Sitework takeoffs
Clearing, stripping, structural fill and export for Green River valley lots with high water tables and wet-season dewatering.
CY · SF · TONKent, WA
Construction estimating services in Kent, WA
Kent is a King County logistics and manufacturing city where most of the new residential work is single-family. We produce ZIP-code-adjusted quantity takeoffs and estimates for contractors bidding here and across the South Sound.
24–48 hours for most projectsTypical turnaround
Every CSI divisionSitework through MEP
Kent ZIP pricingLocal material and labor
Price confirmed firstBefore any work starts
Census BPS · Kent · 2025Real permit data
Kent new housing permits2025
New housing units117Change vs. 2024−36%Permitted construction value$62MAverage value per unit$528,100Rank among covered Washington cities#21
Single-family: 117 (100%)Multifamily: 0 (0%)
U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Residential only.
What makes construction estimating in Kent, WA different?
Kent pricing is driven by King County labor rates, wet-season earthwork and dewatering, high water tables in the Green River valley, long hauls to gravel and disposal sites, and permit review timelines at the city. Nearly all 2025 residential permits were single-family, so lot-by-lot sitework and foundation scopes dominate.
- Kent permitted 117 new housing units in 2025, #21 among the Washington cities we cover.
- About 0% were in multifamily buildings; 100% were single-family.
- Permit volume was down 36% compared with 2024.
Kent sits in the Green River valley, between the Port of Tacoma freight corridors and the I-5/Highway 167 industrial belt. That geography shapes what you bid: warehouse and light-industrial shells, tenant improvements, and single-family infill on tight lots. Our takeoffs follow the plans you actually receive, organized by CSI MasterFormat division with marked-up plan sets so you can trace every quantity back to a sheet. We price material and labor with ZIP-code adjustment for Kent rather than a national average, because King County labor and aggregate haul distances move the number.
Most of our Kent work is residential and light commercial: sitework, foundations, framing, roofing and MEP rough-in. If you bid in the surrounding market, we also cover Tacoma construction estimating and Renton construction estimating, and the statewide program lives on our Washington construction estimating page. Turnaround is 24–48 hours for most projects, with rush available when a bid date moves up.
- Coverage
- Kent and nearby Washington communities
- Deliverable
- Excel estimate + marked-up PDF plans
- Pricing basis
- Kent 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 return division-level takeoffs with waste factors, unit costs and a marked-up set so you can check our assumptions line by line before you submit.
02
For builders. You need a budget that matches how you actually build. Send the plans and your crew assumptions; we price the scope with Kent-adjusted labor and material and flag the items most likely to change in the field.
03
For owners. You need a number before you commit to a design. We produce an order-of-magnitude or schematic estimate by division so you can compare options, then update it as drawings develop through permit.
Kent by the numbers
Kent's residential construction pipeline
Select a bar to compare Kent with the largest Washington markets we cover.
117New housing units, 2025
0.7%Of all units in the Washington cities we cover
$62MPermitted residential value
0%In multifamily buildings
New housing units permitted in 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
This city
Kent
117 new housing units in 2025 (-36.4% vs 2024).
117 single-family · 0 multifamily (0%).
What the 2025 permit data says about Kent
Kent issued 117 new privately-owned residential units in 2025, down from 184 in 2024 — a 36% drop, against a statewide total of 16,004 units. Every one of those 117 units was single-family; multifamily was zero, so the city's residential pipeline is lot-by-lot rather than podium or wrap construction. Permitted value was $62M, averaging $528,100 per unit, which is a high per-unit figure that reflects King County land, labor and site costs rather than large unit counts. Kent ranked 21st of 25 covered state cities by units, holding 0.7% of the covered total. For a bidder, that means fewer but higher-value single-family packages, and more competition per lot. If you work the broader corridor, our Everett construction estimating and Bellevue construction estimating pages cover the same format.
