Divisions 21–28 · Combined MEP
One MEP estimate covering fire protection through low-voltage, coordinated before bid day
When mechanical, electrical and plumbing are priced by three different estimators, the gaps show up where the trades meet: the sleeve nobody carried, the ceiling cavity that cannot hold both the duct main and the cable tray, the housekeeping pad left out of every scope. Our MEP estimators take off Divisions 21 through 28 together, run a routing check for clash allowances, build combined labor by floor and phase, and hand you a single bid summary that a general contractor can accept without a scope-gap meeting.
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Scope of takeoff
MEP scope quantified as one package
Each division measured from the same calibrated set, with shared items assigned once and coordination carried as a line item.
Fire suppression piping and heads
Sprinkler mains, branch lines, heads by type, risers, FDC and backflow assemblies
Plumbing systems
Fixtures, domestic water, sanitary, vent, storm and gas by size and material
HVAC equipment
Air handlers, rooftop units, VAV boxes, fans, pumps, boilers and chillers with rigging
Ductwork and air distribution
Rectangular and round duct in pounds, flex, dampers, grilles and diffusers
Hydronic and refrigerant piping
Chilled, heating and condenser water plus line sets by size, with insulation
Electrical distribution
Service, switchgear, panelboards, transformers, feeders and disconnects
Branch power and lighting
Conduit, conductors, devices, fixtures and lighting controls by area
Low-voltage and life safety
Cable tray, data pathways, fire alarm devices, access control and security rough-in
Controls and building automation
DDC controllers, sensors, actuators, control panels and control wiring across trades
Shared and interface scope
Core drills, sleeves, housekeeping pads, roof curbs, firestopping and equipment connections assigned to one trade
Coordination and clash allowance
Rerouting hours and material where duct, pipe, tray and sprinkler compete, from routing review or BIM clash report
Combined labor by phase
Underground, overhead rough-in, equipment setting, trim and startup hours rolled up across all divisions
On site and on the drawings
The work behind every mep estimating
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Overview
Why a combined MEP estimate is different from three trade estimates
A combined MEP estimate quantifies every system that moves water, air, power and data through the building as a single scope, organized by CSI division but reconciled across them. Fire sprinkler mains, domestic water, sanitary and storm risers, ductwork, hydronic piping, feeders, branch circuits, cable tray and fire alarm pathways are all taken off from the same calibrated set, floor by floor. Because one team measures all of it, the shared items that fall between trades are counted once and assigned deliberately: core drills and sleeves, housekeeping pads, roof curbs, equipment disconnects, control wiring, firestopping at rated penetrations and the seismic bracing that every system above the ceiling requires.
Coordination is priced, not assumed. We review the routing on the mechanical, plumbing and electrical sheets against the structural framing and ceiling heights, flag the corridors and mechanical rooms where duct mains, sprinkler branch lines, cable tray and sanitary slope compete for the same cavity, and carry a clash allowance in hours and material for rerouting. On BIM projects we read the federated model or clash report when one exists and convert the unresolved clashes into a measurable contingency rather than a round percentage. The same pass identifies owner-furnished equipment, phased shutdowns and after-hours tie-ins that affect every trade's labor.
Labor is built per division with the units each trade actually uses, then rolled up by floor and construction phase so the general contractor sees crew loading across all of MEP at once: underground, overhead rough-in, equipment setting, trim and startup. Material is priced the week the estimate is built, with copper, steel pipe, sheet metal and switchgear tracked as commodity lines you can refresh before award. The deliverable is one workbook with a tab per division, a shared-scope tab, a coordination tab and a bid summary that totals to a single number, plus marked-up plans with every system in its own color on the same sheet.
Estimate types
What type of mep estimating can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
Full MEP hard bid
Divisions 21 through 28 priced from construction documents with a tab per division, shared-scope reconciliation, coordination allowance and a single combined bid summary.
- Accuracy
- ±5%
- Turnaround
- 3–5 business days
Design-assist MEP budget
System-level pricing from schematic or design-development sets using tons, fixture counts, watts per square foot and sprinkler density, updated at each milestone as schedules firm up.
