Sitework and utilities
Rock excavation, erosion control, storm and sanitary mains for tight urban lots and floodplain sites.
CY · LF · TONWe produce CSI MasterFormat estimates and quantity takeoffs for contractors and owners bidding work in Harrisburg and the surrounding Dauphin County market, with ZIP-code-adjusted pricing and marked-up plan sets delivered in 24-48 hours.
Rocky, shallow-bedrock foundation conditions along the river and ridge, mixed-age brick and masonry building stock downtown, Susquehanna River floodplain and stormwater requirements, prevailing-wage and state-funded work at the Capitol complex, and a thin 2025 residential permit year of 10 units that pushes bidders toward renovation and institutional work.
Harrisburg sits at the center of a market that does not look like the rest of Pennsylvania. The city itself permitted only 10 new privately-owned residential units in 2025, down from 49 in 2024 according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey — an 80% drop that tells you most of the work here is renovation, fit-out, institutional and infrastructure rather than greenfield subdivision. Bidders chasing that work need takeoffs that reflect the actual building stock: brick bearing walls, older floor systems, limited laydown, and downtown blocks where a crane or a concrete pump has to be scheduled around street closures.
We support that market from the state level down. Our Pennsylvania construction estimating work covers the I-81 and I-78 warehouse corridors, the Capitol complex, and the hospitals and universities along the river, and we cover the surrounding metros including Lancaster, York and State College. Every takeoff is organized by CSI MasterFormat division, priced with ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor, and returned in Excel and PDF with the plan set marked up so your estimator can audit quantities line by line.
For bidders. You are pricing a renovation or a small infill job against three other contractors. We give you division-level quantities with waste factors stated, so your bid is defensible and you can see where the other bidder missed the demolition or the underlayment.
For builders. You already have the work and need a buyout budget. We break out concrete, framing, roofing, MEP and finishes by division so you can issue subcontracts and compare quotes against a known quantity base rather than a lump sum.
For owners. You are comparing contractor proposals or checking a change order. We provide an independent quantity takeoff and a scope matrix so you can see what each proposal includes and what it leaves out before you sign.
Select a bar to compare Harrisburg with the largest Pennsylvania markets we cover.
10 new housing units in 2025 (-79.6% vs 2024).
5 single-family · 5 multifamily (50%).
The 2025 permit numbers are stark: 10 total residential units, split evenly between 5 single-family and 5 multifamily, with a permitted value of $1M and an average of $141,600 per unit. Harrisburg ranked 9th of 25 covered state cities by units and accounted for just 0.2% of the state's 5,912 permitted units. For a bidder, that means new residential construction is not the pipeline here. The work is renovation, adaptive reuse, institutional and state-funded projects, plus the warehouse and distribution growth along the I-81 corridor that shows up in nearby markets. Price your overhead and mobilization for occupied-building conditions, not for a cleared suburban lot. If you are bidding outside the city, our Scranton and Altoona coverage follows the same format so you can compare markets.
Three things move the number more than anything else on a Harrisburg-area estimate. First, foundations: the ridge and river geology means rock is often shallow, so rock excavation, rock anchors and sometimes drilled piers appear in Division 31 where a bidder expecting spread footings has nothing. Second, floodplain and stormwater: properties near the Susquehanna can trigger elevated finished floor, backwater valves and detention requirements that add cost in Divisions 22 and 33. Third, existing conditions: downtown and Midtown brick buildings mean structural reinforcement, lintel replacement and selective demolition that is hard to quantify from a drawing alone. We flag each of these as a line item rather than burying it in a contingency, and we tell you which quantities we could not verify from the documents provided.
We cover the divisions that carry the most risk on Harrisburg-area work, from sitework through MEP, with quantities you can check against the drawings.
Rock excavation, erosion control, storm and sanitary mains for tight urban lots and floodplain sites.
CY · LF · TONSpread footings, drilled piers, slab-on-grade and elevated decks for shallow-bedrock conditions.
CY · SF · LBWood and light-gauge framing takeoffs for infill, additions and multifamily over podium.
