Sitework takeoff
Clearing, undercut, engineered fill, and storm drainage quantities for sandy Florence County pads and parking fields.
CY · LF · TONFlorence, SC
Construction estimating services in Florence, SC
We produce material and labor takeoffs for builders and subcontractors bidding in Florence, SC. Plans go out as CSI-formatted Excel and PDF with marked-up plan sets, typically in 24–48 hours.
24–48 hours for most projectsTypical turnaround
Every CSI divisionSitework through MEP
Florence ZIP pricingLocal material and labor
Price confirmed firstBefore any work starts
Census BPS · Florence · 2025Real permit data
Florence new housing permits2025
New housing units436Change vs. 2024+19%Permitted construction value$69MAverage value per unit$158,200Rank among covered South Carolina cities#11
Single-family: 304 (70%)Multifamily: 132 (30%)
U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Residential only.
What makes construction estimating in Florence, SC different?
Florence pricing turns on sandy Coastal Plain soils needing engineered fill, high summer humidity driving HVAC and vapor-barrier scope, wind-borne debris detailing on commercial work, and a split market where 132 of 436 permitted units in 2025 were multifamily, so bidders carry both podium and stick-framed assumptions.
- Florence permitted 436 new housing units in 2025, #11 among the South Carolina cities we cover.
- About 30% were in multifamily buildings; 70% were single-family.
- Permit volume was up 19% compared with 2024.
Florence sits at the I-95 and I-20 crossroads, which keeps the bid market a mix of residential subdivisions, medical office, retail pads, and light industrial shells. We build takeoffs from your plan set and specs, then price them with ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor rather than a statewide average. That matters here, because labor and material costs in the Pee Dee do not track Charleston or Greenville. If you are also pricing work outside Florence County, our South Carolina construction estimating page covers how we handle the rest of the state.
Most of what we see locally is wood-framed residential and low-rise commercial, with brick veneer, asphalt shingle or standing-seam metal roofing, and slab-on-grade foundations. Sandy soils and a high water table in parts of the county push more scope into sitework, undercutting, and foundation prep than a comparable piedmont job. We return Excel and PDF quantities organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets showing what was measured. Send plans through our get an estimate page and we will confirm scope before starting.
- Coverage
- Florence and nearby South Carolina communities
- Deliverable
- Excel estimate + marked-up PDF plans
- Pricing basis
- Florence ZIP-code material and labor costs
- Turnaround
- 24–48 hours for most projects
- Software
- Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, RSMeans data
01
For bidders. You need quantities you can defend in a bid review. We show measured areas, counts, and waste assumptions by division so you can challenge or adjust any line before you submit.
02
For builders. You are buying out trades. We break scope to match your subcontract packages, so framing, roofing, and MEP quantities land on the right bid form without rework.
03
For owners. You are checking a budget or a change order. We re-measure against the drawings and specs and flag scope gaps, alternates, and allowances that affect your number.
Florence by the numbers
Florence's residential construction pipeline
Select a bar to compare Florence with the largest South Carolina markets we cover.
436New housing units, 2025
3.8%Of all units in the South Carolina cities we cover
$69MPermitted residential value
30%In multifamily buildings
New housing units permitted in 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
This city
Florence
436 new housing units in 2025 (+19.5% vs 2024).
304 single-family · 132 multifamily (30%).
Permit volume and what it means for bidders
Florence issued 436 new privately-owned residential units in 2025, up from 365 in 2024 — about 19% growth. Single-family accounted for 304 units and multifamily 132, so roughly 30% of the year's residential permits were attached product. Permitted value was $69M, an average of $158,200 per unit. For bidders, that mix means you are pricing both subdivision stick-framing and larger multifamily buildings in the same market. Multifamily work brings different assumptions on fire separation, elevator and stair cores, and MEP riser counts, so a takeoff built for a single-family plan will not carry over. Florence ranked 11th of 23 covered South Carolina cities by units and took 3.8% of the 11,527 covered units statewide. If you bid across multiple markets, compare our Sumter construction estimating and Myrtle Beach construction estimating pages for how the surrounding demand differs.
