Subcontractor Estimating Services Bid every package your crews can build.
Subcontractor estimating services from a dedicated estimator in your trade — takeoffs, labor-hour models, unit pricing, and proposals in your format, working inside your software as part of your shop. Full-time, part-time, or as-needed.
15 days of free estimating is available to qualified contractors, subject to approval. If you choose to continue afterwards, service moves to a quarterly agreement (3-month term) that renews each quarter until cancelled — full-time, part-time, or as-needed.
- 600+estimators
- 140,000+jobs estimated
- 45 states+ D.C. & PR · Canada · Australia
- 50+trades & scopes
Hiring an estimator is slow, expensive, and risky.
Or have a dedicated estimator on your bids in under 7 days.
Hiring in-house
| 12,435 | open estimator positions across the US — everyone is competing for the same people |
|---|---|
| 3–5 months | typical time to hire an estimator |
| $50,000 | typical cost of a bad hire |
| $100K–$120K | estimator salary, plus benefits, payroll taxes, and overhead |
| 20–25% | typical recruiter or placement fee, charged on first-year salary |
With Bidding Enterprise
- A fraction of the in-house costNo salary, payroll tax, benefits or recruiter fees
- One simple monthly paymentNo benefits to pay. We handle payroll and expenses; it's all included in one monthly payment
- No placement feesZero recruiting or placement fees
- Free replacementNot the right fit? We swap your estimator at no cost
- QA team includedQA and technical managers at no extra cost
- Start within 7 daysYour estimator onboards in about a week
- Your hours, your time zoneWorks your schedule and reports directly to you
Fully managed and AI-enabled. Hiring, training and coverage are handled by us; Build Intel and Dexter speed up the work, and your estimator and our QA team check every output.
Market figures are typical industry estimates and vary by region and role.
From invitation to proposal, in your trade.
Your estimator learns your crews, your production rates, and the GCs you bid to — then runs the full estimating cycle so you can chase more work without adding headcount.
Project sourcing & GC outreach
The right invitations surfaced and logged, and doors opened with GCs you want to bid to.
Scope review
Plans, specs, and addenda read for your trade, with inclusions, exclusions, and risks noted up front.
Quantity takeoffs
Accurate, reviewable takeoffs in your software and format — organized the way your office already works.
Labor & unit pricing
Crew hours and unit rates benchmarked to the market and your own completed jobs, so the number is competitive and profitable.
Proposals in your voice
Clean proposals with clear inclusions, exclusions, and clarifications, ready for your signature.
Bid follow-up
We chase the outcome with the GC and log win/loss notes that sharpen your next bid.
An estimator who speaks your trade.
Your dedicated estimator is recruited for your trade, trained on your standards, and backed by our QA and technical managers.
In your software, your format
PlanSwift, Bluebeam, On-Screen Takeoff, STACK, or trade-specific tools — 100+ supported. Deliverables drop straight into your bid.
Rates that learn from your jobs
Unit rates and labor hours tuned to your crews and past wins, not a generic cost book.
Scope letters GCs can level
Clear inclusions, exclusions, and assumptions, so your number survives the GC's leveling sheet.
Estimators for your trade.
Pick your trade to see scopes, a sample deliverable, and a quick calculator.
We literally wrote the book on winning bids.
Bid to Win: How Subcontractors Can Win More Bids
By Abdullah Khan and Safeer Ullah Khan · the founders of Bidding Enterprise
Bid to Win is a practical guide for subcontractors who want to bid more work and win more of it — the same focus your dedicated estimator brings to every bid. Available on Amazon.
Build your trade estimating team.
Tell us your trade and the bids you're chasing. Book a free 1-hour pre-construction assessment — we'll review your process; assessment and setup take about an hour, and your estimator is typically on your bids in under 7 days.
Qualified contractors get 15 days of free estimating — your dedicated estimator works your live bids at no cost, full-time, part-time, or as-needed.
Or reach us: Estimate@Biddingenterprise.com · 718-717-2729
Subcontractor estimating services — common questions
What are subcontractor estimating services?
Subcontractor estimating services give specialty contractors outside estimating capacity: plan and spec review, quantity takeoffs, labor-hour models, unit pricing, and bid-ready proposals. Bidding Enterprise delivers them through a dedicated estimator for your trade who works in your software and templates as part of your shop, managed and QA-backed by us.
Which trades do you estimate for subcontractors?
We cover 50+ trades across all 16 CSI divisions, including concrete, site work, masonry, steel, framing, rebar, drywall, insulation, flooring, painting, exterior finishes, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roofing. Every estimator is recruited for the trade they estimate, so they already understand the scope, the production rates, and how GCs level your bid.
Do you write our proposals too?
Yes. Your estimator prepares proposals in your voice and format, with clear inclusions, exclusions, clarifications, and alternates. Clean scope letters make your number easier for GCs to level and harder to misread. You review and send, or we can handle the follow-up with the GC after bid day and log the outcome.
Can we start with a part-time estimator?
Yes. Many subcontractors start with a part-time or as-needed estimator to cover busy months, then move to full-time as their bid volume grows. Your estimator stays dedicated to your company rather than shared, and we handle hiring, training, QA, and PTO coverage, so capacity flexes without you adding headcount.
How fast can we get started?
Most subcontractors finish the free assessment and setup in about an hour, with their estimator typically on their bids in under 7 days. We review your trade, software, templates, and the bids you're chasing, then assign your estimator. Delivery timelines for each bid depend on project size and drawings, so we agree on them bid by bid rather than promising a fixed turnaround.
Is your subcontractor estimating AI-enabled?
Yes. Every subcontractor estimating team we build works with Build Intel, our AI-assisted estimating software, and Dexter, our AI co-estimator, which reads drawings and specs and gives cited answers. AI speeds up the first draft; your dedicated estimator checks every quantity and our QA team reviews the work before it reaches you. You review and approve the final bid.
How fast can I get an estimator?
Typically in under 7 days. The free assessment and setup take about an hour; then we match a dedicated estimator trained for your trade, and most clients have that estimator on their bids in under 7 days. It is a good-faith target, not a guarantee — timing depends on your trade, software, and bid volume.