Where the estimating risk sits in Kent
The Green River valley has a shallow water table and seasonal flooding history, so excavation, dewatering and structural fill quantities swing hard between a dry August and a wet February. That drives foundation and sitework cost far more than finish selections do. On the commercial side, Kent's industrial and warehouse stock means tilt-up panels, slab-on-grade with heavy dowel counts, and racking-ready flat floors — scopes where a missed square foot of slab or a wrong panel count is expensive. Statewide demand from Seattle-area tech campuses, port and logistics infrastructure, and multifamily infill keeps subcontractor pricing tight, so your labor rates need to be current. Confirm the adopted code edition, including the Washington State Energy Code, with the city building department before you finalize any scope.
Services
Construction estimating services in Kent, WA
Division-level takeoffs and estimates for the scopes that dominate Kent's residential and industrial work, delivered in Excel and PDF with marked-up plan sets.
Concrete estimating
Footings, stem walls, slab-on-grade and tilt-up panels for Kent single-family and warehouse shells, with dowel and formwork counts.
CY · SF · LFFoundation estimating
Spread footings, stem walls and rebar schedules priced against King County labor, including underslab vapor barrier and drainage.
CY · LF · TONFraming takeoffs
Floor, wall and roof members counted from the plans, with sheathing, hardware and typical waste factors applied by member type.
LF · EA · SFRoofing estimating
Slope and area takeoffs for shingle, membrane and metal systems, including underlayment, flashing and ventilation line items.
SQ · LF · EAMEP estimating
Plumbing, HVAC and electrical rough-in quantities for residential and light commercial, with fixture and device counts by sheet.
LF · EA · TONResidential estimating
Full-scope budgets for Kent's single-family infill, from sitework through finishes, organized by CSI MasterFormat division.
SF · EA · LSCommercial estimating
Industrial shells, tenant improvements and warehouse slabs, with division-level quantities you can carry into a bid form.
SF · CY · TONWho we provide estimates for
Who we estimate for in Kent
General contractors
You bid warehouse shells, tenant improvements and small commercial in the Valley Industrial area and along Highway 167, where steel and tilt-up quantities have to be right before the bid date.
Subcontractors
You need your division isolated from the general's scope. We return earthwork, concrete, framing or MEP quantities in your CSI format so you can price your own labor and mark-up.
Developers
You are comparing single-family infill lots in Kent against multifamily sites in nearby cities. We give you a division-level budget early, then update it as drawings move through permit.
Architects
You need a cost check while the design is still fluid. We price by MasterFormat division so you can see which assemblies are driving the number before you issue for bid.
Owners and facility managers
You are planning a tenant improvement or a roof replacement on an occupied building. We estimate the scope in phases so you know what can be done while the space stays in use.
Residential builders
You build on tight infill lots where excavation, shoring and utility tie-ins are hard to predict. We flag those items separately instead of burying them in a general conditions line.
Where we provide estimates
Kent areas and nearby communities we cover
We estimate projects across the Green River valley and the surrounding King County market. Send plans from any of these areas and we price them with the same ZIP-code-adjusted labor and material data.
Kent and the valley floor
- Downtown Kent
- Kent Valley
- Valley Industrial area
- James Street corridor
- East Hill
- Panther Lake
West Hill and the port side
- West Hill
- Des Moines
- SeaTac
- Tukwila
- Burien
Nearby cities we cover
- Renton
- Tacoma
- Auburn
- Federal Way
- Covington
- Maple Valley
Property types
Types of Kent properties we estimate
Kent's 2025 permit mix was entirely single-family, with 117 new privately-owned residential units and no multifamily units — about a 36% drop from 184 units in 2024. That tells you where the residential work is, but the city's industrial and commercial base still drives a steady flow of shell and tenant improvement bids.
Single-family infill
Narrow lots on East Hill and in older parts of downtown Kent mean short setbacks, tight driveways and utility relocations. We take off excavation, footing, framing and roof quantities from the site plan, not just the floor plan.
Watch for: Shoring, spoils haul-off, utility tie-in depths
Warehouse and light industrial
The Valley Industrial area and Highway 167 corridor generate shell buildings with tilt-up or PEMB walls, slab-on-grade and minimal interior finish. We separate shell scope from tenant fit-out so each bid package stands on its own.