Where the cost risk sits in Florence County
The dominant local cost drivers are not the finishes. Sandy Coastal Plain soils require undercut and engineered fill in many pads, and a shallow water table in low areas adds dewatering and vapor-retarder scope. Summer humidity and cooling loads push HVAC tonnage and duct insulation above what a piedmont estimate would carry. On commercial buildings, wind-borne debris requirements and floodplain elevation can change glazing, roof deck attachment, and foundation height. Because the city's permit value averages $158,200 per unit, small changes in sitework and envelope scope move the total more than interior upgrades do. We price those items explicitly rather than burying them in a general conditions line.
Services
Construction estimating services in Florence, SC
We measure and price the scopes that drive Florence County bids, from pad prep through MEP rough-in.
Foundation estimating
Slab-on-grade, stem wall, and pier quantities with vapor retarder and rebar priced for local soil conditions.
CY · SF · LBConcrete estimating
Footings, slab, and tilt-wall panels measured with formwork and finish allowances for low-rise commercial shells.
CY · SFFraming takeoff
Floor, wall, and roof members counted from plans, with sheathing, hardware, and typical waste factors applied.
LF · EA · SFRoofing estimating
Asphalt shingle and standing-seam metal systems with underlayment, flashing, and pitch-based waste.
SQ · LFMEP estimating
HVAC, plumbing, and electrical rough-in quantities sized for Florence humidity and cooling loads.
EA · LF · TONResidential estimating
Single-family and townhome takeoffs for subdivision builders, priced by trade package for buyout.
SF · EACommercial estimating
Medical office, retail, and light industrial shells measured by CSI division with marked-up plan sets.
SF · EAWho we provide estimates for
Who we prepare Florence estimates for
General contractors bidding Florence County work
You are pricing wood-framed subdivisions and low-rise commercial around Florence, and you need division-by-division quantities that hold up in a bid review against three or four local competitors.
Subcontractors buying out trades
Your framing, roofing, or concrete package has to match the GC's bid form. We break quantities to the scope you actually carry, so you are not pricing sitework or MEP you never bid.
Residential builders and developers
You are building single-family product on infill lots and small tracts in the Pee Dee. We measure per-plan and per-lot so your model takeoff rolls up without re-measuring every elevation.
Commercial and medical office owners
Florence is a regional medical and retail hub, so tenant fit-outs and shell buildings here carry MEP and partition scope that a residential estimator will miss. We price those divisions separately.
Light industrial and warehouse developers
I-95 and I-20 distribution and shop buildings need slab, tilt or metal panel, and racking-ready electrical quantities. We take those off from the structural and MEP sets, not from a shell allowance.
Architects and engineers checking budgets
You need a third-party quantity check before a client sees a cost opinion. We return marked-up plan sets and Excel quantities by CSI division so your assumptions are traceable.
Where we provide estimates
Florence areas and nearby communities we cover
We price work inside the city and across Florence County, plus the surrounding Pee Dee and I-95 corridor towns. If your project is outside this list, send the address and we will confirm coverage before we start.
Central Florence and in-town
- Downtown Florence
- West Florence
- Timrod Park area
- McLeod Regional Medical Center area
- Florence Industrial Park
Florence County and I-95 corridor
- Quinby
- Timmonsville
- Johnsonville
- Lake City
- Pamplico
- Darlington
Pee Dee and nearby cities we cover
Property types
Types of Florence properties we estimate
The 2025 permit mix here was about 436 new privately-owned residential units, roughly 70% single-family and 30% multifamily, with an average permitted value near $158,200 per unit. That mix drives what we take off most often.
Single-family subdivisions
Wood-framed homes on slab or crawl space with brick veneer, asphalt shingle roofing, and two-car garages. We take off per plan and per lot so your model rolls up across a phase without re-measuring every elevation.
Watch for: Brick veneer quantities, garage slab thickness, and lot-specific sitework.
