Sitework and grading
Mass excavation, engineered fill, dewatering and utility trenching priced for high water table and sandy coastal soils.
CY · LF · TONMyrtle Beach, SC
Construction estimating services in Myrtle Beach, SC
Scope Precision Estimate prepares CSI MasterFormat takeoffs and estimates for Myrtle Beach contractors, developers and owners. We price coastal wind, flood and salt-exposure scope from your plans in 24–48 hours, delivered as Excel and PDF with marked-up drawings.
24–48 hours for most projectsTypical turnaround
Every CSI divisionSitework through MEP
Myrtle Beach ZIP pricingLocal material and labor
Price confirmed firstBefore any work starts
Census BPS · Myrtle Beach · 2025Real permit data
Myrtle Beach new housing permits2025
New housing units189Change vs. 2024−5%Permitted construction value$75MAverage value per unit$394,500Rank among covered South Carolina cities#19
Single-family: 189 (100%)Multifamily: 0 (0%)
U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Residential only.
What makes construction estimating in Myrtle Beach different?
Three local drivers dominate: wind-borne debris and flood elevation requirements that add rated glazing, continuous load path hardware and freeboard to base elevations; high water table and sandy soils near the coast that push foundation and dewatering costs; and a tourism-driven schedule that compresses labor into shoulder seasons. ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing captures Grand Strand delivery and trade rates.
- Myrtle Beach permitted 189 new housing units in 2025, #19 among the South Carolina cities we cover.
- About 0% were in multifamily buildings; 100% were single-family.
- Permit volume was down 5% compared with 2024.
Myrtle Beach sits in Horry County on the Grand Strand, where the building stock splits between short-term rental low-rise, oceanfront high-rise, and inland single-family subdivisions. That mix changes what an estimate has to carry. An oceanfront project needs rated assemblies, corrosion-resistant fasteners and flood-zone foundation detail priced line by line, while an inland subdivision off Carolina Forest Boulevard is driven by production framing, slab-on-grade concrete and utility extensions. We build both.
Our takeoffs are organized by CSI MasterFormat division, priced with ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor, and returned in 24–48 hours with marked-up plan sets so your team can trace every quantity back to the sheet. We work across the state and the surrounding markets, including Florence and Hilton Head Island, and we cover the full South Carolina construction estimating scope from sitework through MEP. Send plans through our get an estimate page and we will confirm scope and turnaround before starting.
- Coverage
- Myrtle Beach and nearby South Carolina communities
- Deliverable
- Excel estimate + marked-up PDF plans
- Pricing basis
- Myrtle Beach ZIP-code material and labor costs
- Turnaround
- 24–48 hours for most projects
- Software
- Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, RSMeans data
01
For bidders. You need a bid you can defend. We price coastal wind, flood and salt-exposure scope as separate line items so your number holds up in a leveling meeting, and we flag alternates you can carry or exclude.
02
For builders. You need buyout numbers that match what your trades actually charge on the Grand Strand. We break labor and material by division, apply ZIP-code-adjusted rates, and give you quantities you can hand straight to suppliers.
03
For owners. You need a budget before design is finished. We produce a scope-based estimate with clear assumptions on foundation type, envelope performance and sitework, so you can compare options before committing to a plan set.
Myrtle Beach by the numbers
Myrtle Beach's residential construction pipeline
Select a bar to compare Myrtle Beach with the largest South Carolina markets we cover.
189New housing units, 2025
1.6%Of all units in the South Carolina cities we cover
$75MPermitted residential value
0%In multifamily buildings
New housing units permitted in 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
This city
Myrtle Beach
189 new housing units in 2025 (-4.5% vs 2024).
189 single-family · 0 multifamily (0%).
What the permit numbers say
Myrtle Beach issued 189 new privately-owned residential units in 2025, down about 5% from 198 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Every one of those units was single-family; multifamily permits were zero, so the local residential pipeline is detached and low-rise attached product rather than apartment towers. Permitted value was $75M, an average of $394,500 per unit. That average is high for a market with no multifamily, which tells you the coastal finish level and wind-rated envelope are carrying real cost. Myrtle Beach ranked 19 of 23 among covered state cities by units, at 1.6% of the 11,527 statewide total, so the city itself is a smaller slice of South Carolina volume than the broader Grand Strand. For bidders, that means fewer local projects to spread overhead across and more competition on each one. Firms that also work Florence or Spartanburg can smooth the gaps, but each market prices differently.
