How Great Estimators Build Jobs in Their Mind

I've sat through hundreds of bid reviews. Some are electric - you can feel the estimator's deep understanding of the work radiating from every number. Others are painful slogs where it's obvious the estimator just counted lines on a page.

The difference? Great estimators don't just do takeoffs. They build the entire job in their mind.

The Moment of Truth

Picture this: You're in a bid review, looking at the takeoff versus the engineer's quantities in Estimate, HeavyBid, or InEight. Everything matches perfectly. No red numbers, no green numbers. Dead on.

This means one of two things:

1. You're dealing with the world's most accurate engineer who somehow nailed every quantity

2. Your estimator didn't do their homework and expects you to review an incomplete bid

99% of the time it’s #2. I've gotten up and walked out of bid reviews when I see this. I won't waste my time or theirs until the real work is done. Neither should you.

What Great Takeoffs Actually Look Like

When I see an estimator's quantities that differ from the engineer's estimate, I get excited. It means someone actually measured the work instead of copying numbers from a table.

The best estimators I've worked with follow a specific process:

First, they read every note on the drawings and specs. Not skim - read. They understand the engineer's intent and any restrictions before touching a scale.

Next, they quantify what's shown. This is seeking truth. There's a right answer and a wrong answer for how much 36" pipe or silt fence is on the plans.

Then comes the fun. They quantify what's inferred but not shown - the excavation, the forms, the backfill, the preparation work. None of this is on the physical drawings but still required. This is where building the job in your head separates the pros from the amateurs.

Building the Job in Your Mind

We once won a $13 million bid because we took off the silt fence while the competitors used the engineer's quantity table. That extra attention to detail caught an error that yielded us a 10% GP job.

When you're measuring RCP and catch basins, you shouldn't just be counting lengths. You should be mentally laying pipe from low to high elevation, figuring out trench conditions, shoring needs, groundwater issues, haul routes, and where your crew will start each morning.

You should know each street, each area, each segment of the work. Don't lump it all together in your estimate. Break it down in your task templates or phases the way you'll actually build it.

The Wrong Way vs. The Right Way

The wrong way looks efficient: Use the engineer's quantity tables. Copy and paste. Submit questions at the last minute. Rush through the drawings.

The right way takes longer upfront but pays dividends:

• Read every specification section that applies to your work

• Drive to the job site and walk the work

• Create Google Earth pins for each major area

• Develop a rough schedule as you go

• Talk to the project manager and superintendent of the last job like this

• Identify strategic questions early (and know which questions NOT to ask)

• Use facts and intuition to quantify those items that can only be done by gut (e.g. does this Engineer make us bring in dirt to dress the shoulders or leave them as is?)

• Take off every item, even subcontractor work

• Quantify every single thing - both shown on the plans and inferred

The right way means you understand not just what needs to be built, but how you're going to build it.

The Strategic Element

Great estimators know that asking questions is a double-edged sword. Every question you submit potentially gives competitors insight into your thinking. Ask about items that genuinely need clarification, but don't reveal your competitive advantages.

I've seen estimators ask about minor details that tipped off their strategy to competitors. Smart estimators know the difference between necessary clarification and giving away the game plan.

Building Your Pricing Advantage

Here's where the real magic happens: When you've done your homework as an estimator and can build a fact-based case for what items won't be used - or will be used differently than shown - you create incredible pricing opportunities.

Maybe the plans show 500 LF of temporary fencing, but your site visit reveals the adjacent property owner already has a fence that eliminates 200 LF. Maybe the engineer shows a pump setup that isn't needed based on your understanding of the drainage.

When you can document why certain quantities are wrong or unnecessary, you gain an edge.

Weak estimators miss all of this. They bid what's shown without thinking. They don't build the case. They don't see the opportunities sitting right in front of them.

The best estimators I've worked with keep detailed notes during their takeoffs - not just quantities, but observations about why certain items might be over or under-stated. These notes become gold during pricing strategy discussions.

This is how you win bids others can't touch while still protecting your margins.

What This Means for Your Business

When you sit down for a bid review with an estimator who's done this right, you can feel it immediately. They don't just present numbers - they tell the story of how the job will be built. They've identified the challenges, the opportunities, the risks.

These are the estimators who consistently produce winning bids that actually make money in the field. Because they didn't just estimate the work - they planned it.

The Bottom Line

Takeoffs aren't just about counting quantities. They're about understanding the work so deeply that you can see problems before they happen and identify opportunities others miss.

If you're an estimator reading this, embrace the craft. Take pride in doing it right. Your takeoffs should reflect not just what's on the plans, but your vision of how the work should be built. Be creative and present your strategy. This is your bid - have an opinion!

If you're reviewing bids, demand this level of preparation. Don't accept estimators who haven't done their homework. The difference between a good takeoff and a great one often determines whether your job makes money or loses it.

Great estimators are builders first, mathematicians second. They use their takeoffs to build the job twice - once in their mind, and once in the field.

Thanks for reading this week!

In Case You Missed It:

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About the Author

Tristan Wilson is the CEO and Founder of Edgevanta. We make software that helps contractors win more work at the right price. He is a 4th Generation Contractor, construction enthusiast, ultra runner, and bidding nerd. He worked his way up the ladder at Allan Myers in the Mid-Atlantic and his family’s former business Barriere Construction before starting Edgevanta in Nashville, where the company is based. Reach out to him at [email protected]