Sitework takeoff
Clearing, stripping, cut and fill balanced against McLennan County clay, plus paving and utility trench quantities for subdivision work.
CY · SF · LFWaco, TX
Construction estimating services in Waco, TX
Waco issued 1,119 new privately-owned residential permits in 2025, up 59% from 705 in 2024, with multifamily at half the total. We produce Excel and PDF takeoffs organized by CSI MasterFormat division so you can bid that volume accurately.
24–48 hours for most projectsTypical turnaround
Every CSI divisionSitework through MEP
Waco ZIP pricingLocal material and labor
Price confirmed firstBefore any work starts
Census BPS · Waco · 2025Real permit data
Waco new housing permits2025
New housing units1,119Change vs. 2024+59%Permitted construction value$244MAverage value per unit$217,900Rank among covered Texas cities#17
Single-family: 561 (50%)Multifamily: 558 (50%)
U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Residential only.
What makes construction estimating in Waco, TX different?
Waco's cost drivers are expansive clay soils across McLennan County, slab-on-grade foundation detailing, wind and hail exposure on roofing assemblies, a 50% multifamily share that pushes plumbing and electrical fixture counts, and ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing for the Waco market.
- Waco permitted 1,119 new housing units in 2025, #17 among the Texas cities we cover.
- About 50% were in multifamily buildings; 50% were single-family.
- Permit volume was up 59% compared with 2024.
Waco sits between Dallas–Fort Worth and Austin, and that position shows up in the bid pipeline. Residential permits climbed to 1,119 units in 2025 from 705 the year before, and half of those units were multifamily — which changes how you price plumbing stacks, electrical panels and common-area finishes. Our takeoffs are built for that mix, and for the commercial and industrial work that follows population growth across the Waco metro. Start with our Texas construction estimating services if you bid outside McLennan County.
We deliver Excel and PDF takeoffs organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets so you can trace every quantity back to the sheet it came from. Pricing is ZIP-code-adjusted for material and labor, using Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift and RSMeans data. Most projects turn around in 24–48 hours, and rush is available when a bid date moves. If your work is mostly residential, see residential estimating services; if you are pricing multifamily, start with multi-family estimating services.
- Coverage
- Waco and nearby Texas communities
- Deliverable
- Excel estimate + marked-up PDF plans
- Pricing basis
- Waco ZIP-code material and labor costs
- Turnaround
- 24–48 hours for most projects
- Software
- Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, RSMeans data
01
For bidders. You get division-level quantities with waste factors stated, so alternates and unit-price schedules hold up during bid review. Marked-up plan sets show where each number came from.
02
For builders. You get a budget you can buy from: concrete, framing, roofing and MEP quantities separated so you can compare subcontractor quotes line by line against the same scope.
03
For owners. You get an independent cost check before you sign. We price the scope as drawn, flag missing items, and show assumptions so you can decide what to carry.
Waco by the numbers
Waco's residential construction pipeline
Select a bar to compare Waco with the largest Texas markets we cover.
1,119New housing units, 2025
1.6%Of all units in the Texas cities we cover
$244MPermitted residential value
50%In multifamily buildings
New housing units permitted in 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
This city
Waco
1,119 new housing units in 2025 (+58.7% vs 2024).
561 single-family · 558 multifamily (50%).
What the 2025 permit numbers tell bidders
Waco issued 1,119 new privately-owned residential units in 2025, up from 705 in 2024 — a 59% increase. Single-family was 561 units and multifamily 558, so multifamily was 50% of the total. Permitted value was $244M, or $217,900 per unit on average. That split matters: multifamily units carry more plumbing fixtures, more electrical devices and more fire-rated assemblies per square foot than single-family, while single-family work carries more sitework and flatwork per unit. Waco ranked 17 of 25 among the covered Texas cities by units, at 1.6% of the 72,008-unit state total. For bidders, that means local crews are not the only ones chasing the work — out-of-market contractors will price it too, and a division-level takeoff is what keeps your number defensible. Our commercial estimating services cover the mixed-use and retail side of the same growth.
Where the volume is and how to price it
Multifamily at half of permitted units points to apartment and townhome work, which is priced by unit type and repeated floor plans rather than by a single building takeoff. Quantity the typical unit, then multiply and adjust for corner units, elevators and amenity spaces. Single-family at 561 units points to subdivision work, where sitework, paving and utilities are often bid separately from the house. McLennan County soils are expansive clays, so foundation scope — pier and beam versus post-tension slab, moisture conditioning, and grade beams — is where bids diverge most. Roofing assemblies take wind and hail loading, and that affects underlayment and fastening schedules. If you also work north or west of here, our Mesquite construction estimating and Midland construction estimating pages cover those markets.