Coastal scope that inland estimates miss
The flat $394,500 average per unit is not a normal inland number. Coastal Horry County construction carries wind-borne debris protection, flood elevation and freeboard, corrosion-resistant fasteners and connectors, and reinforced flashing at roof-to-wall and window interfaces. Foundation work near the water table often needs engineered fill, dewatering or pile-supported slabs instead of a simple turned-down slab. None of that is optional, and none of it shows up in a generic square-foot number. When we estimate a Myrtle Beach project, we separate those items so you can see the coastal premium instead of burying it. If your work is inland, the scope looks more like the rest of the state, and our residential estimating services handle that volume efficiently.
Services
Construction estimating services in Myrtle Beach
We estimate the trades that drive Grand Strand projects, from cleared lots to topped-out structures.
Concrete and foundations
Slab-on-grade, turned-down footings, pile caps and elevated slabs with formwork and reinforcing broken out by area.
CY · SF · LBFraming takeoffs
Dimensional lumber, engineered joists, trusses and continuous load path hardware counted from plan and section views.
BF · EA · LFRoofing and waterproofing
Rated roof assemblies, underlayment, flashing and roof-to-wall details for wind-driven rain exposure.
SQ · LF · EAMEP systems
Plumbing, HVAC and electrical rough-in counts with fixture, equipment and device schedules tied to the drawings.
EA · LF · TONWind and flood scope
Impact glazing, shutters, connectors and freeboard-related foundation adjustments carried as separate bid lines.
SF · EA · LFCommercial interiors
Studs, drywall, ceilings, flooring and storefront for restaurant and retail fit-outs along the Grand Strand.
SF · LF · EAMulti-family and rental
Unit-by-unit quantities for low-rise attached and short-term rental buildings, with common area scope separated.
SF · EA · CYWho we provide estimates for
Who sends us Myrtle Beach plans
General contractors bidding oceanfront and second-row work
You are pricing rated wall and roof assemblies, stainless or hot-dip fasteners, and flood-zone foundation detail against three or four competitors. We break those out as separate lines so your bid is comparable.
Production homebuilders in the Carolina Forest and Socastee corridors
Your margin lives in repetition. We take off slab, framing, truss package, roofing and finishes per plan, then give you a per-unit quantity set you can multiply across a subdivision phase.
Subcontractors pricing concrete, framing, roofing and MEP
You need quantities, not a lump sum. We return board feet, yards, squares and fixture counts by division so you can apply your own labor rate and still check ours against RSMeans.
Developers and owners budgeting before design is complete
You are comparing a low-rise rental building against townhomes on the same parcel. We price both from a scope narrative with stated assumptions on foundation, envelope and sitework so the comparison is honest.
Architects and engineers issuing a bid set
Your drawings carry the coastal details; the estimate has to match them. We mark up the plan set as we take off so you can see exactly which sheet each quantity came from.
Out-of-state contractors entering the Grand Strand market
Your home-market pricing does not transfer to Horry County. We apply ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor rates and flag the scope items that behave differently here, from wind-rated roofing to flood elevation.
Where we provide estimates
Myrtle Beach areas and nearby communities we cover
We estimate projects across the Grand Strand, from the oceanfront blocks to the inland subdivisions and the surrounding Horry County communities. Plans come to us as PDF sets, and we return takeoffs organized by CSI MasterFormat division.
Oceanfront and central Myrtle Beach
- Downtown Myrtle Beach
- Ocean Boulevard
- The Golden Mile
- Chapin Memorial area
- Market Common
- Broadway at the Beach area
North and south Grand Strand
- North Myrtle Beach
- Cherry Grove
- Crescent Beach
- Surfside Beach
- Garden City
- Murrells Inlet
Inland Horry County
- Carolina Forest
- Socastee
- Little River
- Conway
- Forestbrook
- Aynor
Nearby markets we also cover
Property types
Types of Myrtle Beach properties we estimate
The 2025 permit data for the city shows 189 new privately-owned residential units, all single-family, with no multifamily units permitted — so the residential book here is detached and small attached product, not apartment towers. Commercial and hospitality work is driven by the visitor economy rather than by that permit count.
Oceanfront low-rise and mid-rise
Rental buildings and second-row condos where the envelope does the heavy lifting. We price rated wall assemblies, impact or rated glazing, elevated decks and corrosion-resistant connections as separate lines rather than burying them in a square-foot number.
Watch for: Wind-rated assemblies, flood elevation, salt-exposure fasteners
Inland single-family subdivisions
Production homes off Carolina Forest Boulevard, Socastee and Conway. Slab-on-grade concrete, panelized or stick framing, truss package, shingle roofing and standard finishes, taken off per plan and extended across a phase.