Multifamily and townhomes
Garden apartments and attached townhome rows, which made up about 30% of permitted units here. Shared walls, common stairs, and building-wide MEP runs change the takeoff compared with detached houses.
Watch for: Fire separation assemblies, common-area MEP, and unit-mix repetition.
Medical and professional office
Florence is a regional medical hub, so clinic and professional office buildings carry above-average mechanical, medical gas, and partition scope. We price those divisions from the MEP set rather than a square-foot allowance.
Watch for: Plumbing fixture counts, exam-room partitions, and rooftop unit sizing.
Retail and restaurant pads
Small-format retail and quick-service buildings along the commercial corridors. Grease interceptors, hood systems, and storefront glazing are real line items here, not allowances buried in a shell number.
Watch for: Storefront glazing, hood and grease scope, and utility tie-in distances.
Light industrial and warehouse
Shop, distribution, and storage buildings near the interstate. Slab flatness, dock equipment, and racking-ready electrical service drive the cost more than the wall assembly does.
Watch for: Slab thickness and joints, dock packages, and service amperage.
Additions, renovations, and fit-outs
Interior build-outs and additions where selective demolition, existing conditions, and code upgrades apply. We measure new work and demo separately so your change-order pricing stays defensible.
Watch for: Selective demo, existing MEP tie-ins, and code-upgrade scope.
Local factors
What changes a construction estimate in Florence
Two bids on the same Florence plan can differ by more than the finishes. These are the cost drivers we adjust for when we price work in Florence County.
Code edition and permitting
Florence County and the City of Florence administer their own permitting and inspections, and the adopted edition of the South Carolina building, residential, and energy codes can lag or lead what you used on your last job. Wind and flood provisions apply near the coast and along the Pee Dee River floodplain, not uniformly across the county. Confirm the adopted edition and any local amendments with the Florence County building department before you lock your permit and inspection allowances.
IBC · IRC · IECC · Florence County building departmentSandy soils and high water table
Much of the Pee Dee sits on sandy Coastal Plain soils, and parts of the county have a water table shallow enough to matter. That pushes scope into undercutting, engineered fill, footing over-excavation, and sometimes a heavier slab or pier design than the drawings first suggest. We carry those items as separate lines so you can see what the geotechnical report actually costs you. Foundation scope belongs in its own takeoff, not buried in the site package.
Geotechnical report · engineered fill · slab-on-grade · undercuttingHurricane and storm exposure
Florence is inland enough to avoid the full coastal wind requirements, but tropical systems still track through the Pee Dee and have caused widespread roof and tree damage. Roof sheathing nailing, shingle wind ratings, and attachment details can be upgraded above the minimum, and that changes both material and labor. If your spec calls for a higher wind rating or impact glazing, we price it as an alternate rather than assuming it is included.
Wind-borne debris · roof sheathing attachment · shingle wind rating · ASCE 7Labor availability and crew travel
Florence draws trades from a wide radius, and crews working here may travel from Sumter, Darlington, or the Myrtle Beach area. Travel time, per diem, and small-crew productivity show up in unit labor rates, especially for specialty trades like medical gas, fire sprinkler, and standing-seam roofing. We price labor from ZIP-code-adjusted data rather than a national average, and we flag any trade where the local pool is thin enough to affect your bid.
RSMeans data · ZIP-code-adjusted labor · specialty trades · crew travelFlat sites, drainage, and detention
The terrain around Florence is flat, which sounds easy until you price storm drainage and detention. Grading, swales, curb and gutter, and storm pipe runs get longer when there is no natural fall, and local review often requires on-site detention or a pond. We take off pipe by diameter and length, structures by count, and earthwork by cut and fill volumes. Those quantities move fast with a revised grading plan, so we re-measure when the civil set changes.
