Construction estimation & quantity takeoffs
Precision Behind Every Bid.
Detailed construction cost estimates and material quantity takeoffs designed to help contractors, subcontractors, architects and bidders make faster, more confident decisions.
- Typical turnaround: 24–48 hours
- Professional quantity takeoffs
- Confidential project handling
24–48
Hours
Typical turnaround (company metric)
98%
Accuracy
Quality target (company metric)
92%
Bid-hit
Company-reported metric
PDF + Excel
Deliverables
Editable quantity workbooks
Software ecosystem
Built Around the Tools Professionals Trust.
Takeoffs and estimates are prepared in industry-standard estimating software so deliverables arrive in formats your team already works in.
PlanSwift
On-screen quantity measurement and assemblies.
Bluebeam Revu
Drawing markup, comparison and coordination.
On-Screen Takeoff
Plan-based takeoff for structured trade scopes.
Trimble
Model and quantity workflows where files allow.
RSMeans
Reference cost data for unit pricing context.
Xactimate
Repair and restoration scope estimating.
FastPIPE / FastDUCT
Mechanical and piping quantity workflows.
Quest Estimating
Estimate assembly and reporting.
Software names identify the tools used in our workflow. No certification, partnership or endorsement by these vendors is implied.
Who we serve
Estimating shaped around how you actually bid.
Each audience receives a deliverable structured for the decision it supports — bid submission, scope pricing, design budgeting or feasibility.
Bid preparation
General Contractors
Bid with greater confidence.
Complete project takeoffs and estimates structured around demanding bid schedules and multiple concurrent pursuits.
For General ContractorsTrade scope
Subcontractors
Know your scope down to the line item.
Trade-specific quantities, material lists and labor calculations prepared from your drawings and specifications.
For SubcontractorsDesign stage
Architects & Designers
Turn drawings into cost visibility.
Preliminary and design-development estimates that make the financial consequences of design decisions visible earlier.
For Architects & DesignersDeadline support
Bidders
Evaluate more opportunities.
Rapid estimating support so more bid opportunities can be reviewed without expanding an internal estimating team.
For BiddersFeasibility
Developers
See project costs before commitments are made.
Preliminary, design-stage and construction estimates supporting budgeting, feasibility studies and project planning.
For DevelopersCost review
Lenders
Bring greater cost visibility to project decisions.
Professional estimates that can support budget review and construction-cost assessment where appropriate.
For LendersResidential
Home Builders
Build with clearer quantity and cost visibility.
Residential estimating and takeoff support for new construction, additions, renovations and remodeling programmes.
For Home BuildersCost control
Project Owners
Own the budget from day one.
Independent estimate reviews and budget checks that help owners validate contractor numbers and track project cost before and during construction.
For Project OwnersExisting buildings
Renovation Contractors
Estimate the unknowns with confidence.
Takeoffs and estimates for renovation, restoration and tenant-improvement work where existing conditions, demo and phasing shape every quantity.
For Renovation Contractors
Core services
Estimating at Every Scale.
Four sectors, one method: measure what the drawings show, organise it by trade, and state every assumption.
Estimating disciplines
Construction Cost Estimating
Full cost estimates built from measured quantities, not adjusted square-foot averages.
View serviceMaterial Quantity Takeoffs
Measured quantities delivered in editable Excel with a marked-up drawing set.
View servicePreliminary & Design Estimates
Conceptual, schematic and design-development estimating from incomplete information.
View serviceBudget Estimating
Early cost visibility for owners, developers, architects and project teams.
View service
CPM scheduling and BIM estimating are listed as planned capabilities on the services page and are not presented as currently available.
Capacity, not headcount
An estimating desk you can scale up on the weeks that matter.
Maintaining dedicated estimating resources involves salaries, benefits, software licences, training and workload that rarely arrives evenly. Novo Estimation is an on-demand alternative for the peaks.
- Deadline-driven
- Delivery dates are agreed before work begins.
- Trade-organised
- Scope structured by CSI division for clean comparison.
- Reviewed
- Structured second-pass check on every estimate.
- Cost-conscious
- Savings versus in-house: up to 60% (company claim)
Monthly retainer packages
Dedicated estimating capacity.
For contractors with recurring bid volume: an agreed monthly estimating allocation, a named point of contact, consistent templates and priority scheduling around bid dates.
- Agreed monthly capacity and response times
- Consistent workbook and report templates
- Priority scheduling for bid deadlines
- Periodic review of volume and scope
Retainer pricing depends on agreed capacity and is confirmed in writing. No fixed published price is shown until the business supplies one.
Explore retainer packagesMethodology
Drawings → Measurement → Quantities → Pricing → Estimate.
Every project moves through the same five stages, so you always know which stage your estimate is in and what it produces.
01
Read
Drawings, specifications and addenda are reviewed and the scope boundary is set.
02
Measure
Quantities are extracted on screen, item by item, with drawing references retained.
03
Organize
Items are categorised by trade and CSI division so gaps become visible.
04
Calculate
Quantities, labor and pricing are calculated using agreed rates and data sources.
05
Deliver
The estimate is issued in the agreed format with assumptions and exclusions stated.
How to engage
Four steps from drawings to delivered estimate.
Step 01
Send Plans
Upload drawings, specifications and the project information you have.
Step 02
Receive Quote
Scope, trades and turnaround are reviewed and a tailored quote is issued.
Step 03
Approve
Confirm the scope and turnaround, and the project is scheduled.
Step 04
Receive Estimate
Takeoff and estimate files are delivered in the agreed format.
CSI MasterFormat
Trade coverage, division by division.
Expand a division to see the scopes we quantify. Only divisions Novo Estimation offers are listed.
Quality assurance
Precision Is a Process.
Every estimate passes through a structured review process before delivery. No process eliminates every possible error, so assumptions and exclusions are always documented alongside the numbers.
Pass 01
Estimation
- Drawing review
- Quantity extraction
- Scope organisation
- Calculations
- Estimate preparation
Pass 02
Quality review
- Scope coverage
- Quantities and units
- Calculation check
- Obvious omissions
- Deliverable formatting
Client feedback
Built on Precision, Trusted on Bid Day.
The cards below are temporary placeholders for design purposes only — they will be replaced with verified, attributable client feedback before launch.
Scroll or swipe to view more.
FAQ
Questions estimators are asked most.
Your Next Bid Starts With Better Numbers.
Send your plans. Tell us what you need. We'll take it from there.