Developing a Winning Takeoff and Estimating Process for Your Team

On average, construction estimators win around 10-20% of the projects they bid for. Now, aiming to be awarded every project is unsustainable. However, it is quite easy to increase the number of bids you’re being awarded.

One of the best ways to give your construction business a competitive edge quickly and effectively is to implement or refine your quantity takeoff and estimating process.

The goal is consistency.

Creating a consistent takeoff and estimating routine is key to winning more bids because measuring accurately and pricing appropriately will become habitual, allowing you to produce and submit more bids faster.

Developing this process may seem intimidating, which is why we have created a guide to help you. We’ll explain how to build a successful bidding process and what to consider when developing construction estimates.

Key Takeaways

• You should assess your needs, goals and areas you want to improve before you begin establishing your estimating and takeoff processes.
• Communication is key to success. Designate employees to answer questions that may come up from the estimator so they receive accurate information in a timely manner.
• Build good estimating and takeoff habits by standardizing processes, organizing documentation, and reviewing past projects.
• You must determine if you’ll rely on manual takeoff and estimating or modernize your approach with estimating software that offers built-in takeoff.
• Create a process that allows you to access and update takeoff and estimating information at a moment’s notice.
• Review your performance to identify pitfalls and address them in the future as you build the best takeoff and estimating processes for your team.

Building Successful Construction Estimating Processes

Here are some things you should keep in mind when developing your takeoff and estimating process to win more jobs in construction:

1. Assess

Estimators should evaluate the needs, goals, and areas of improvement for the construction business.

This is not the time for praising your capabilities. Be honest and thorough. Understanding strengths and weaknesses will give you visibility into how the team works most effectively.

Contemplate:

• Size of business: Consider the current size of your company to create an estimating process that best fits your operations.
• Habitual errors: Identify any potential pitfalls you typically experience when building your cost estimates for a construction project.
  • For example, do you tend to over- or under-estimate your material costs?
• Business goals: Establish key objectives for your company and determine the types of jobs you plan to bid on.
• Future plans for expansion: Similar to business goals, if you’re planning to grow throughout the foreseeable months and years, note it. This can impact the tools you use for estimating and takeoffs in construction.
• Material suppliers: Look at how you obtain the items needed. Are your manufacturers fair, and do they offer competitive pricing?
• Preferred environments: It’s fine if your construction company is open to any opportunity. But if you have favorite seasons for working or preferred types of sites (think downtown vs suburb), that needs to be included in the equation.

Estimators should take each of these into account as they begin creating their estimation process.

2. Communicate

As you create your estimating process, it’s important to establish clear lines of communication.

Estimators should know exactly who to contact with questions at every step of the project.

You should designate members of your team as go-to contacts to ensure all questions are answered by an expert as soon as possible.

For example, if you don’t have a clear picture of the strength of the workforce or if there’ll be enough laborers for building wiring, make sure the foreman of the company does.

3. Establish Habits

While every job is different, it’s important to develop consistent routines to simplify estimating. This way, actions are done by rote and get done at a better pace.

Set routines by:

1. Standardizing processes: Create repeatable steps that rely on attention to detail.
   • Set clear expectations for blueprints and timelines for how quickly orders are sent.
   • Include the dimensions before adding the raw materials to the construction takeoff process.
2. Organizing documentation: Easily find and view key construction documents throughout the estimating and takeoff process. These documents prove crucial during risk assessments and cost analysis.
   • Another bonus to organizing files is that past project plans can be used as references for current similar projects.
3. Review past projects: As mentioned above, see what did or didn’t work from past construction takeoff and estimates and apply that to your current and future projects.

4. Determine Takeoff Procedures

There are two common ways of measuring takeoff including:

• Manual Takeoff

With manual material takeoff, you must request and receive physical copies of blueprints. Once you’ve obtained them, you must measure them and count each material by hand. This can lead to human error and is time-consuming.

• Estimating Software with Built-in Takeoff

Estimating software with built-in takeoff allows you to upload blueprints and measure them digitally on screen.

When you have digital blueprints, it provides exact measurements, automates calculations, and pulls material data from trade-specific databases.

Since the takeoff is already in the estimating system, once the list of materials is established, prices can automatically be added. This will help you create an accurate takeoff.

5. Evaluate Tools

Before actually creating any type of bid, it’s important to think of how you’re going to estimate.

If your company deals with specific construction trades, will you go with an estimating solution that includes specialty databases pre-loaded with items and assemblies designed for your jobs?

What kind of suppliers will you rely on and how will you get your order to them? Via phone? Physical list? Or with estimating software that can submit your order automatically?

How are you measuring and calculating? Do you have measuring tape or a room scanner? Calculator or a spreadsheet?

These are the types of questions that need to be addressed and established as you build a successful takeoff and estimating process.

6. Compile Data

As your takeoff and estimating are completed, you’ll have a clearer understanding of:

• Timelines
• Budget
• Schedule

All of this information is crucial to your bid. It’s important you create a process that allows you to store this data in a single location, include it in your bid package, and make changes at a moment’s notice if the construction owner has requests.

To handle these challenges, many people invest in estimating software.

7. Monitor Performance

Constantly review your takeoff and estimates in construction throughout the project.

This will allow you to identify any mistakes or pitfalls and address them to avoid making these errors in the future.

Think about:

• Are there more or fewer mistakes than previous jobs
• How quickly was the construction bid produced
• How close is the bottom line to the budget
• Compare projected inventory versus actual

Adjustments are healthy and keep companies profitable. Make sure to check in with your estimating needs frequently, especially when your company grows, takes on new types of jobs, or expands into other trades.