Watch for: Slab thickness, waste factors, per-unit quantity roll-up
Custom and elevated coastal homes
Piling or stem-wall foundations, breakaway ground floors, larger glazing packages and detailed trim. These plans reward a line-by-line takeoff because the foundation and envelope scope swings widely between two houses of similar size.
Watch for: Piling counts, breakaway walls, garage and stair enclosure
Hospitality and restaurant build-outs
Hotel renovations, restaurant kitchens and bar fit-outs along the Grand Strand. Grease duct, hood suppression, make-up air, walk-in refrigeration and finish schedules drive the number more than the base building does.
Watch for: Kitchen equipment, exhaust and make-up air, health-department finishes
Retail, office and mixed-use
Strip centers, small professional offices and mixed-use buildings with ground-floor commercial. Tenant separation, storefront glazing, sprinkler coverage and separate utility metering are the scope items that most often get missed at budget stage.
Watch for: Storefront systems, sprinkler coverage, utility separation
Light industrial and self-storage
Warehouse shells, contractor yards and climate-controlled storage in the inland county corridors. Slab flatness, column spacing, dock equipment and fire-rated separation between storage types set the cost, not the finish package.
Watch for: Slab flatness, dock packages, fire-rated separations
Local factors
What changes a construction estimate in Myrtle Beach
Two plans with the same square footage can price very differently here depending on where the parcel sits relative to the ocean, the flood zone and the utility network. These are the six variables we check before we put a number on paper.
Coastal code and permitting
Horry County and the City of Myrtle Beach each administer their own permitting and inspection process, and coastal construction sits under the state's adopted building and residential codes plus local floodplain requirements. The edition in force and the flood zone designation on your parcel change foundation type, elevation and enclosure details. Confirm the adopted code edition and the flood zone with the local building department before you finalize scope, because a zone change can move a house from slab to piling.
IBC · IRC · local floodplain ordinance · Horry County building departmentSoils, water table and foundations
Much of the Grand Strand sits on sandy coastal soils with a shallow seasonal water table, and inland parcels can carry fill from previous grading. That combination pushes foundation scope toward engineered fill, deeper embedment or piling rather than a plain spread footing. We price excavation, backfill, compaction and dewatering as separate lines so you can see what the soil report is actually costing you. A geotechnical report changes the number more than any finish selection.
Geotechnical report · piling · engineered fill · dewateringWind, flood and salt exposure
Wind-borne debris regions, flood zones and salt air drive the envelope spec: rated roof coverings, specific nailing patterns, impact-rated or rated glazing, stainless or hot-dip galvanized fasteners and connectors, and corrosion-resistant flashing. These items are easy to omit from a budget and expensive to add later. We list them as their own division lines so an owner can see the premium rather than discovering it at buyout.
Wind-borne debris region · flood zone · rated glazing · corrosion-resistant fastenersLabor availability and season
The trades here swing with the tourist season and the storm-repair cycle. Concrete, framing and roofing crews can be stretched in spring and after a named storm, and finish trades tighten before the summer rental season. We price labor from ZIP-code-adjusted rates and note where a schedule assumption is doing real work in the number. If your bid date sits in a tight labor window, say so and we will reflect it.
ZIP-code-adjusted labor · RSMeans data · seasonal crew availabilitySitework, drainage and land use
Flat coastal parcels drain poorly, so grading, swales, storm pipe, catch basins and retention often carry more cost than the building pad itself. Wetland and buffer lines, tree preservation and utility extension distance from the nearest main can each add scope that never appears on the architectural sheets. We take off sitework from the civil set and price it separately from the building.
Grading and drainage · storm pipe · utility extension · wetland and buffer linesMaterials, logistics and taxes
Most material arrives by truck, and coastal deliveries to tight oceanfront lots need staging and crane or pump access priced in. Concrete, masonry and drywall supply is regional, so lead times and freight move the number. South Carolina sales and use tax treatment differs between real property improvement and material purchase, and how your contract is written affects which applies. Confirm the tax treatment with your accountant.
Freight and staging · crane and pump access · South Carolina sales and use taxMyrtle Beach estimating guide
How Myrtle Beach conditions show up in a takeoff, trade by trade
Myrtle Beach sits in Horry County, where wind-borne debris, flood zones and a shallow water table change quantities and details on nearly every trade. Here is how those conditions appear in a real takeoff.
Sitework and drainage
Horry County's flat coastal terrain and high water table push most projects to positive drainage rather than deep gravity systems. A takeoff here includes clearing and grubbing by acre, borrow fill by cubic yard, and undercut where organic muck is found. Storm pipe is often RCP or HDPE with flared end sections, and swales are common. You will see more curb inlet structures and riprap than a Piedmont job. If your plans show a pond, we price the excavation, the outfall structure and the maintenance easement separately. For a full site package, our sitework estimating services cover clearing through final grading and erosion control.