- Accuracy
- ±10–12%
- Turnaround
- 48–72 hours
MEP scope-gap review
An independent pass across the mechanical, plumbing and electrical sub quotes you already hold, identifying the sleeves, pads, disconnects and controls nobody carried and pricing them.
- Accuracy
- ±3% on gap items
- Turnaround
- 24–48 hours
MEP takeoff only
Measured quantities for every division delivered as a combined bill of materials, for contractors who price labor and material in-house.
- Accuracy
- Qty only
- Turnaround
- 48–72 hours
Phased and occupied-building MEP pricing
Combined pricing for hospital, data center and campus work where shutdowns, after-hours tie-ins and infection control affect every trade's hours simultaneously.
- Accuracy
- ±5%
- Turnaround
- 3–5 business days
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
Step 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
Step 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
Step 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
Step 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.
- One estimating team measures all seven divisions from the same calibrated set, so shared items are counted exactly once.
- Clash allowances are quantified in hours and material from a routing review or BIM clash report, never a flat percentage.
- Core drills, sleeves, housekeeping pads, roof curbs and firestopping are assigned to a named trade in a dedicated shared-scope tab.
- Labor is rolled up by floor and phase across MEP so general contractors can see crew stacking before it becomes a schedule problem.
- Commodity lines for copper, steel pipe, sheet metal and switchgear are isolated so the bid can be refreshed if award slips.
- Controls, fire alarm and low-voltage are priced as part of the package or split out to match how you plan to subcontract.
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.
Clients
Who relies on our estimates
From single-trade subs to national developers, every client gets the same measured-twice standard.
General Contractors
Bid more work without adding estimating headcount. We deliver division-by-division numbers you can level against sub quotes.
Subcontractors
Trade-specific takeoffs with labor hours and material lists, ready to drop into your proposal.
Developers & Owners
Feasibility budgets and bid reviews that tell you whether the numbers you are seeing are fair.
Design-Build Firms
Conceptual through GMP pricing that moves as fast as your design iterations.
Construction Managers
Independent cost checks, change-order pricing and schedule-of-values support.
FAQ
MEP Estimating FAQs
Straight answers on scope, turnaround, pricing and deliverables.
Why bid MEP as one package instead of three separate trade estimates?
Separate estimates each stop at the edge of their own division, which is exactly where sleeves, pads, disconnects, control wiring and firestopping get dropped. A combined estimate measures all seven divisions from one set, assigns every shared item to a named trade, and totals to a single number. General contractors spend less time leveling, and MEP primes avoid the margin erosion that comes from absorbing unassigned scope after award.
How do you quantify a BIM clash allowance?
When a federated model or clash report is available we count unresolved hard clashes by system pair and location, then assign rerouting hours and material to each. Without a model we run a routing review of duct mains, sprinkler branches, cable tray and sloped sanitary against structure and ceiling heights, and carry an allowance for the congested zones we identify. Either way the allowance is itemized, not a percentage.
Can you deliver the MEP estimate split by division for subcontracting?
Yes. The workbook already carries a tab per division with its own labor, material and markup, plus a shared-scope tab listing who owns each interface item. If you plan to self-perform mechanical and subcontract electrical, we move the shared items to match, so each trade's number is complete on its own and the sum still equals the combined bid.
Which labor units do you use across the different MEP trades?
Each division is priced with the units its own contractors recognize: NECA units for electrical and low-voltage, MCAA-style units for piping and sheet metal, and productivity rates by fixture and system for plumbing and fire protection. All of them are adjusted for ceiling height, occupied conditions and phasing, then rolled up by floor so the combined crew loading is visible.
What documents do you need for a full MEP package?
Fire protection, plumbing, mechanical and electrical plans with their schedules, risers and one-lines, the Division 21 through 28 specifications, and the structural and reflected ceiling sheets we use for the routing review. A BIM model or clash report is helpful but not required. For design-development sets we price at the system level and document every assumption.
How long does a combined MEP estimate take?
A complete package across all seven divisions for a mid-size commercial building typically takes three to five business days, because the coordination pass runs after the individual division takeoffs are finished. Scope-gap reviews of existing sub quotes return in 24 to 48 hours. Large hospitals and data centers are scheduled individually and we confirm the date before starting.
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 mep estimating quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.