Watch for: Slab thickness, dock equipment, fire sprinkler coverage
Tenant improvements
Office, flex and retail build-outs in existing Kent buildings rarely match as-built conditions. We estimate from the demolition plan and the new partition layout, then carry an allowance for concealed conditions behind existing walls and ceilings.
Watch for: Demolition, ceiling heights, existing MEP capacity
Multifamily and mixed-use
Kent issued no multifamily units in 2025, but developers still pursue podium and wrap projects in the region. We take off unit-by-unit for repetitive floors and price the common areas, parking and MEP risers separately.
Watch for: Unit repetition, riser counts, parking deck area
Retail and restaurant
Kent's commercial strips along Pacific Highway and James Street produce small retail and food-service build-outs. Grease interceptors, hoods, make-up air and grease duct are separate line items, not part of a general plumbing or HVAC allowance.
Watch for: Hood and make-up air, grease waste, utility upgrades
Additions and remodels
Older Kent housing stock means additions that tie into existing foundations, rooflines and panel capacity. We measure the new work and note where the existing structure will need upgrade, so your bid does not absorb that cost silently.
Watch for: Foundation match, roof tie-in, panel capacity
Local factors
What changes a construction estimate in Kent
Kent pricing is not the same as Seattle pricing, and the valley floor is not the same as East Hill. These are the variables that move a Kent estimate most.
Permit path and code edition
Kent permits run through the city's building division, and the adopted edition of the International Building Code, International Residential Code and International Energy Code drives insulation, glazing and ventilation requirements. Energy-code compliance can add wall and roof assembly cost that a national cost database will not capture. Confirm the adopted edition and any local amendments with the Kent building department before you lock your bid.
IBC · IRC · IECC · Kent building departmentGreen River valley soils
Parts of the valley floor carry soft alluvial soils and a shallow water table, while East Hill sites are more likely to hit dense glacial till. Those two conditions price very differently: one needs over-excavation, structural fill and sometimes a mat or deep foundation; the other may need rock excavation. A geotechnical report is the single most useful document you can send with the plans.
Geotechnical report · Structural fill · Rock excavationRain, drainage and floodplain
Kent's wet season drives temporary erosion control, construction dewatering and covered storage. Sites near the Green River may also sit in a mapped floodplain, which affects finished floor elevation and foundation type. Storm drainage, detention and flow-control requirements are set locally, so confirm the current manual and any floodplain designation with the city before pricing sitework.
Green River · Temporary erosion control · Storm detentionKing County labor rates
King County carries some of the highest construction labor rates in Washington, and prevailing-wage work on public projects prices differently from private work. Crew availability also swings with the larger Seattle market, so a trade that is busy in Bellevue may not bid your Kent job competitively. We price labor with ZIP-code adjustment rather than a statewide average.
Prevailing wage · King County · ZIP-code adjustmentSite access and land use
Infill lots on East Hill and near downtown often have limited staging, steep driveways and utility conflicts that show up only in the civil drawings. On the valley floor, large sites may need phased grading and temporary haul roads. Setbacks, lot coverage and critical-area buffers are jurisdiction-specific, so verify them with the city before you assume a buildable footprint.
Critical areas · Setbacks · Phased gradingMaterial haul and sales tax
Aggregate, ready-mix and structural steel travel into Kent from yards around the Sound, and haul distance shows up in the delivered price. Washington sales tax applies to materials and some services, and rates vary by location within King County. We build the current rate into the estimate and show it as a separate line so you can verify it against your own accounting.
Ready-mix · Structural steel · Washington sales taxKent estimating guide
How Kent conditions show up in a takeoff, trade by trade
Kent's mix of single-family infill, warehouse shells, and light industrial work puts specific pressure on each division of a takeoff. These are the line items that change when the job is inside the Green River valley rather than on the surrounding plateau.