LF · SF · EATPO, EPDM, modified bitumen and shingle systems, including tear-off and deck repair quantities.
SQ · LF · SFHVAC, plumbing, sprinkler and electrical takeoffs for occupied-building renovations and new fit-outs.
LF · EA · TONSelective demolition, partition, ceiling and finish quantities for downtown and Midtown building stock.
SF · LF · EAUnit-by-unit quantity breakdowns for apartment and mixed-use projects, with typical waste factors stated.
UNIT · SF · EAComparison matrix against subcontractor quotes so you can see inclusions, exclusions and unit-rate gaps.
LS · EAYou are bidding Capitol-area fit-outs, school additions and riverfront renovations against local firms. We give you division-level quantities with demolition and abatement scopes separated so your bid stands up at the pre-bid meeting.
You need quantities fast enough to price a masonry, roofing or MEP package before the GC's deadline. We return takeoffs in 24–48 hours with waste factors stated, so you can mark up the scope you actually own.
You are underwriting adaptive reuse of a brownstone row or a former warehouse near the Susquehanna. We break hard costs by CSI division so your pro forma reflects real quantities, not a per-square-foot guess.
You need a quantity check on a design before it goes to bid, or a cost opinion for a client meeting. We mark up the plan set so your team can see exactly which sheets the quantities came from.
You are comparing contractor proposals for a hospital, university or state building project. An independent takeoff and scope matrix shows what each bid includes and what it leaves out before you sign.
You run a portfolio of older Harrisburg rowhouses and mid-rise buildings and need repair scopes priced consistently. We quantify roofing, masonry repointing, window replacement and MEP work by building so budgets are comparable.
We take off work across Dauphin County and the surrounding metros, from downtown blocks to the West Shore and the I-81 corridor. Below are the areas where most of our Harrisburg-area quantities come from.
The 2025 permit mix — 10 new privately-owned residential units, split evenly between single-family and multifamily — confirms that most Harrisburg-area work is renovation, fit-out and institutional rather than new subdivision. These are the property types we take off most often.
Brick bearing-wall rowhouses in Midtown, Olde Uptown and Allison Hill need full gut scopes: demolition, structural repair, new floor systems, and MEP replacement in narrow footprints with no laydown area.
Watch for: Underpinning, party-wall condition, masonry repointing quantities
Former warehouses and light-industrial buildings near the river are converted to apartments and offices. Takeoffs must separate selective demolition, structural reinforcement, new MEP distribution and facade restoration.
Watch for: Hazardous materials, existing structural capacity, egress upgrades
Hospitals, universities and state facilities along the river and in the Capitol District run continuous fit-out and renovation programs. Work is phased, occupied and often specified to healthcare or lab standards.
Watch for: Infection control, phasing, above-ceiling coordination
The 5 multifamily units permitted in 2025 represent small infill buildings rather than large complexes. These are typically three- and four-story wood or masonry structures on tight urban lots.
Watch for: Fire separation, sprinkler scope, limited staging
The 5 single-family units permitted in 2025 point to infill and replacement houses plus additions. Scopes include foundation work, framing, roofing and full finish packages on constrained sites.
Watch for: Waste factors, existing foundation reuse, utility relocations
Distribution buildings along the I-81 and I-78 corridors need slab, tilt-up or masonry wall, roof structure and MEP takeoffs. These projects are quantity-driven and sensitive to steel and concrete pricing.
Watch for: Slab flatness, dock equipment, sprinkler density
Harrisburg pricing is driven less by new-construction volume than by the age of the building stock, the geology under it and the logistics of working in a built-up river city. These are the factors that move our quantities and your bid.
The City of Harrisburg and Dauphin County administer permits, and projects in the historic districts or the Capitol area may face additional design review. Renovation scopes often trigger upgrades to egress, fire separation and accessibility that are not on the architectural drawings. Confirm the adopted code edition and any local amendments with the local building department before you finalize your bid, because the review comments can add real scope.