Services
Construction estimating services in Waco
We price the divisions that drive Waco bids — from dirt to fixtures — with quantities you can trace back to the drawings.
Foundation estimating
Post-tension slab and pier-and-beam quantities with grade beams, moisture conditioning and rebar priced for expansive clay subgrades.
CY · LB · SFConcrete estimating
Slab, footing, column and flatwork takeoffs with formwork, reinforcing and finish schedules separated by pour area.
CY · SF · TONFraming takeoff
Wall, floor and roof framing by member size, with sheathing, hardware and waste stated for single-family and multifamily plans.
LF · EA · SFRoofing estimating
Roof area, pitch and penetration counts, with underlayment and fastening schedules priced for Central Texas wind and hail exposure.
SQ · LF · EAMEP estimating
Fixture and device counts per unit type, plus riser diagrams, panel schedules and HVAC tonnage for multifamily buildings.
EA · LF · TONMultifamily estimating
Typical-unit pricing multiplied across floors, with corner units, elevators, amenity spaces and common areas adjusted separately.
EA · SF · LSIndustrial estimating
Slab-on-grade, structural steel, process piping and electrical takeoffs for warehouse and light manufacturing projects along the I-35 corridor.
TON · LF · CYWho we provide estimates for
Who orders Waco takeoffs from us
General contractors bidding McLennan County work
You need division-level quantities before bid day, with alternates and unit prices you can defend. We separate scope by trade so your subcontractor quotes line up against the same takeoff.
Multifamily developers and builders
Half of Waco's 2025 residential permits were multifamily units, so your pro forma turns on repeated floor plans. We count plumbing stacks, panel schedules and common-area finishes per building, not per project.
Custom and production home builders
Waco's single-family permits reached 561 units in 2025. We price slab, framing, roofing and MEP quantities ZIP-code-adjusted for local material and labor, so your purchase orders match what crews actually install.
Commercial subcontractors
If you bid schools, medical offices, retail or warehouse shells along the I-35 corridor, you need your division isolated. We deliver your scope with marked-up plan sets so you can verify counts before you sign.
Industrial and plant contractors
Central Texas manufacturing and distribution work brings foundations, process piping and equipment pads. We take off structural concrete and MEP separately so you can price the civil package apart from the building.
Architects and owners budgeting early
You want an independent cost check before drawings are final. We price the scope as drawn, flag missing items and state assumptions, so your budget carries a defensible number instead of a square-foot guess.
Where we provide estimates
Waco areas and nearby communities we cover
We take off projects across McLennan County and the surrounding Central Texas cities. If your plans are outside this list, send them anyway — the pricing basis is the same.
Central Waco and near-campus
- Downtown Waco
- Silos District
- Baylor University area
- Cameron Park
- Sanger Heights
- Dean Highland
Waco growth corridors
- Hewitt
- Woodway
- Robinson
- Bellmead
- Lacy-Lakeview
- China Spring
- McGregor
McLennan County and nearby
- Waco
- Hewitt
- Woodway
- Robinson
- Bellmead
- Lorena
- Marlin
Property types
Types of Waco properties we estimate
Waco's 2025 permit mix was almost evenly split between single-family and multifamily units, and commercial work follows the same population growth. We price all three, plus the industrial and institutional projects that anchor the local economy.
Single-family homes
Production and custom homes on slab foundations, from 1,500 to 4,000 square feet. We take off concrete, framing, roofing and MEP by plan, with waste factors stated so your material list is buyable.
Watch for: Slab thickness, post-tension layout and beam depths.
Multifamily
Garden-style and wrap apartments, plus townhomes. We count repeated units once and multiply, then price common areas, stairs, elevators and sitework separately so your per-unit cost is real.
Watch for: Plumbing stacks, panel schedules and common-area finishes.
Retail and restaurant
Tenant improvements, pads and shell buildings along the I-35 corridor. We separate landlord work from tenant scope and price grease interceptors, hoods and make-up air as line items.
Watch for: Grease interceptors, hoods and utility capacity.
Medical and office
Clinics, dental offices and professional buildings. We take off medical gas, exam-room plumbing, isolation rooms and dedicated HVAC zones, and flag where code-driven finishes change the cost.
Watch for: Medical gas, exam-room plumbing and dedicated HVAC.