Storm drainage · detention pond · cut and fill · curb and gutterMaterial sourcing and haul distance
Florence is a distribution crossroads, so common materials move efficiently, but specialty items still ship from Columbia, Charlotte, or the coast. Brick, precast, structural steel, and mechanical equipment can carry freight and lead-time costs that a bare material price misses. We price locally available commodities at Florence-area rates and call out any line where freight or a long lead time should be carried separately in your bid.
Freight cost · lead time · local suppliers · structural steelFlorence estimating guide
How Florence conditions show up in a takeoff, trade by trade
A Florence takeoff is shaped by flat coastal-plain sites, sandy soils, and a residential-to-commercial mix that splits between in-town infill and new subdivisions off the bypass corridors. Below is how that shows up line by line.
Sitework and earthwork
Florence sits on the upper Coastal Plain, where the water table is often within a few feet of grade and the sand drains fast but does not hold a cut slope. A takeoff here should carry stripping depth, unsuitable-material undercut allowance, and a separate line for structural fill imported if the on-site sand fails density testing. Detention is usually a requirement, so include pond excavation, side slopes, outfall pipe, and riprap as distinct items rather than burying them in a lump-sum site package. Haul distance to a permitted disposal site drives the unit price more than the excavation itself. Our sitework estimating services break these into measurable quantities rather than allowances.
Framing and carpentry
Wood framing is standard for Florence residential, and the takeoff should be by wall segment rather than a single board-foot number if you want to buy it. Break out plates, studs at 16 in. o.c. with stud count adjusted for openings, headers by size, and sheathing by sheet with a waste factor. Roof framing needs rafter or truss counts, ridge and hip lengths, and blocking at gable ends. Wind-rated connections — straps, clips, and continuous load path hardware — belong on their own line because they are frequently left off residential bids. Framing estimating services handle this breakdown, and multi-family estimating services apply the same logic repeated across identical units.
MEP and interior finishes
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing in Florence work is largely plan-and-spec driven, and the takeoff should be by fixture or device count, not by allowance. Count plumbing fixtures, floor drains, water heaters, and cleanouts; count electrical devices, panels, feeders, and light fixtures by type; count supply and return diffusers, flex duct by linear foot, and rooftop units by tonnage. Interior finishes go by square foot of gypsum board, linear foot of base, square yard of carpet or square foot of LVT, and each painted surface separately. MEP estimating services and commercial estimating services both flag when a spec section conflicts with the plan set.
Concrete and foundations
Slab-on-grade dominates residential and light commercial work around Florence, and the flat terrain means little stepped footing — but the sand subgrade and high water table mean you should price a vapor retarder, a capillary break, and possibly a pumped dewatering day count. For residential, count continuous footings by linear foot, stem walls by linear foot at a stated height, and slab by square foot at a stated thickness. For commercial pads, add doweled construction joints, thickened edges at overhead doors, and a separate line for termite treatment under slab. Our concrete estimating services and foundation estimating services both itemize vapor barrier and anchor bolt counts.
Roofing and exterior envelope
Florence sees both summer heat and tropical-system wind, so the roof takeoff should separate field shingle or membrane area from perimeter, ridge, hip, valley, and penetration flashing. On steep-slope residential, count underlayment by square, starter course by linear foot, and ridge vent by linear foot. On low-slope commercial, count cover board, insulation thickness in layers, and tapered insulation crickets at drains. Wall assemblies need house wrap or fluid-applied WRB by square foot, flashing at window and door openings by linear foot, and sealant by linear foot of joint. Roofing estimating services price these as separate scopes so a roofer's bid and a GC's bid line up.
Scope gaps we see on Florence bids
- Dewatering and undercut not carried, then treated as a change order once the sandy subgrade fails density testing.
- Detention pond excavation, outfall pipe, and riprap shown on the civil sheets but absent from the sitework bid.
- Vapor retarder, capillary break, and termite treatment omitted from slab-on-grade pricing.
- Wind-rated straps, clips, and continuous load path hardware left off residential framing bids.
- Roof flashing, ridge vent, and penetration boots excluded when the bid is priced per square only.
- Permit fees, plan review, and utility connection charges not assigned to any trade in the bid form.