City of Harrisburg codes office · Dauphin County · Pennsylvania Uniform Construction CodeMuch of Harrisburg sits on limestone and dolomite formations with documented karst features, and the riverfront has deep fill and alluvial soils. Foundation takeoffs need to account for over-excavation, rock removal, underpinning of adjacent structures and, in some areas, sinkhole mitigation. A geotechnical report is essential input before we price foundations, and we flag where the drawings assume bearing capacity the soils may not provide.
Karst geology · Susquehanna River alluvium · Geotechnical reportHarrisburg sees freeze-thaw cycles, snow loads and summer humidity that affect roofing, masonry and exterior finishes. Roof takeoffs must include ice barrier and underlayment beyond the code minimum in some assemblies, and masonry repointing schedules need to reflect freeze damage. Winter weather also compresses the construction season for exterior trades, which affects labor productivity and schedule.
Freeze-thaw cycles · Snow load · Ice barrier membraneThe Harrisburg area has a strong union presence in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades, and prevailing wage applies to many public and institutional projects. That changes the labor rates in your estimate and the crew sizes you can assume. We price with ZIP-code-adjusted labor and note where a project is likely to carry prevailing wage or certified payroll requirements.
Prevailing wage · Union trades · PA Department of Labor & IndustryDowntown and Midtown sites have no laydown area, restricted crane and concrete pump access, and street closure requirements. Stormwater management is a real cost driver: the city and Act 167 stormwater requirements can require underground detention, infiltration beds or flow controls on redevelopment. These items belong in the sitework and concrete divisions, not in a contingency.
Act 167 stormwater · Street closure permits · Underground detentionHarrisburg is served by I-81, I-78 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, so structural steel, precast and mechanical equipment move in predictably. The constraints are local: historic district approvals on exterior materials, limited staging for deliveries, and long lead times on switchgear and rooftop units. We note long-lead items in the takeoff so your schedule and escalation assumptions reflect them.
I-81 corridor · Historic district approvals · Long-lead equipmentHarrisburg sits in the Susquehanna Valley, where limestone and shale bedrock, river-town drainage, and a small but steady flow of renovation and infill work shape what you actually measure. Here is how that shows up trade by trade.
The city's riverfront and hillside lots mean cut/fill rarely balances, and retaining walls show up more often than on flat suburban sites. Measure clearing by area, then rock excavation separately — limestone and shale in the Susquehanna Valley often requires blasting or hoe-ram, which is priced per cubic yard, not per hour. Storm drainage is a line-item driver: catch basins, inlet boxes, and HDPE or RCP runs with bedding stone, all counted by linear foot and each. Erosion and sediment control is measured by linear foot of silt fence and each of inlet protection. Our sitework estimating services break these out so you can see what the earthwork package actually carries before you bid.
Harrisburg's housing stock includes a lot of balloon-frame and early platform-frame construction, so renovation takeoffs need to account for non-standard stud spacing and dimensional lumber that no longer matches nominal sizes. For new framing, count studs by linear foot of wall with plates, headers, and blocking; count joists and rafters by piece with hangers and bridging. Sheathing is measured by sheet with a typical 5% to 10% waste factor. Floor and roof trusses are quoted per piece from the supplier's layout. Our framing estimating services produce a piece-count takeoff you can hand to a lumber yard for a quote.
Older Harrisburg buildings often have mixed plumbing materials — cast iron, copper, galvanized, and PVC in the same run — so a renovation takeoff should count fittings by type and size, not just pipe length. For HVAC, count diffusers, registers, and linear feet of duct by size. Electrical takeoffs are driven by device counts, homeruns, and panel schedules. Interior finishes are measured by square foot of wall, ceiling, and floor area, with allowances for leveling and patching in older buildings. Our MEP estimating services and commercial estimating services both organize these by CSI division so nothing falls between packages.
Many Harrisburg-area homes and older commercial buildings sit on stone or brick foundations that need underpinning, not replacement. For new work, measure footings by linear foot and cubic yard, slab-on-grade by square foot with a typical 5% to 10% waste factor for formed edges, and foundation walls by square foot of wall area. In the city's older blocks, you will also price dowels, epoxy anchors, and concrete removal by cubic yard. Basement waterproofing and drainage board are separate line items — do not bury them in the wall assembly. Our foundation estimating services and concrete estimating services both itemize formwork, reinforcing, and finish separately.
