Speed Up Your Bids With McCormick’s Built-In Takeoff Tool

In the competitive world of construction cost estimating, contractors know that speed and accuracy are everything.

Delays caused by lost paperwork, inconsistent reporting or the need to shuffle between multiple programs can derail the entire bidding process.

McCormick’s Design Estimating Pro addresses those challenges directly by bringing takeoff inside the same system where bids are built.

By going from PDF to proposal in one platform, Design Estimating Pro eliminates wasted steps and ensures real-time visibility across the estimating process.

What Is Design Estimating Pro — and Why It Matters

Design Estimating Pro is a digital takeoff tool built directly into McCormick’s estimating software. Unlike standalone products that require complicated interfaces or separate logins, Design Estimating Pro allows estimators to count, measure and generate estimates in the same environment.

Every click on a plan instantly feeds the estimate, cutting down on duplication and ensuring nothing is lost in translation.

This matters because it solves familiar problems:

• Losing track of notes
• Reconciling inconsistent data between drawings and estimates
• Facing delays when plans are revised

Design Estimating Pro centralizes digital takeoff and estimating inside one platform to eliminate duplicate work and maintain synchronized project data. That groundwork sets the stage for faster, more confident bidding.

How Design Estimating Pro Accelerates the Bidding Process

Integrated digital takeoff accelerates the bidding process by reducing manual steps, synchronizing counts and costs and eliminating program switching.

When estimators no longer have to toggle between separate programs, they can focus on producing accurate numbers and competitive bids.

McCormick’s Design Estimating Pro simplifies takeoff with intuitive point-and-click tools, automatic counting and the ability to overlay drawings to compare revisions.

For a deeper breakdown of how digital takeoff workflows improve accuracy across trades, explore our Ultimate Guide to Construction Takeoff.

Customizable symbol libraries and reuse features, such as The Hotlist, make repeat tasks faster while reducing errors.

For contractors, the result is measurable: McCormick reports that users save at least 50% of their takeoff time compared to manual methods.

That means more bids submitted, fewer mistakes to correct and more time spent analyzing strategy rather than re-keying numbers.

By building efficiency into the very start of the process, Design Estimating Pro gives contractors a distinct edge in competitive markets.

Tackling Everyday Estimating Challenges

The problems outlined earlier — lost paperwork, inconsistent reporting, delays and lack of visibility — are more than just nuisances; they affect profitability and reputation. Design Estimating Pro solves these challenges by connecting drawings, measurements and cost data in one unified system.

All project documentation lives in a single system, reducing the risk of misplaced files.

Counts and annotations automatically update the estimate, eliminating inconsistencies. Because revisions flow seamlessly into the estimate, delays shrink, and visibility improves across teams.

In practice, this integration means contractors can respond to project changes quickly, keep communication clean and deliver bids with confidence that their numbers reflect the latest plans.

Rather than wasting energy reconciling data, estimators can concentrate on winning work.

If you’re building a stronger workflow for your estimating team, see our guide on developing a winning takeoff and estimating process for practical steps and best practices.

The Benefits Contractors See

Contractors using Design Estimating Pro often highlight the same set of advantages. For ease of reference, the most impactful benefits include:

• Significant time savings — up to 50% faster takeoff compared to manual methods
• Fewer errors, thanks to integrated takeoff and estimating in one program
• Greater flexibility across trades, including electrical, plumbing and mechanical

These benefits translate into the ability to submit more bids in less time, while improving the accuracy of every proposal. The net effect is a stronger competitive position without requiring additional staff or resources.

From PDF to Proposal Without the Hassle

At a time when margins are tight and schedules are demanding, McCormick’s Design Estimating Pro helps contractors remove inefficiencies from the very first step of the bidding process.

By combining takeoff and estimating in one platform, it ensures that drawings, counts and costs remain in sync from start to finish.

Design Estimating Pro is:

• Fully integrated inside McCormick estimating software
• Proven to save contractors up to 50% of their takeoff time
• Designed to simplify workflows while improving accuracy and speed

By eliminating extra steps, reducing errors and making revisions seamless, Design Estimating Pro empowers contractors to move faster and bid smarter. That combination of speed and accuracy is exactly what today’s construction market demands.

Request a demo here to see how Design Estimating Pro can work for you.