Free tool
Concrete volume calculator
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.
Result
19.4CY
Net volume18.5 CY
Cubic feet500 CF
Ready-mix trucks (10 CY)2
80 lb bags (premix)875
Need the full takeoff with pricing? Upload your plans.
How it works
How we estimate a Florence project
- Read the full setArchitectural, structural, civil and MEP drawings, the geotechnical report and every addendum.
- Check Florence conditionsLocal code edition, site and drainage requirements, soils and any hazard rules are confirmed before the takeoff starts.
- Take off by CSI sectionQuantities measured and color-coded on the plans, so every number traces to a sheet.
- Price to FlorenceMaterial and labor costs adjusted to the project ZIP code, or to your own supplier quotes and crew rates.
- Check and deliverA second estimator checks quantities before the estimate goes out.
Sample output
Sample takeoff: single-family residence, Florence, SC
| Section | Line item | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 30 00 | Slab on grade, 4 in. thickness | 2,180 | SF |
| 03 20 00 | Continuous footing, 24 in. x 12 in. | 186 | LF |
| 06 10 00 | 2x4 stud wall, 8 ft, 16 in. o.c. | 412 | LF |
| 06 10 00 | Wall sheathing, 7/16 in. OSB | 3,150 | SF |
| 06 10 00 | Roof trusses, 24 in. o.c. | 38 | EA |
| 07 30 00 | Asphalt shingles, architectural | 3,420 | SF |
| 09 29 00 | Gypsum board, 1/2 in., painted | 5,240 | SF |
| 22 11 00 | PEX water distribution, 1/2 in. | 640 | LF |
Worked example: slab-on-grade concrete for a Florence single-family house
This walks through a slab takeoff for a one-story house on a flat lot in Florence. Dimensions are illustrative and would be replaced by the actual plan dimensions.
Step 1 — Slab area. The heated footprint measures 52 ft by 38 ft, plus a 22 ft by 20 ft attached garage.
| Element | Calculation | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Main slab | 52 ft x 38 ft | 1,976 SF |
| Garage slab | 22 ft x 20 ft | 440 SF |
| Gross slab area | 1,976 + 440 | 2,416 SF |
Step 2 — Deduct penetrations and thickened areas. No slab openings are shown. The garage slab is typically 4 in. like the main slab, so no thickness adjustment is needed here.
Step 3 — Concrete volume at 4 in. 4 in. = 0.333 ft.
| Item | Calculation | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Volume, net | 2,416 SF x 0.333 ft | 805 CF |
| Volume, cubic yards | 805 CF / 27 | 29.8 CY |
Step 4 — Waste factor. Typical slab waste runs 5 to 10 percent for pump loss, over-excavation, and spillage. Use 7 percent.
| Item | Calculation | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Waste | 29.8 CY x 0.07 | 2.1 CY |
| Order quantity | 29.8 + 2.1 | 31.9 CY |
Step 5 — Related items. Vapor retarder goes down at the gross slab area plus 10 percent for laps: 2,416 SF x 1.10 = 2,658 SF. Welded wire reinforcement at 6x6-W1.4xW1.4 in sheets covers the same area with 10 percent lap: 2,658 SF. Formwork is priced by perimeter: the main slab perimeter is 2 x (52 + 38) = 180 LF, and the garage perimeter is 2 x (22 + 20) = 84 LF, for 264 LF total, less the shared wall where the garage meets the house, about 22 LF, giving roughly 242 LF of edge form.
Step 6 — What drives the price. In Florence, the pump charge, the number of truckloads, and whether the subgrade needs dewatering or undercut matter more than the concrete unit price. A bid that prices only the cubic yards will miss the vapor retarder, reinforcement, edge form, and any subgrade repair. Confirm the adopted code edition and local inspection requirements with the Florence County or City of Florence building department before you finalize quantities.
FAQ
Florence construction estimating questions
Where does the Florence permit data on this page come from?
