How fast can you turn around a Washington estimate?
Most projects come back in 24–48 hours, with rush available. Turnaround depends on the completeness of the drawing set: a full architectural, structural and MEP package for a multifamily building takes longer than a single-scope takeoff, and we will tell you what is missing before we start. If you need a number for a bid deadline, send the plans and the bid date together so we can sequence the divisions.
Do you price labor by ZIP code in Washington?
Yes. We use ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing, which matters in Washington because Puget Sound rates run well above eastern Washington rates. A statewide average would misprice both. On public work we also need to know the applicable wage determination, since prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements change the labor burden and administrative cost in the estimate.
What format do you deliver estimates in?
Excel and PDF, organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets so you can trace each quantity back to the sheet and detail it came from. The Excel file is structured so you can sort, subtotal and adjust by division or by trade, and the PDF serves as the basis-of-estimate record for your bid file.
Which Washington cities do you cover?
We cover Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton, Spokane Valley, Federal Way, Yakima, Kirkland, Bellingham, Kennewick, Auburn, Pasco, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, Richland, Sammamish, Olympia, Puyallup and Lacey, along with the surrounding jurisdictions. Pricing is adjusted to the ZIP code where the work is being performed, so a Tacoma bid and a Spokane bid are not built from the same labor table.
How do you handle Washington's seismic and energy code requirements in a takeoff?
Seismic provisions under the adopted IBC and ASCE 7 show up as hold-downs, anchorage, diaphragm blocking and shear-wall nailing in the framing and concrete takeoffs. Energy code provisions under the IECC and Washington's energy code affect envelope, glazing and mechanical sizing. We take these from the plans and specifications you send. Confirm the adopted code edition and any local amendments with the local building department before you finalize your bid.
Can you break a takeoff down by trade for subcontractor buyout?
Yes. We can separate the estimate into trade packages so your buyout conversations start from real quantities rather than allowances. That is common on Washington multifamily work, where concrete, framing, drywall, roofing, electrical and finishes are awarded separately. If you are comparing self-perform against subcontractor pricing, the trade breakdown shows where the labor and material split actually falls.
What do you need from me to start?
Send the architectural, structural and MEP drawings, the specifications, any geotechnical report, and the bid date. If you have a scope narrative or a list of exclusions from the owner, include it. For sitework and foundation pricing, the geotech report is the single most useful document, because it determines over-excavation, structural fill and pile quantities that no drawing shows.
How do you treat waste factors and long-lead items?
We apply waste factors typical for the trade and material, and we state them in the basis of estimate so you can adjust them to your own purchasing practice. Long-lead equipment is priced from current quotes when you provide them, and listed as a separate line so escalation and freight are visible rather than buried in a material markup.
Where does the permit data on this page come from?
The permit figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual place-level data, for 2025, covering new privately-owned residential units only. That means the counts do not include commercial, industrial or public construction, and they are not project counts. Across the 25 Washington cities in the survey, 16,004 residential units were permitted in 2025, down 4% from 16,665 in 2024.
Do you offer a dedicated estimator for ongoing Washington work?
Yes. If you are bidding continuously in Washington, a dedicated construction estimator can work inside your process, using your templates and your bid calendar. That is often more efficient than sending each project out individually, because the estimator learns your labor assumptions, your supplier units and the jurisdictions you bid in. You can also outsource estimating services on a per-project basis if your volume varies.