Sitework and earthwork
In the Green River valley you are often working in fill and alluvium with a shallow water table, so a sitework takeoff has to carry more than mass excavation. We price stripping depths separately from structural fill, and we break out import, export, and disposal because haul distance to a permitted site drives the number more than the cut itself. Add trench excavation for storm and sanitary separately from building pad work; the dewatering allowance belongs with the trench, not the pad. If your plans call for a floodplain elevation or a critical-areas review, we carry the associated fill and compaction testing as line items. For a fuller breakdown of these scopes, see our sitework estimating services.
Framing and rough carpentry
Kent's residential permits are almost entirely single-family, so framing takeoffs here are wall-by-wall rather than panelized. We count studs by length and spacing, add plates, headers, and blocking, and convert to board feet and piece counts so your lumber yard quote lines up. Floor joists and engineered lumber are taken off by span and spacing with rim board and hangers listed separately. Sheathing goes in by sheet count with a waste factor you can adjust, and roof framing is broken into rafters or trusses by member. See framing estimating services for the full division breakdown.
MEP and process systems
Kent's industrial and logistics buildings carry mechanical scopes that a residential template misses: make-up air units, exhaust for battery charging or welding, and process piping. We take off ductwork by pound and by square foot of sheet metal, pipe by linear foot and diameter with fittings counted, and fixtures by type. Electrical is taken off by device, fixture, and feeder run, with gear and panel schedules priced from the drawings. For a warehouse, dock equipment and compressed air are their own line items. MEP estimating services and industrial estimating services cover these divisions.
Concrete and foundations
Valley soils and a high water table usually push Kent projects toward stiffer foundation systems, and that shows up in the concrete division. We take off continuous footings and stem walls by linear foot with formwork priced by contact area, not by wall length, then slab-on-grade by square foot with thickened edges and vapor barrier as separate lines. Rebar is taken off by bar size and lap, converted to pounds, and checked against the placing drawings. For warehouse and tilt-up work, panel area, embeds, and crane picks are their own rows. Our foundation estimating services and concrete estimating services cover this division in detail.
Roofing and weatherproofing
Western Washington roofs take wind-driven rain, so underlayment, ice-and-water membrane at valleys and eaves, and flashing details are not optional line items. We measure roof area by slope, then add the membrane and flashing by linear foot at each penetration, valley, and wall intersection. For low-slope warehouse roofs, we take off insulation by thickness and R-value, cover board, and membrane by square, with tapered insulation crickets around drains counted individually. Gutters, downspouts, and scuppers are separate rows. Our roofing estimating services page shows how these quantities are presented.
Scope gaps we see on Kent bids
- Dewatering and trench safety shown on the civil sheets but not carried in the excavation line.
- Structural fill import assumed at a lower volume than the geotechnical report requires.
- Vapor barrier and capillary break omitted from the slab-on-grade scope.
- Roof membrane at valleys and penetrations left to the roofing bid without a flashing line.
- Dock equipment, bollards, and wheel stops missing from warehouse shell packages.
- Temporary power, site lighting, and erosion control split between trades with no owner.
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 Kent project
- Read the full setArchitectural, structural, civil and MEP drawings, the geotechnical report and every addendum.
- Check Kent 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 KentMaterial 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: Kent single-family infill house
| Section | Line item | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 30 00 | Footing concrete, 24"x12" continuous | 18.5 | CY |
| 03 20 00 | Rebar, #4 and #5, footings and stem walls | 4,850 | LB |
| 06 10 00 | Wall framing, 2x6 studs at 16" o.c. | 3,240 | BF |
| 06 10 00 | Roof trusses, 24" o.c., 5/12 pitch | 42 | EA |
| 07 30 00 | Roof underlayment, synthetic | 3,150 | SF |
| 07 30 00 | Ice-and-water membrane, eaves and valleys | 310 | LF |
| 08 10 00 | Exterior door units, fiberglass | 6 | EA |
| 09 29 00 | Gypsum board, 1/2" walls and ceilings | 9,400 | SF |
Worked example: slab-on-grade concrete for a Kent single-family house
This example uses illustrative dimensions for a one-story house on a flat lot in the Green River valley. The slab is 40 ft by 60 ft, 4 in. thick, with a 12 in. by 12 in. thickened edge on the perimeter. We price the field slab and the thickened edge as separate concrete lines because the edge is formed and the field is not.
