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Estimating costs the old-fashioned way for a project can take hours and expose you to making expensive mistakes.
For years, contractors and builders have relied on spreadsheets, paper plans or basic desktop software to work out their estimates. Now, cloud-based estimating software lets you handle the same tasks online, from anywhere, without juggling files or worrying about losing your work.
The question is how it fits into your workflow and whether it really makes quoting easier. Let’s explore that.
Using cloud estimating software means you can do quotes and takeoffs from any device, whether you're on a laptop in the office or a tablet out on site. Tools like this enable your team to collaborate in real time, letting you work together on the same estimate so that you’re all on the same page – literally.
This kind of collaboration minimises any chance of miscommunication and duplicated effort. Plus, since everything is stored online, you never have to worry about losing your work to a crashed computer or misplaced USB stick.
Cloud tools give you access to a central cost database and composite rates, which bundle labour, materials and other resources into preconfigured items. This means when you apply a rate in an estimate, you’re using tested and consistent numbers rather than rough ballpark figures.
What’s more, your digital takeoff software is built in, so measurements tie directly into your line items, reducing any potential manual copy-pasting errors. As you adjust quantities or rates globally, the rest of the estimate updates automatically, making your cost model far more reliable and consistent.
The best construction estimating software depends on your workflow, but one standout solution is CostMiner. This builder estimating software has a familiar spreadsheet-style interface, combined with digital takeoff tools that reside right alongside your estimate.
You can create and reuse composite rates, set up global rate libraries and build templates, which helps standardise your approach across all your projects.
If you value built-in team access and dependable accuracy, then this powerful cloud estimating platform could be ideal.
Yes, you can – and this is one of its biggest perks. Because CostMiner runs in a browser, you can log in from virtually any modern device, whether you’re running Windows, Mac OSX or Linux.
This means you don’t need to install anything complicated. Just open your browser, log in and you’re ready to go.
Start by building or importing your global rates, which form your base. Then, bring in your PDF, CAD or IFC plans and use your online quantity surveying software to perform takeoffs directly in the tool.
When you measure areas and lengths, you can then link those measurements to the items in your estimate. You can then generate professional quotes or invoices directly from the system, and if you're using Xero or QuickBooks, your financials sync up.
As you work with the platform, you’ll become more familiar with it and create reusable templates and assemblies, so your future estimates will go even faster. This makes the whole estimating process smoother, more consistent and more transparent.
Traditional cost-estimating solutions tend to rely on single-computer desktop software or programs like Excel. This can work well enough but they make collaboration harder because sharing or updating live documents can be awkward.
With cloud project management tools, your team can stay connected and share one source of truth. This can play a major role in avoiding version confusion. It also means that mistakes from manual re-entry or mis-measured takeoffs will be reduced because everything is linked and reviewed more easily.
Yes. CostMiner uses encrypted connections and secure data storage in the cloud, so your data is well-protected.
CostMiner lets you import and export via Excel, so you can bring in your legacy rate libraries or reuse your historic estimates with ease.
Depending on your experience, you might pick it up in a few sessions. However, once your global rates and templates are set up, your estimates will become faster and more consistent.
Yes, because the system runs in the cloud.
If you're interested in seeing how our cloud-based estimating software can modernise your estimating and make your life simpler, contact CostMiner today. Sign up now for our builder estimating software free trial and get a feel for the cloud-native workflow.