Warehouse and light industrial
Distribution shells, shops and plant expansions. We price tilt-wall or PEMB, slab flatness, dock equipment and process utilities separately so you can compare bids on the same scope.
Watch for: Tilt-wall panels, slab flatness and dock equipment.
Education and institutional
K-12 additions, church buildings and municipal work. We take off masonry, roofing, casework and MEP by division, and separate bond-funded scope from alternates so your bid schedule holds.
Watch for: Masonry, casework and bond-funded alternates.
Local factors
What changes a construction estimate in Waco
Waco pricing is not Dallas pricing. The items below are the ones that move a takeoff here, and they are the first things we check when plans arrive.
Code edition and permitting
Waco and McLennan County enforce the adopted International Building Code, IRC and IECC editions, plus local amendments. The adopted edition changes wind bracing, energy envelope values and fire-rated assemblies, and those changes land in framing, insulation and drywall quantities. We price to the edition your permit will be issued under, and you should confirm the current adopted edition with the city building department before you lock your bid.
IBC · IRC · IECC · City of Waco building departmentSoils and foundation systems
Much of McLennan County sits on expansive clay that shrinks and swells with moisture, so post-tension slabs and drilled piers are common. The geotechnical report drives beam depth, pier length and reinforcement, and those quantities swing the concrete and steel line items more than any other single input. We take off foundation systems from the structural sheets and note where the soil report calls for deeper piers than the drawings show.
Expansive clay · post-tension slabs · drilled piers · geotechnical reportClimate and wind loading
Central Texas gets hail, straight-line winds and summer heat that push roof coverings and HVAC sizing above national averages. Class 3 or 4 impact-rated shingles, higher wind-uplift nailing and condensers sized for 100°F design conditions all show up as cost. We price roofing by squares with underlayment and flashing counted, and take off HVAC by tonnage and duct length rather than a square-foot allowance.
Hail · wind uplift · impact-rated shingles · 100°F design conditionsLabor market and crew availability
Waco draws labor from a smaller pool than Dallas or Austin, and the multifamily and industrial pipeline competes for the same concrete, framing and MEP crews. When crews are stretched, labor rates and overtime assumptions rise, and your bid has to reflect that. Our pricing is ZIP-code-adjusted for material and labor, so the wage component tracks the local market instead of a statewide average.
ZIP-code-adjusted labor · overtime · crew availability · multifamily pipelineSitework, drainage and land use
Blackland Prairie ground and the Brazos River corridor mean grading, drainage and floodplain rules vary block by block. Sites near the river may need fill, retaining walls or elevated pads, and local drainage criteria drive detention and storm line sizes. We take off cut and fill, storm pipe by diameter and linear feet, and retaining wall face area so your site package is priced apart from the building.
Blackland Prairie · Brazos River floodplain · detention · storm pipeMaterials, logistics and taxes
Waco sits on I-35 between Dallas–Fort Worth and Austin, which keeps most materials available but adds freight on specialty items. Concrete, steel and roofing lead times move with the statewide market, and Texas has no state income tax but sales tax applies to many non-residential materials. We price materials at current ZIP-code-adjusted rates and list the sales tax assumption separately so you can adjust it for your contract.
I-35 corridor · freight · Texas sales tax · material lead timesWaco estimating guide
How Waco conditions show up in a takeoff, trade by trade
Waco sits on the Brazos River in McLennan County, where expansive clay soils, a hot-humid climate, and a mix of institutional, multifamily, and single-family work all leave fingerprints on the quantities. Here is how those conditions change what we measure in each division.
Earthwork and sitework
Brazos River bottomland and the blackland prairie clays around Waco shrink and swell with moisture, so we take off over-excavation and lime or cement stabilization as separate bid items rather than burying them in the structural fill line. We measure stripping by area at a typical 6-inch depth, then balance cut and fill from the grading plan before pricing haul-off; import is priced per cubic yard with a swell factor applied. Storm drainage quantities come from the civil sheets: pipe by linear foot with fittings counted, inlets and headwalls each, and riprap by ton. Detention pond excavation is measured separately from building pad work. See our sitework estimating services for the full division breakdown.
Framing and envelope
Central Texas wood framing is typically 2x4 or 2x6 at 16 inches on center, and we take off studs by wall length with plate counts, headers, and blocking shown separately. Roof framing in Waco has to satisfy wind provisions adopted from the IRC or IBC, so we count hurricane straps and uplift hardware per connection rather than as a lump sum. Sheathing is measured by sheet with a typical 5 to 10 percent waste factor. Window and door schedules are counted each by type and size. Our framing estimating services team prices labor by piece count, not by square foot, because truss and stick framing run very different crew rates.
