ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
I hear you on RSMeans—great for ballparks, but once you get into the weeds with custom finishes or specialty stuff, it’s basically just a starting point. I’ve had to chase down suppliers for up-to-date pricing more times than I can count, and even then, half the time their numbers change before the job even starts. Spreadsheets are fine for tracking, but they’re only as good as the info you feed them.
Curious how you handle those last-minute changes when you’re already locked into a budget with investors or partners. Do you build in a formal change order process, or is it more of a handshake and hope everyone’s reasonable? I’ve had projects where a client’s “quick upgrade” turned into a weeks-long negotiation with subs and suppliers, and it always seems to eat into margins.
Also, have you ever tried any of those newer estimating platforms—like ProEst or Buildertrend? I keep seeing ads for them promising real-time pricing and easier change management, but I’m skeptical. Feels like unless they’re pulling live data from local suppliers, it’s just another layer of software to manage.
At the end of the day, I still lean on my network for sanity checks. If I’m not sure what something should cost, I’ll call a couple of subs who’ve done similar work recently and see what they’re charging now. Not exactly high-tech, but it’s usually more accurate than anything online.
How do you balance giving clients flexibility with keeping your own risk in check? Are you strict about locking in specs up front, or do you leave room for those inevitable “just one more thing” requests?
ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
I get what you mean about spreadsheets, but honestly, I’ve had better luck with them than most of the fancy estimating software. The learning curve on those platforms can be a pain, and sometimes it just slows things down. I do think locking in specs up front is key—every time I’ve left too much wiggle room, it’s cost me more in the end. Change orders are a must for me now, even if they’re a hassle. Otherwise, it’s way too easy for “one more thing” to turn into a whole new project.
ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
I hear you on spreadsheets—they’re flexible, but only if you’re super disciplined about keeping them updated. I’ve had situations where a missed formula or outdated price list totally threw off my numbers. That said, I can’t get behind most of the all-in-one estimating programs either; they tend to be geared toward conventional builds and don’t play nice with sustainable materials or energy modeling.
Honestly, I’ve started using a hybrid approach. I’ll pull baseline costs from RSMeans (the online version is decent for ballparks), then adjust in my own sheet for green upgrades—like triple-pane windows or recycled insulation. It’s a bit of a pain, but at least I know what’s going into the numbers. I’ve learned the hard way that locking down specs early saves a ton of headaches, especially when you’re pushing for better building performance. Every time I’ve left something vague, it’s come back as a budget buster.
Change orders are a necessary evil, but I try to minimize them by hashing out every detail up front—even if it means a few extra meetings. Way easier than explaining to a client why their “eco-friendly” upgrade just doubled the line item.
I’ve learned the hard way that locking down specs early saves a ton of headaches, especially when you’re pushing for better building performance. Every time I’ve left something vague, it’s come back as a budget buster.
This hit home for me. When we built our place last year, I thought leaving some finishes “TBD” would give us more creative freedom later... but wow, did that backfire. Suddenly the tile I had my heart set on was double what we’d budgeted, and the contractor wasn’t thrilled about last-minute changes. I started with spreadsheets too, but honestly ended up taping receipts and scribbling notes on a whiteboard in the kitchen. Not high-tech, but at least I could see where money was going in real time. Next time, I’ll try your hybrid approach—maybe with fewer sticky notes.
Locking in every detail up front sounds great, but honestly, I’ve found it’s almost impossible to anticipate everything—especially with finishes. Even when I tried using those “cost estimator” sites, the numbers seemed off once we started picking actual materials. Has anyone actually found a tool or site that lines up with real-world prices? Or is it all just guesswork until you’re knee-deep in receipts and change orders?
