Construction estimating services in Allentown, PA

A warehouse shell takeoff usually covers sitework and paving, foundations and slab-on-grade, structural steel or tilt-up panels, roof structure and membrane, exterior wall panels, and the base MEP rough-in. We break each of those into its own division with quantities by unit: square feet of slab, tons of steel, squares of roofing, linear feet of pipe and conduit. Dock equipment, bollards, and striping are separate lines because they are frequently added after the shell bid. Confirm the adopted code edition and any local amendments with the City of Allentown building department before you finalize the scope.

We start by separating demolition from new work, because in a masonry building the two are priced by different crews and different units. Demolition is by square foot of partition or by each for openings; new work is by linear foot of framing, square foot of sheathing, and each for lintels and anchors. Existing wall thickness and tie condition have to be verified in the field, since drawings often show nominal dimensions. We flag any line where the drawing does not give enough information to measure, so you can issue an RFI before the bid rather than after.

Yes. We price material and labor using ZIP-code-adjusted data, so an Allentown project does not carry Philadelphia or Pittsburgh rates. That matters most on labor-heavy scopes like drywall, painting, and MEP rough-in, where the difference between markets can move the bid. We also separate material from labor on every line so you can see which side is driving the number. If you are bidding a project in a surrounding municipality, send us the ZIP and we will price to that location.

Most projects are returned in 24 to 48 hours, and rush turnaround is available when you have a bid date closing. Turnaround depends on the completeness of the plan set: a full architectural, structural, and MEP set with dimensions takes less time than a partial set where we have to scale from PDF. If you send a set with a specification book and a geotech report, we can price more of the scope by measurement instead of allowance, which usually shortens the review on your end.

We deliver Excel workbooks and PDF reports organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with the plan set marked up so each quantity can be traced to the drawing. The Excel file is set up so you can adjust quantities, waste factors, and unit costs without rebuilding the sheet. Some clients load the Excel rows directly into their own estimating software. If you need a different structure, tell us at the start and we will match it.

Yes, with the understanding that preliminary sets produce allowance lines. We mark every allowance clearly and list the information we need to convert it to a measured quantity, such as a footing schedule, a roof plan with slopes, or a panel schedule. That way you can see which parts of the bid are firm and which are still open. As the drawings develop, we update only the affected divisions instead of redoing the whole takeoff.

We carry cold-weather items as separate lines rather than burying them in the concrete or masonry price. That includes temporary heat, enclosures, curing blankets, and accelerated mixes where the specification allows them. On projects that run from November through March, these lines can be a meaningful part of the cost, and they are easy to miss if you price from a summer baseline. We also note where the specification requires a minimum ambient temperature for a given product.

Yes. Residential work here is often renovation and infill, which means demolition, framing, and MEP replacement lines. Commercial work ranges from tenant fit-outs downtown to warehouse shells along the I-78 corridor. The units and the divisions differ, but the method is the same: measure by the unit the trade buys in, separate material from labor, and show waste as its own line. Our residential estimating services and commercial estimating services pages list the divisions we cover.

The permit figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey and cover new privately-owned residential units permitted by the city itself. They do not include commercial permits, renovations, or units permitted by surrounding municipalities in Lehigh County. For the 2025 survey year, Allentown recorded 1 new privately-owned residential unit, down from 271 in 2024, with a permitted value of $748,700 and an average value per unit of $748,700. That is a small sample, so treat it as a signal about residential volume rather than a full picture of local construction activity.

Send the plan set, the specification book if one exists, the geotech report, and any addenda. Tell us the bid date, the ZIP code, and whether you want material and labor split or combined. If you have a target budget or a prior bid you are comparing against, include it, because that helps us see which divisions matter most to you. You can send plans through our get an estimate page, and we will confirm scope and turnaround before we start.