Concrete and masonry
Concrete flatwork is everywhere in Myrtle Beach: driveways, pool decks, sidewalks and parking. A takeoff prices slab by square foot with thickness, reinforcement by pounds per square foot, and joints by linear foot. Coastal exposure usually means 4,000 psi mixes with air entrainment and sometimes corrosion inhibitors, and we carry those as separate mix line items. CMU is used for stem walls and some commercial walls; brick veneer is common on residential. You will also see concrete pilings and grade beams on elevated coastal homes. For a complete concrete scope, our concrete estimating services include formwork, reinforcement, placement and finishing.
MEP and interior finishes
Mechanical systems in Myrtle Beach are sized for high humidity and long cooling seasons, so you see larger tonnage and dehumidification. A takeoff includes condenser and air handler counts, ductwork by pound or linear foot, and registers by each. Plumbing is mostly PVC and PEX, with fixtures by count. Electrical includes service size, panel counts, device counts and fixture counts. Interior finishes turn on moisture-resistant drywall, luxury vinyl plank and tile in many units. Our MEP estimating services cover mechanical, electrical and plumbing line items by system, and we organize everything by CSI MasterFormat division in Excel and PDF.
Foundations
Shallow groundwater and sandy coastal soils mean slab-on-grade with thickened edges is common, but geotechnical reports often call for engineered fill or a raised pad. A takeoff includes continuous footings by linear foot, stem walls by cubic yard, vapor barrier by square foot, and anchor bolt counts. Where the water table is within a few feet, dewatering and a gravel base course show up as line items. Pile-supported foundations appear on some larger coastal projects, and those are priced by pile count and cap volume. Our foundation estimating services break out concrete, rebar, forms and waterproofing separately so you can see where the money is.
Framing and roofing
Wood framing dominates residential work, but coastal wind requirements drive more hardware, straps and continuous load paths than inland projects. A takeoff counts studs by piece, plates by linear foot, sheathing by sheet, and connectors by each. Roofing in Myrtle Beach is typically asphalt shingles or standing seam metal, with underlayment and ice-and-water membrane at valleys and eaves. Wind-rated shingles and specific nailing patterns show up in the specifications, and we price them as separate line items. Hip roofs are common, which changes waste factors. Our framing estimating services and roofing estimating services both include a marked-up plan set so you can verify counts.
Scope gaps we see on Myrtle Beach bids
- Dewatering and temporary erosion control are often missing from sitework bids, even though they are required during coastal construction.
- Wind-borne debris protection for glazing is sometimes excluded, leaving the owner to negotiate a change order after permit review.
- Anchor bolt and hold-down counts are frequently estimated from memory rather than from the structural sheets.
- Roof underlayment upgrades for high-wind zones are not always carried as a separate line item.
- Landscaping and irrigation are often left out of the general contract, then added as an owner direct purchase.
- Final cleaning and punch list labor are rarely priced, which eats into the contingency on tight schedules.
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 Myrtle Beach project
- Read the full setArchitectural, structural, civil and MEP drawings, the geotechnical report and every addendum.
- Check Myrtle Beach 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 Myrtle BeachMaterial 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: elevated coastal single-family residence
| Section | Line item | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 30 00 | Slab-on-grade, 4 in. | 1,850 | SF |
| 03 30 00 | Continuous footings | 210 | LF |
| 05 12 00 | Structural steel beams | 1,200 | LB |
| 06 10 00 | Wood framing, walls | 3,400 | SF |
| 06 10 00 | Roof trusses | 42 | EA |
| 07 30 00 | Asphalt shingles, wind-rated | 2,600 | SF |
| 08 53 00 | Impact-rated windows | 18 | EA |
| 09 29 00 | Moisture-resistant drywall | 4,800 | SF |
Worked example: roof sheathing for a Myrtle Beach single-family home
This example uses illustrative dimensions for a simple hip roof on a single-story home in the Myrtle Beach area. We are calculating 7/16-inch OSB roof sheathing, including waste. The roof has two rectangular planes and two triangular hip ends. Dimensions are simplified for clarity.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Main roof plane 1 | 40 ft × 14 ft | 560 SF |
| Main roof plane 2 | 40 ft × 14 ft | 560 SF |
| Hip end 1 | 0.5 × 20 ft × 12 ft | 120 SF |
| Hip end 2 | 0.5 × 20 ft × 12 ft | 120 SF |
| Total roof area | 560 + 560 + 120 + 120 | 1,360 SF |
| Waste factor (10%) | 1,360 × 1.10 | 1,496 SF |
| Sheets required | 1,496 ÷ 32 SF per sheet | 46.75 → 47 sheets |
We then add fasteners, clips and underlayment as separate line items. For a coastal project, the specifications may require ring-shank nails and specific spacing, so we check the structural sheets before finalizing. The same method applies to wall sheathing, but wall areas are taken from elevation, not plan. If you have a two-story home, you would repeat the process for each level and add a waste factor for gable ends and openings. Our residential estimating services cover full takeoffs for single-family and multi-family projects, and we deliver Excel and PDF files organized by CSI MasterFormat division.
