subject: Free Construction Estimating Software [print this page] Construction estimating software has become an essential tool in the arsenals of home renovation contractors, builders, DIY, as well as some home owners who are looking to educate themselves to better negotiating a pricing with contractors.
*What it is and who should use it
Therefore it is important to define what these tools are all about and what they can accomplish. Simply stated, a construction estimating software is an automated tool that calculates pricing by determining the quantity of materials needed for a project multiplied by the unit cost to reach the estimated material cost for that particular material. Then it sums all the material costs to reach a total estimated material cost. This information can then be used by contractors to mark up their price, by DIY home owners to determine their renovation cost or by a smart home/project owner to better negotiate pricing with contractors.
In order for these tools to provide you with the correct information, it will need you to input various numbers such as the size or dimensions of your project. For instance to calculate building a certain Gable roof, you may need to provide the length and width of the roof, the beam thickness, roof angle, overhang gable, spacing between the beams, etc.
*A MUST for Contractors
How could a contractor or a home builder without a drill and a nail gun compete with professional contractors that carry these essential tools? Sure you can use a manual drill and a hammer to accomplish the same task, but it will take considerably longer to finish the home renovation project. In the same way, home renovators and contractors need these tools to quickly determine their pricing and bid more accurately on multiple projects. In today's fast and competitive market, if you are not using the right tools to assist you in completing your job faster and more efficiently, you are not able to keep up with your competition.
*Price Matters
Pricing is one of the determining factors when it comes to selecting a home renovation contractor or a builder. Construction project first needs to be bid on and then the negotiation process can begin. In order to bid accurately, competitively and quickly, contractors need to have these tools to assist them with quickly setting their bids and pricing.
*Easy to Use for DIY
Traditionally, construction estimating tools were predominately used by contractors. However, today many such tools are designed simple enough to be used by folks that are not necessarily working in construction but need to estimate their own home renovation project or DIY project.
*Free Estimating Software
Since there are many construction estimating software on the market, it is therefore important that you become familiar with these tools before you dedicate your time and energy to using any single software. The best way to accomplish this is by using various free construction estimating software that are available on the Internet. Some of these software are complex while others may be simpler to use and yet others may offer a subset of a full featured software.
*Where to Download
You may find a free estimating software that is completely sufficient for your needs whether you are an accomplished contractor or a DIY. For a list of these free estimating software or to download these free software see the link provided below.