The permit figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey for 2025, which counts new privately-owned residential units permitted by the city itself. That survey does not include commercial, industrial, or renovation permits, and it does not capture unincorporated Florence County. For a commercial or industrial bid, treat the residential numbers as a general indicator of local activity and verify the actual market conditions with your own sources.
What does the 2025 permit volume say about Florence construction activity?
The city permitted 436 new privately-owned residential units in 2025, up from 365 in 2024, a change of 19 percent. Single-family units were 304 and multifamily units were 132, so multifamily was about 30 percent of the total. Permitted value was $69M, averaging $158,200 per unit. Florence ranked 11 of 23 covered state cities by units and accounted for 3.8 percent of the covered state total of 11,527 units.
Do you need to be local to estimate a Florence project?
No. We work from your plan set and specifications and return an Excel and PDF takeoff organized by CSI MasterFormat division with marked-up plans. Pricing is adjusted using ZIP-code-level material and labor data, so a Florence project is priced with Florence-area costs rather than a national average. What we do need from you is the full drawing set, the spec book, any addenda, and the bid date.
How do you handle the sandy soil and high water table in a Florence takeoff?
We do not assume the subgrade is suitable. The takeoff carries a stripping line, an undercut allowance, and a separate structural fill line, plus a dewatering item if the geotechnical report or the plan notes indicate groundwater near the excavation bottom. If you have a soils report, send it. Without one, we price the sitework with clearly labeled allowances you can adjust once the report is available.
What wind and storm items should be in a Florence residential takeoff?
At a minimum, count roof-to-wall straps or clips, anchor bolt and hold-down counts, continuous load path hardware, and the sheathing nailing pattern called out in the plans. Roofing should carry underlayment, starter course, ridge and hip flashing, and penetration boots separately. Because wind provisions depend on the adopted code edition and the local jurisdiction, confirm the required design wind speed and connection schedule with the local building department before finalizing.
How do you price detention ponds and drainage on a Florence site?
We break the pond into excavation volume by cut depth, side slope area, outfall pipe by linear foot and diameter, and riprap by square yard or ton. We also separate the topsoil strip and the pond lining if one is specified. Because the flat terrain means long runs to the outfall, pipe length and invert depth often drive the cost more than the excavation itself. Send the civil sheets and the drainage study if one exists.
What is your turnaround time on a Florence estimate?
Most projects come back in 24 to 48 hours, and rush turnaround is available. Turnaround depends on the completeness of the documents, the size of the project, and the number of trades involved. A single-family plan set moves faster than a multi-building commercial package with a full spec book. If you send partial documents, tell us what is missing so we can flag it in the deliverable rather than price around it.
Can you estimate multi-family projects in Florence?
Yes. With 132 multifamily units permitted in the city in 2025, about 30 percent of the residential total, we see a steady stream of duplex, townhome, and apartment work. For repeated units we take off one unit type in full, then apply a count multiplier and handle the common areas, sitework, and building shell separately. That keeps the unit-level cost visible so you can compare your bid against your own historical numbers.
What file formats do you deliver?
We deliver Excel and PDF, organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets showing what was measured. The Excel file is structured so you can adjust quantities, waste factors, and unit prices without rebuilding the sheet. We use Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, and RSMeans data in production. If your estimating department uses a different format, tell us before we start and we will match it.
Do you cover projects outside Florence city limits?
Yes. We cover Florence County and the surrounding area, and we also work in nearby South Carolina markets including Sumter, Myrtle Beach, and Aiken. If your project is in a smaller town in the Pee Dee region, send the address and we will confirm coverage. Pricing is adjusted to the project ZIP code, so a job in a neighboring county is priced with that area's material and labor costs.
Other South Carolina cities we cover
Popular services in Florence
Send your Florence project plans for a quote
Send your drawings, specifications, and bid date, and we will return a division-organized takeoff with marked-up plans, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
- We review the set and check for missing sheets or addenda.
- You get a quote with a price and a delivery date.
- You approve and we start the takeoff.
- You receive the Excel estimate and marked-up plans.