Construction estimating services in Boulder, CO

The numbers come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey for 2025, which counts new privately-owned residential units permitted by the city itself. In Boulder that was 336 units, down from 406 the year before, with 305 of them multifamily. The survey does not include commercial permits, additions, or remodels, so treat it as a measure of new housing volume rather than total construction activity. For commercial and remodel work, the city's own permit records are the better source.

Yes, for anything with a structural foundation. The report gives the depth of over-excavation, the bearing capacity, and whether a post-tensioned slab or a structural floor is required. Without it we can still produce a takeoff from the drawings, but we will carry an allowance for over-excavation and note it as a qualification. That way you can compare bids on the same basis and adjust when the report arrives.

We read the structural drawings for the ground snow load and exposure category, then take off members as specified rather than substituting a generic span table. Headers, beams, and roof framing are counted individually. If the drawings do not state the loads, we flag it and ask for the structural sheet. Confirm the adopted code edition and any local amendments with the Boulder building department before you finalize the bid.

Yes. Multifamily is the dominant residential permit type in Boulder, and we take off unit-by-unit rather than applying a single square-foot rate. That means counting fixtures, branch wiring, and plumbing risers per unit type, then adding the common areas, corridors, and mechanical rooms separately. Our multi-family estimating services page describes the format. Turnaround is 24–48 hours for most projects, with rush available.

We deliver Excel and PDF, organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets showing what was counted. The Excel file has quantities, units, and notes so you can adjust waste factors or swap pricing. The PDF is for review and for attaching to a bid. We price from ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor data, so the Boulder numbers reflect local rates rather than a national average.

Yes. Along with Boulder we cover Westminster, Longmont, Loveland, Greeley, Centennial, and Pueblo, plus the wider Denver–Fort Collins corridor. Soil conditions, jurisdiction, and labor rates shift between these cities, so we adjust the pricing basis and note any code differences. If your project is outside Boulder County, tell us the address and we will confirm coverage before we start.

We carry rock excavation as a separate line item with its own unit rate, because it is priced by volume and method, not by the same rate as common earth. If the geotechnical report does not classify the material, we show an allowance and a note. On sloped sites west of Broadway, haul-off and disposal also need their own line, since export distance drives cost more than the digging itself.

Send the architectural, structural, civil, and MEP sheets as a single PDF, plus the geotechnical report and any specifications. If you have a bid date, tell us. We return a division-by-division takeoff with quantities, units, and a marked-up set. Missing sheets are listed as qualifications so you know exactly what is excluded before you rely on the number.

We use ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing, so Boulder rates reflect the local market rather than a state or national average. That matters on multifamily and commercial work where labor is the larger share of the cost. If you have current subcontractor quotes, send them and we will reconcile our takeoff against them. We do not publish wage figures because they change and vary by trade and contract type.

Yes. Sitework is often bid as its own package, and on Boulder projects it includes over-excavation, utility trenching, detention, and erosion control. We take off those items by unit and keep them separate from the building scope so you can bid them to different subcontractors. Our sitework estimating services page shows the line items we typically include.