FAQ
Myrtle Beach construction estimating questions
Do you account for Horry County wind and flood requirements in your takeoffs?
Yes. We review the plans for wind-borne debris protection, continuous load paths and flood-resistant materials. We do not certify code compliance, but we price the items shown on the drawings. If the specifications reference a specific wind speed or flood elevation, we note it and carry the associated materials. Always confirm the adopted code edition and local amendments with the Horry County Building Department before you rely on any takeoff for permitting.
What is the typical turnaround for a Myrtle Beach residential takeoff?
Most projects are returned in 24 to 48 hours. Larger or complex projects may take longer, and rush service is available. We deliver Excel and PDF files organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets so you can see what we measured. If you have a deadline for a bid, tell us when you send the plans and we will confirm the schedule before starting.
Do you price labor and materials using Myrtle Beach costs?
We use ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing based on RSMeans data. That means the rates reflect the local market in Myrtle Beach, including typical labor burdens and material costs. We do not mark up subcontractor quotes; we price from the plans. If you have current supplier quotes, we can incorporate them as a separate column so you can compare.
Can you estimate a multi-family project in Myrtle Beach?
Yes. We handle multi-family projects, from duplexes to larger apartment buildings. For these, we typically break out units by type and count repeated elements, then add sitework, parking and common areas. Our multi-family estimating services include a unit-by-unit breakdown so you can see where the costs concentrate. We also separate sitework and MEP scopes, which are often the largest cost drivers on coastal projects.
What software do you use for takeoffs?
We use Bluebeam Revu for plan review and markup, PlanSwift for quantity takeoff, and RSMeans data for pricing. These tools let us measure areas, counts and linear feet directly from the digital plans and link them to cost items. The output is an Excel workbook with formulas so you can adjust quantities or add your own pricing. We also provide a PDF with the marked-up plans for reference.
Do you cover nearby cities like Florence and Hilton Head Island?
Yes. We provide construction estimating services across South Carolina, including Florence, Spartanburg, Aiken, Anderson, Greer and Hilton Head Island. Coastal projects in Hilton Head Island share some conditions with Myrtle Beach, such as wind and flood requirements, but soil and market conditions differ. We adjust pricing by ZIP code for each location. If your project is in another part of the state, see our South Carolina construction estimating page for more detail.
How do you handle waste factors for roofing and siding?
We apply waste factors based on the material and roof complexity. For asphalt shingles on a hip roof, typical waste is 10% to 15%. For siding, it depends on the number of corners and openings. We show the waste factor as a separate line in the takeoff so you can adjust it if your supplier has a different recommendation. We do not inflate waste to cover unknowns; we price what the plans show.
Can you provide a takeoff for just one trade, like concrete or framing?
Yes. We can provide a takeoff for a single trade or a full project. Many clients send us the full set and ask for a specific division, such as 03 30 00 for concrete or 06 10 00 for framing. We will extract only that scope and provide quantities and pricing. This is useful when you are bidding as a subcontractor and only need your portion. Our concrete estimating services and framing estimating services are examples of trade-specific packages.
Where does the permit data on this page come from?
The permit data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. It counts new privately-owned residential units permitted by the city itself. For Myrtle Beach, the 2025 survey shows 189 single-family units and no multifamily units, for a total of 189 units, down about 5% from 198 units in 2024. The data covers residential only and does not include commercial or industrial permits. You can find the same data on the Census Bureau website.
What do you need from me to start a takeoff?
We need the architectural, structural, civil and MEP drawings, plus any specifications and addenda. If you have a bid date, tell us. We also ask for the project address or ZIP code so we can apply the correct location factor. For sitework, a boundary survey and geotechnical report help. Send digital files in PDF or DWG format. You can upload plans through our get an estimate page and we will confirm receipt and schedule.
Other South Carolina cities we cover
Popular services in Myrtle Beach
Send your Myrtle Beach project plans for a quote
Send your plans and we will return a detailed takeoff in 24 to 48 hours, organized by CSI MasterFormat division.
- 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.