Roofs in this climate see freeze-thaw cycling, summer humidity, and occasional heavy snow, so underlayment and ice-dam protection matter more than in milder markets. Measure roof area by square (100 square feet) from the plan dimensions, then add for hips, valleys, and penetrations. Count drip edge, valley metal, pipe boots, and ridge vent by linear foot or each. For commercial low-slope roofs, measure insulation by square foot and thickness, and membrane by square with seam and flashing allowances. Our roofing estimating services separate tear-off, deck repair, and flashing so a change in substrate does not eat your margin.
Quick check for a single element. For a full drawing set, send the plans and we measure everything, including the items calculators miss.
Typical waste: 3–5% for slabs, 5–10% for footings and walls. Truck count assumes 10 CY loads; confirm load size with your ready-mix supplier.
Need the full takeoff with pricing? Upload your plans.
| Section | Line item | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 30 00 | Cast-in-place concrete, footings | 48 | CY |
| 03 30 00 | Cast-in-place concrete, slab-on-grade | 3,200 | SF |
| 05 12 00 | Structural steel, columns and beams | 6.5 | TON |
| 06 10 00 | Rough carpentry, wall framing | 2,850 | LF |
| 07 21 00 | Thermal insulation, walls | 4,100 | SF |
| 09 29 00 | Gypsum board, partitions | 5,600 | SF |
| 23 31 00 | HVAC ductwork, galvanized | 420 | LF |
| 26 05 19 | Electrical conduit and wiring | 1,950 | LF |
This example sizes continuous footings for a small mixed-use infill building on a level lot in Harrisburg. Dimensions are illustrative — replace them with the dimensions from your own plan set.
Assume a rectangular building 40 feet by 60 feet with continuous footings under the perimeter and one interior bearing line. The perimeter is 2 × (40 + 60) = 200 linear feet. The interior bearing line adds 40 linear feet. Total footing length is 240 linear feet.
The footing is 24 inches wide and 12 inches deep. Cross-sectional area is 2.0 ft × 1.0 ft = 2.0 square feet. Volume is 240 LF × 2.0 SF = 480 cubic feet. Divide by 27 to convert to cubic yards: 480 ÷ 27 = 17.78 CY.
Add a typical 5% waste factor for over-excavation and spillage: 17.78 × 1.05 = 18.67 CY, rounded to 19 CY. If the footing bears on rock or disturbed fill, add a gravel base measured by cubic yard separately.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Perimeter footing length | 2 × (40 + 60) | 200 LF |
| Interior bearing line | given | 40 LF |
| Total footing length | 200 + 40 | 240 LF |
| Cross-section area | 2.0 ft × 1.0 ft | 2.0 SF |
| Volume | 240 × 2.0 | 480 CF |
| Convert to CY | 480 ÷ 27 | 17.78 CY |
| With 5% waste | 17.78 × 1.05 | 18.67 CY |
| Order quantity | round up | 19 CY |
Reinforcing is separate: assume two #4 bars continuous. Bar length is 240 LF × 2 = 480 LF. Add 10% for laps and waste: 480 × 1.10 = 528 LF. Convert to tons at 0.668 lb/ft for #4 bar: 528 × 0.668 = 352.7 lb, or about 0.18 tons. Formwork is measured by square foot of contact area: 240 LF × 2 sides × 1.0 ft depth = 480 SF. If the footing steps or changes width, break the takeoff into segments. For a full foundation package including walls, slab, and waterproofing, our concrete estimating services and foundation estimating services itemize each element by CSI division.
The U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey counts new privately-owned residential units permitted by the city itself. In 2025, Harrisburg issued permits for 10 total units, down from 49 in 2024 — a change of about -80%. Of the 2025 total, 5 were single-family and 5 were multifamily, so multifamily made up 50% of permitted units. The permitted value was $1M, averaging $141,600 per unit. Harrisburg ranked 9th of 25 covered state cities by units and accounted for 0.2% of the 5,912 units permitted statewide. These figures cover residential only and do not include commercial or industrial permits.
