Construction estimating services in Tempe, AZ

Yes, substantially. Multifamily takeoffs run on repeated unit types, so we build a per-unit quantity set for the typical unit and then multiply by count, adding the corridor, stair, elevator and amenity areas separately. That is different from single-family work, where each plan is priced on its own. It also means the MEP risers, unit panels and metering have to be counted per unit and per building, which is where most of the errors show up on wrap and podium projects.

The figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. They count permits issued by the city itself for new privately-owned residential units only — so commercial, industrial and public work is not included, and neither are additions or alterations. In 2025 that was 1,287 units, up about 20% from 1,075 in 2024, with 1,203 multifamily units and 84 single-family units. Treat it as a demand signal, not a construction cost index.

Send the architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical and plumbing sheets as a single PDF, plus the geotechnical report and the truss or joist packet if one exists. If the project is post-tensioned, the tendon placing drawings matter more than the general notes. We also want the unit mix and the number of buildings. With those, we can return a division-by-division takeoff in Excel and PDF with the plan sheets marked up.

We do not carry it as a lump-sum allowance unless the geotech gives us nothing to measure. When the soils report identifies a caliche layer or a rock horizon, we take off the excavated volume above and within that layer, apply a production rate for rock versus common earth, and show it as its own line item with a stated quantity. That way the owner can see what the risk costs, and you are not absorbing a variable you cannot control.

Both, depending on what you need. RSMeans data adjusted to the project ZIP code gives a defensible baseline for material and labor, and it is what we use when there are no quotes yet. When you have subcontractor pricing, we plug the real numbers into the same line structure so the estimate and the buyout sit on the same grid. We do not mix the two silently — the basis is labeled on every line.

Most projects come back in 24 to 48 hours, and rush turnaround is available if your bid date is close. Turnaround depends more on drawing completeness than on size. A full multifamily set with a truss packet and a soils report moves faster than a partial set where we have to chase dimensions. If the sheets are missing, we will tell you which ones before we start rather than pricing around the hole.

Yes. Plenty of Tempe subcontractors only want their own division priced, and that is a normal request. We will take off concrete, framing, roofing, MEP or sitework on its own, with the same unit conventions and waste factors we use on a full estimate. The deliverable is still Excel and PDF organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with the relevant plan sheets marked up so you can see where each quantity came from.

They change what you count. Roof drainage gets counted item by item — drains, scuppers, overflow scuppers — because a single design storm can drop more water than the primary system handles. Sitework carries dust control by duration and watering frequency. Concrete carries curing compound and possibly evaporation retarder, and flatwork placement gets sequenced around afternoon heat. None of these are large line items individually, but leaving them out of a Tempe bid is how a job goes from margin to loss.

Yes. We estimate across the Phoenix metro, including Scottsdale, Glendale, Gilbert, Peoria and Surprise, as well as Yuma. Each city has its own adopted code edition and its own plan review quirks, so confirm the current edition with that city's building department before you finalize a scope. The quantity takeoff itself does not change much across the metro, but the permit-driven items and inspection sequencing do.

You get an Excel workbook organized by CSI MasterFormat division, a PDF of the same, and a marked-up plan set showing where each quantity was measured. Every line carries a description, a quantity, a unit, and the sheet reference. Where a quantity depends on an assumption — a waste factor, a production rate — the assumption is written next to the line so a reviewer can challenge it. Nothing is hidden in a single lump-sum cell.