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection
Waco projects follow the adopted International Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical Codes, plus NFPA 13 for sprinklered buildings; confirm the edition in force with the City of Waco building department before you price. We count plumbing fixtures each, measure domestic water and sanitary lines by linear foot with fittings, and take off ductwork by pound and linear foot from the mechanical drawings. Electrical is measured by device count, fixture count, and homerun lengths, with panelboards and feeders each. Fire sprinkler heads are counted from the reflected ceiling plan. Our MEP estimating services division handles all of this on a single coordinated takeoff.
Concrete and foundations
Slab-on-grade is the default for most Waco commercial and residential work, but the clay subgrade drives a post-tension or stiffened slab design more often than not. We take off concrete by cubic yard from footing schedules and slab areas, count anchor bolts and embeds each, and measure vapor barrier and granular base by square foot. Formwork is priced by contact area, not slab area, which is where hand takeoffs usually undercount. Rebar is measured by linear foot from placing drawings and converted to tons with lap and waste included. Our concrete estimating services and foundation estimating services pages show the line-item format we deliver.
Roofing
Hail is the dominant roofing cost driver in McLennan County, so we take off roof area by slope plane, add ridge, hip, valley, and eave lengths in linear feet, and count pipe boots, vents, and step flashing each. Underlayment and ice-and-water membrane are measured by square (100 square feet) with a typical 10 percent waste on a cut-up roof. Class 4 impact-rated shingles often appear on insurance-driven replacement scopes, and we note the product class on the takeoff so you can compare bids apples to apples. Our roofing estimating services page covers low-slope TPO and modified bitumen systems as well.
Scope gaps we see on Waco bids
- Lime or cement stabilization under slabs is excluded from the concrete bid and never picked up by the earthwork contractor.
- Rock excavation is bid as a unit rate but no allowance is carried for the quantity that will actually be encountered.
- Temporary erosion control, silt fence, and SWPPP inspection costs are omitted from sitework scopes entirely.
- Roofing bids list shingles but leave out ridge vent, drip edge, and pipe boot flashing as separate line items.
- Fire sprinkler rough-in is shown on the plumbing drawings but excluded from both the plumbing and fire protection bids.
- Final cleaning, testing, adjusting, and balancing are assumed to be in someone else's contract on nearly every Waco job.
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 Waco project
- Read the full setArchitectural, structural, civil and MEP drawings, the geotechnical report and every addendum.
- Check Waco 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 WacoMaterial 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: Waco single-family residence, slab-on-grade
| Section | Line item | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 30 00 | Slab concrete, 4 in., 3,000 psi | 46.5 | CY |
| 03 20 00 | Rebar, #4 at 16 in. O.C.E.W. | 3,850 | LF |
| 03 30 00 | Vapor barrier, 10 mil | 2,480 | SF |
| 31 23 00 | Structural fill, select material | 185 | CY |
| 06 10 00 | Wall framing, 2x4 at 16 in. O.C. | 1,920 | LF |
| 06 10 00 | Roof trusses, 24 in. O.C. | 38 | EA |
| 07 30 00 | Asphalt shingles, Class 4 | 32 | SQ |
| 09 29 00 | Drywall, 1/2 in. on walls | 4,310 | SF |
Worked example: slab concrete for a Waco single-family residence
This example walks through a slab-on-grade takeoff for a 2,480-square-foot single-family house in Waco. All dimensions are illustrative; your plans will govern.
The slab is 4 inches thick over a 10 mil vapor barrier and 4 inches of compacted base. The building footprint measures 62 feet by 40 feet. We add a 12-inch perimeter turn-down and a 12-inch by 12-inch interior beam grid on a 20-foot spacing in both directions, which is common on the expansive clays in McLennan County.
| Step | Calculation | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slab area | 62 × 40 | 2,480 | SF |
| Slab volume | 2,480 × (4 ÷ 12) | 826.7 | CF |
| Turn-down volume | 200 LF × 1.0 × 1.0 | 200.0 | CF |
| Interior beams | 3 × 62 LF + 2 × 40 LF = 266 LF; 266 × 1.0 × 1.0 | 266.0 | CF |
| Gross volume | 826.7 + 200.0 + 266.0 | 1,292.7 | CF |
| Convert to CY | 1,292.7 ÷ 27 | 47.9 | CY |
| Add 5% waste | 47.9 × 1.05 | 50.3 | CY |
The turn-down runs the full 200 linear feet of perimeter. The interior beam grid uses three beams running the 62-foot direction and two beams running the 40-foot direction, giving 266 linear feet. Waste of 5 percent covers spillage, over-excavation, and rounding to the nearest quarter yard on the ready-mix ticket.
