at dissimilar materials and openings
- SF / LS
Substrate prep and access
Patching, skim coats, primers, scaffolding, boom lifts and swing stages by elevation height
- HRS
Labor hours by finish
Install hours per SF by finish type, ceiling height and occupied-space conditions
Process
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.
Then step 2
- 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.
Then step 3
- 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.
Then step 4
- 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.
Bid-ready
Overview
What a finishes estimate has to cover
A finishes estimate covers everything applied to a wall, ceiling or exterior surface after the structure and rough-ins are closed up.
Inside, that means the room finish schedule: tile with its setting bed, thinset, grout and waterproofing membrane; acoustic ceiling tile and grid by panel size and edge detail; vinyl, fabric and specialty wall coverings by roll with adhesive and wall liner; wood and PVC trim, base, casing and crown by profile. Outside it means stucco by coat system over lath and paper, EIFS by assembly with base coat, mesh and finish coat, fiber cement or composite siding, soffit panels and the sealant joints that tie each material to the next.
We build the takeoff room by room against the finish schedule, so every wall, floor and ceiling code on the schedule is reconciled to a measured area on the plan. Wall areas are calculated from perimeter and ceiling height with openings over 20 SF deducted, then split by finish type. Exterior elevations are measured face by face, with window and door openings netted out and returns, reveals and control joints counted separately. Waste is applied by material: 10 percent on field tile, more on diagonal or herringbone layouts, roll-based waste on wall coverings with pattern repeats, and coat-specific yields on stucco and EIFS finish coats.
Labor is carried per square foot by finish type and installation condition, because a 9-foot office ceiling and a 24-foot lobby wall are not the same job. Scaffolding, lifts and swing stages for exterior work are itemized from the elevation heights rather than buried in a percentage, and substrate prep, primers, membranes and transitions get their own lines. The workbook is organized by CSI section within Division 09, with exterior cladding grouped under Division 07 where the specification places it, so a general contractor can hand each tab to the right subcontractor and a finishes contractor can bid exactly the scope they self-perform.
What type of interior & exterior finishes estimating can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
Finish package hard bid
±5%48 hours
Every Division 09 and exterior cladding section from the finish schedule and elevations, with material, setting goods, access equipment and labor organized by room and by face.
Best for: Finishes subcontractors and GCs leveling sub quotes
Exterior cladding estimate
±5%24–48 hours
Stucco, EIFS, siding, soffit and sealant joints measured face by face, with scaffolding and lift time derived from elevation heights and the number of faces.
Best for: Plastering and exterior contractors
Interior finish schedule budget
±10%24–48 hours
Allowance-based pricing by room finish code from design-development sets, with unit rates per SF that update as product selections are made.
Best for: Design-build teams and architects
Tile and ceiling takeoff only
24 hours
Measured tile, grout and membrane quantities plus ACT panel and grid counts for contractors who carry their own labor rates and vendor pricing.
Best for: Shops with in-house pricing
Finish change-order pricing
±3%Same day
Added, deleted or substituted finishes priced against the original schedule so the delta is clear to the owner and approvals move quickly.
Best for: Active projects
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.
Estimate workbook
Quantities, unit costs, labor hours and totals organized by CSI division, with subtotals, markups and a bid summary tab.
Marked-up plans
Color-coded takeoff drawings showing exactly where every measured quantity came from.
Material procurement list
Consolidated material quantities with waste factors applied, ready to send to suppliers for quotes.
Labor hours by task
Crew-based labor hours and productivity rates so you can check the schedule against the estimate.
Assumptions and exclusions log
Every clarification, allowance and exclusion documented so your proposal scope is defensible.
Bid summary sheet
A proposal-ready one-page summary with overhead, profit, bonds and contingency applied.
Why LEEDS
Why contractors switch to LEEDS
An estimating desk that behaves like an extension of your team, not a software subscription.
Every finish code on the room schedule reconciled to a measured area, so no room is priced from an assumption.
Stucco and EIFS carried by coat system and assembly, with lath, paper, mesh and weep screed itemized rather than lumped.
Tile waste set by layout pattern and format, with setting materials and membranes derived from the measured area.
Access equipment itemized from elevation heights: scaffolding, boom lifts and swing stages priced as their own lines.
Interior and exterior scope split by CSI, section so general contractors can hand each tab to the right subcontractor.
Ceiling types taken from the reflected ceiling, plan and matched to the finish schedule to catch soffits and clouds the floor plan hides.
Marked-up plans color-coded by finish type, for fast field verification by your superintendent.
48-hour turnaround on most commercial finish packages, with same-day pricing for tenant improvement selections.
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
On-Screen Takeoff
Quantity takeoff from plans
Microsoft Excel
Deliverables formatted to your template
Reviews
What contractors say after their first bid with us
What general contractors, subcontractors and developers say after bidding with our numbers.
“I used to lose a whole weekend to takeoffs. Now I upload on Friday and have board counts, mud and tape, and paint gallons by Monday morning.”
Elena Vasquez
Owner, Vasquez Drywall & Paint · San Antonio, TX
FAQ
Interior & Exterior Finishes Estimating FAQs
Straight answers on scope, turnaround, pricing and deliverables.
How do you measure stucco and EIFS on an exterior elevation?
Each elevation is measured face by face with window and door openings netted out, then assigned a coat system or EIFS assembly from the wall sections. Lath, weather barrier, weep screed, control joints and finish coat are itemized from the measured area, and returns at openings are counted as linear feet so the extra labor at every jamb is captured.
Do you include setting materials with the tile quantities?
Yes. Thinset, grout, waterproofing membrane, crack isolation and metal edge trim are derived from the measured tile area and the specification, with coverage rates adjusted for tile size and trowel notch. Large-format and gauged porcelain panels get medium-bed mortar and the extra handling labor they require, listed separately.
What waste factors do you use for finishes?
Waste is set by material and layout rather than a flat percentage: roughly 10 percent on straight-lay field tile and 15 percent or more on diagonal and herringbone patterns, roll-based waste on wall coverings driven by the pattern repeat, and manufacturer yields on stucco and EIFS finish coats adjusted for texture. Every factor is listed in the assumptions log.
Can you estimate finishes when the schedule only lists allowances?
Yes. We carry unit rates per square foot by finish code, flag each one as an allowance in the workbook, and attach the assumed product grade so the owner understands what the number buys. When selections are made we swap the allowance for a quoted price and show the delta line by line.
Are acoustic ceilings measured from the finish schedule or the reflected ceiling plan?
Both, and they are reconciled. The reflected ceiling plan gives the ceiling type, panel size, grid layout and soffit edges, while the finish schedule confirms which rooms receive each type. Grid is converted to main runners, cross tees, wall angle and hangers, with seismic clips and compression posts added where the specification requires them.
How quickly can I get a finishes estimate back?
Tenant improvement finish packages and single-building exterior recladding sets are usually returned within 24 to 48 hours. Hotels, multifamily and large commercial interiors with many finish codes are scheduled individually, and we confirm the delivery date before we start. Rush delivery is available for bid-day deadlines.
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 interior & exterior finishes estimating quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.