Investing in Construction Estimating Software

Construction professionals can more effectively develop a winning takeoff and estimating process if they invest in estimating software because it offers several unique benefits, including:

• More accurate calculations
• Quicker bids
• Improved project management

But before investing in an estimating software, it’s important you review:

1. Features: Choose software that includes trade-specific features like built-in takeoff, item and assembly databases, and integration capabilities with other software, such as project management and accounting.
   1. Construction estimating software that offers built-in digital takeoff tools automatically updates quantities and project costs within the estimate — limiting errors caused by manual data entry.
2. Scalability: Ensure the estimating solution can grow with your business by handling a larger volume of estimates.
3. Support and Updates: Look for a software provider that provides regular updates to keep your software current and provide the most detailed estimates.
4. Additionally, it’s important they have a responsive customer support team and regular updates to keep the software current and functional.

With each of these considerations in mind, you can select the right estimating software for your operations.

Streamline Your Estimating with McCormick

To increase your winning estimating percentage, you need to stay consistent and provide accurate estimates. Figure out what your needs are by looking at your company. Make sure the tools you’re using actually positively impact your construction estimating process.

Then, try and try again. Figure out the best way to measure something quickly. Use suppliers who are consistent with pricing so you know immediately what jobs are doable. Establish routines that become so habitual you produce accurate bids faster.

And if you’re interested in estimating software to speed up your bidding, consider McCormick, the leading estimating solution for electricians, mechanics, and plumbers.

McCormick offers:

• Built-in takeoff
• Change order management
• Trade-specific features
• So much more!

McCormick gives you the features you need to limit errors and develop a winning takeoff and estimating process that will deliver long-term results.

Chat with a specialist today to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Takeoff and Estimating Process

What Happens To My Estimate When Plans Change Mid-Bid Or The Scope Gets Revised?

Plan revisions are a natural part of the estimating process. But when the revisions arrive mid-bid with a deadline looming, the pressure to update your numbers quickly and accurately can make or break your chances of winning the job.

When a general contractor sends updated drawings, a manual or spreadsheet-based process typically involves reconciling two different versions by hand to ensure every detail is captured. If you’ve ever lost a bid because a late revision threw off your numbers, you know how costly that mistake can be.

McCormick’s estimating software handles this through built-in change order management. Instead of manually updating every cell in a spreadsheet, you update the affected takeoff items in just a few clicks, and the software automatically recalculates your total costs and quantities.

Your estimate updates in real time without starting over or losing previous work. This ensures your estimate remains technically accurate and reflects the most current project scope, allowing you to stay focused on the bid rather than the manual data entry.

How Do I Know If the Material Pricing in My Estimating Database Is Actually Current?

A database that hasn’t been updated can lead to bid numbers that no longer reflect market reality. If you’re questioning whether yours is current, that skepticism is worth taking seriously.

Material costs for copper, conduit and mechanical fittings are volatile and can shift significantly in a matter of weeks. With a static database or manual process, the honest answer is: you often don’t know, and by the time a pricing gap shows up, it’s usually already cost you margin on a job.

McCormick’s estimating software removes that uncertainty by integrating directly with live pricing services and syncing with your preferred supply house, so pricing refreshes automatically. You always have a clear, reliable indicator of when your numbers were last updated and exactly where they’re coming from.

When it comes to pricing transparency, McCormick already checks every box you should be asking about: updates are included, they occur on a regular cadence and you can connect to your own suppliers rather than relying solely on a national average that may not reflect your local market.

How Do I Accurately Estimate Labor Costs, Not Just Material Quantities, During A Takeoff?

Material quantities are only half the equation — labor is where most contractors lose money on a bid.

Accurately estimating labor requires applying labor units to every task in your takeoff: a standard measurement of how long a specific installation takes under normal conditions.

Trade associations like NECA (electrical), MCAA and PHCC (plumbing and mechanical) publish industry-standard labor unit tables that form a reliable baseline.

McCormick comes pre-loaded with these units. It allows you to adjust them based on specific job conditions — ensuring a commercial high-rise gets different labor assumptions than a residential retrofit.

This specialized data allows you to bid with speed and accuracy, producing a bid that accounts for the full scope of the work.

How Do I Standardize The Takeoff And Estimating Process Across Multiple Estimators On My Team?

When different estimators approach the same job with varying labor assumptions or assemblies, bids can become unpredictable and harder to analyze for future improvements.

Standardization comes from a shared system: a common item and assembly database that everyone draws from, a defined takeoff sequence and a review step before the bid goes out.

McCormick supports concurrent users and centralized databases, which eliminates the data silos created by passing individual spreadsheets around.

This all-in-one approach ensures the entire team is working from a single source of truth, making it faster to onboard new estimators and keep tools consistent.

When Does A Contractor Actually Need To Move Beyond Spreadsheets To Dedicated Estimating Software?

Spreadsheets work fine for low-volume work. The signal that you’ve outgrown them usually shows up in one of a few ways:

• Bids are taking too long and you’re missing deadlines or passing on jobs you should chase
• Pricing is inconsistent between estimators or between similar jobs
• You’re receiving PDF plans with invitation-to-bid packages and there’s no clean way to measure them
• You’ve started bidding more complex commercial work where the material count is too intricate to track reliably by hand

The transition pays off most quickly for contractors scaling bid volume or expanding into larger project types.

Moving to a dedicated platform provides a competitive advantage, allowing your team to scale effectively without a proportional increase in administrative overhead.