Two items sit outside this calculation and are easy to miss. First, the base course: 2,480 square feet at 4 inches deep is 30.6 cubic yards of compacted material, and you should apply a shrinkage factor of roughly 20 percent, bringing the order to about 37 cubic yards. Second, the vapor barrier is measured by area with a typical 10 percent lap and waste, so 2,480 square feet becomes roughly 2,730 square feet of material.
We price the concrete at ZIP-code-adjusted Waco rates using RSMeans data, and we carry the rebar, vapor barrier, and base as separate CSI line items so your concrete subcontractor's bid can be compared line for line. Send the foundation plan and we will return the full 03 Division takeoff.
FAQ
Waco construction estimating questions
Where does the Waco permit data on this page come from?
The permit figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey, using permits issued by the city itself for new privately-owned residential units only. In 2025 Waco issued 1,119 residential units, up from 705 in 2024, a 59 percent increase. That total splits almost evenly between 561 single-family and 558 multifamily units, with a permitted value of $244 million and an average value of $217,900 per unit. Commercial, industrial, and remodeling permits are not included in that count.
What turnaround should I expect on a Waco takeoff?
Most Waco projects come back in 24 to 48 hours, delivered as Excel and PDF organized by CSI MasterFormat division with marked-up plan sets showing what we measured. Larger multifamily or institutional jobs with many sheets take longer, and we will tell you the schedule before we start. Rush turnaround is available if your bid date is close.
Do you price at Waco labor and material rates or national averages?
We use RSMeans data adjusted by ZIP code, so material and labor pricing reflects the Waco market rather than a national average. That matters because Central Texas labor rates, ready-mix pricing, and subcontractor availability differ from Dallas, Austin, and Houston. We also flag any line item where local supply or specialty trade availability could move the number.
What do you need from me to start a Waco estimate?
Send the complete plan set, including architectural, structural, civil, and MEP sheets, plus any specifications, addenda, and the bid form. If you have a preferred CSI division breakdown or a scope letter, include it. For sitework we also need the geotechnical report if one exists, because the clay conditions in McLennan County drive over-excavation and stabilization quantities.
Can you break out a bid so I can compare subcontractor quotes?
Yes. Every takeoff is organized by CSI MasterFormat division with quantities and units, so you can lay a subcontractor's bid next to ours line by line. We call out the items we measured and the items we excluded, which is where most bid comparisons fall apart. If a sub's number is short, you can usually find the missing line in the takeoff.
Do you handle multifamily takeoffs for Waco projects?
Yes. Roughly half of Waco's 2025 residential permits were multifamily units, which tracks with the apartment and townhome work going up around the city. Multifamily takeoffs involve repeated unit types, so we build the typical unit once, apply it across the floor plates, and then add the common areas, corridors, stairs, and amenity spaces separately.
How do you handle Waco's expansive clay soils in a takeoff?
We take off over-excavation depth and stabilization area as separate line items, not as part of the structural fill. We also measure the vapor barrier, base course, and post-tension or stiffened slab reinforcing individually. Because clay behavior varies across a site, we price from the geotechnical recommendations on your drawings and note where the scope assumes a specific treatment depth.
What software do you use on Waco estimates?
We use Bluebeam Revu for plan markup and quantity measurement, PlanSwift for digital takeoff, and RSMeans data for unit pricing. The combination lets us measure directly from your PDFs, tag each measurement to a CSI line, and deliver a marked-up set that shows exactly where every quantity came from. You can audit any number on the spreadsheet back to the drawing.
Do you cover projects outside Waco in McLennan County?
Yes. We cover Waco and the surrounding McLennan County area, and we also work in nearby markets including McAllen, Mesquite, and Midland. If your project is in a smaller Central Texas town, send the address and we will confirm coverage and pricing adjustments before we start. Our Texas construction estimating page lists the full set of markets we serve.
Can you estimate a partial scope rather than the whole building?
Yes. Many Waco clients come to us for a single division, such as concrete, framing, roofing, or MEP, because that is where their bid risk sits. We take off just that scope and deliver it in the same CSI format. If you later need the full building, we can extend the same takeoff without redoing the work.
Other Texas cities we cover
Popular services in Waco
Send your Waco project plans for a quote
Send your plan set and bid date, and we will return a CSI-organized takeoff with marked-up drawings in 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.