In the Susquehanna Valley, shallow limestone and shale can force rock excavation, which is measured and priced by cubic yard separately from soil. A soil boring report tells you whether to carry rock, and if it is uncertain, carry a rock allowance as a separate line item rather than burying it in the general excavation rate. Footings bearing on rock may need a gravel cushion, measured by cubic yard. If the rock is deep, over-excavation and backfill become the driver. Confirm the geotechnical recommendations with your engineer before finalizing quantities.
On a downtown or midtown commercial fit-out, the largest quantities usually sit in Division 09 (finishes), Division 23 (HVAC), Division 26 (electrical), and Division 22 (plumbing). Older buildings add Division 02 (existing conditions) for hazardous material survey and selective demolition, and Division 03 (concrete) for slab patching and equipment pads. Division 08 (openings) matters if you are modifying storefronts. We organize every takeoff by MasterFormat division so your estimator and your subcontractors are reading the same structure. Our commercial estimating services cover the full division set.
Publicly funded projects in Pennsylvania may carry prevailing wage requirements under state law, and some federal projects carry Davis-Bacon. Those rates change the labor component of every division, so we need to know the funding source before we price. We use ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing from RSMeans data, and we can apply the applicable wage determination when you provide it. If the project is private, standard market rates apply. Tell us at intake whether prevailing wage governs so the estimate reflects the right labor basis.
Most Harrisburg projects are returned in 24 to 48 hours, and rush service is available when your bid date is tight. Turnaround depends on the size and clarity of the plan set. A single-trade takeoff on a small renovation moves faster than a full multi-division estimate on a mid-rise. We deliver Excel and PDF files organized by CSI MasterFormat division with marked-up plan sets, so you can trace every quantity back to the drawing. Send the plans through our get an estimate page and we will confirm the schedule before we start.
Yes. We cover Dauphin County and the surrounding region, including nearby cities such as York and Lancaster, and we regularly work on projects in Scranton, Bethlehem, Altoona, and State College. Each location gets its own ZIP-code-adjusted pricing, so labor and material rates reflect the local market rather than a statewide average. If your project is in a smaller borough or township, send the address with the plans and we will confirm coverage. Our Pennsylvania construction estimating services page lists the full set of cities we serve.
Harrisburg's riverfront location and combined-sewer areas mean stormwater management is often a permit condition, not an afterthought. We measure catch basins and inlet boxes by each, storm pipe by linear foot with size and material noted, and bedding and backfill stone by cubic yard. Detention or infiltration systems are measured by volume and by each structure. Erosion and sediment control is counted by linear foot of silt fence and each of inlet protection. Confirm the local stormwater ordinance and any Act 167 requirements with the city or county before finalizing the design.
Send the complete plan set, including architectural, structural, civil, and MEP drawings, plus any specifications and addenda. A soil boring report helps on foundation and sitework scopes. Tell us the bid date, the funding source, and whether you want a single trade or the full package. If you have a preferred unit format or a subcontractor bid form, include it. We return Excel and PDF organized by CSI MasterFormat division with marked-up plan sets so your team can review the quantities line by line.
Yes, and it is a large share of the local market. Older buildings bring selective demolition, hazardous material abatement allowances, mixed plumbing materials, and non-standard framing that a new-construction template will miss. We count demolition by square foot or cubic yard, abatement by square foot, and framing by piece after field verification. Where drawings are incomplete, we list assumptions and exclusions clearly so you can price the unknowns as allowances. Our residential estimating services and commercial estimating services both handle renovation scopes.
Yes. Every takeoff includes marked-up plan sets so you can see exactly where each quantity came from. We use Bluebeam Revu and PlanSwift to measure and annotate, and the marked-up drawings are delivered alongside the Excel and PDF estimate. The estimate is organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with quantities, units, and notes for each line item. That structure makes it straightforward to compare our quantities against a subcontractor's bid or to isolate a single trade for a scope review.
Send your plan set and bid date, and we will return a division-organized takeoff with marked-up drawings in 24 to 48 hours.