Step 1 — field slab volume. 40 ft × 60 ft = 2,400 SF. At 4 in. thick, 2,400 × 0.333 ft = 800 CF. Divide by 27 to get cubic yards: 800 ÷ 27 = 29.63 CY.
Step 2 — thickened edge volume. Perimeter = 2 × (40 + 60) = 200 LF. Cross-section = 1.0 ft × 1.0 ft = 1.0 SF, but the top 4 in. is already counted in the field slab, so the additional depth is 8 in. = 0.667 ft. Additional volume = 200 × 0.667 = 133.3 CF = 4.94 CY.
Step 3 — waste and order quantity. Use a 5% waste factor for slab-on-grade placed by pump. Field slab: 29.63 × 1.05 = 31.11 CY. Thickened edge: 4.94 × 1.05 = 5.19 CY. Total order: 36.3 CY, rounded to 36.5 CY.
Step 4 — vapor barrier. Area plus 10% for laps and perimeter turn-up: 2,400 × 1.10 = 2,640 SF.
Step 5 — formwork. Thickened edge forms are priced by contact area: 200 LF × 1.0 ft height = 200 SF of form contact.
| Step | Calculation | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field slab | 2,400 SF × 0.333 ft ÷ 27 | 29.63 | CY |
| Thickened edge | 200 LF × 0.667 ft ÷ 27 | 4.94 | CY |
| Field slab with 5% waste | 29.63 × 1.05 | 31.11 | CY |
| Edge with 5% waste | 4.94 × 1.05 | 5.19 | CY |
| Vapor barrier | 2,400 SF × 1.10 | 2,640 | SF |
| Edge formwork | 200 LF × 1.0 ft | 200 | SF |
If the geotechnical report calls for a capillary break or a thicker edge, those change the concrete and vapor barrier rows but not the formwork logic. Confirm the adopted code edition and any local amendment with the Kent building department before you fix the slab thickness.
FAQ
Kent construction estimating questions
What do you need from me to price a Kent project?
Send the plan set, specifications, and any geotechnical or civil sheets in PDF. We also need the project address or ZIP code so we can apply ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing, and the bid date so we can set the turnaround. If you have a scope sheet or a prior bid, include it and we will reconcile line by line. Marked-up plan sets come back with the estimate, organized by CSI MasterFormat division in Excel and PDF.
How long does a Kent estimate take?
Most projects come back in 24 to 48 hours. Rush turnaround is available if your bid date is close. The clock starts when we have a complete set of documents; incomplete drawings or missing specifications add time because we have to flag assumptions instead of pricing them. For a single-family plan in Kent, a full takeoff usually fits inside the standard window.
Do you price Kent work with local labor and material rates?
Yes. We use ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing, so a Kent address is priced for King County conditions rather than a national average. That matters for concrete, framing labor, and mechanical trades, where the spread between markets is real. We also use RSMeans data as a cross-check on unit costs. The estimate shows quantities and unit prices separately so you can adjust either one.
Can you estimate a warehouse or light industrial shell in Kent?
Yes. Kent's industrial and logistics buildings are a large part of the local work. We take off tilt-up or metal building panels, slab-on-grade with thickened edges, dock equipment, and MEP systems including make-up air and process piping. Those scopes do not fit a residential template, so we price them from the structural and MEP sheets directly. See our industrial estimating services and commercial estimating services for the divisions covered.
How do you handle Green River valley soil and drainage conditions?
We read the geotechnical report before we price earthwork. If it calls for over-excavation, structural fill, or a specific compaction level, those become separate line items with their own quantities. A shallow water table usually adds dewatering and trench protection, which we carry with the excavation rather than burying in a general condition. Confirm the required fill and testing with the local building department and the geotechnical engineer of record.
Where does the Kent permit data on this page come from?
The permit figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey for 2025. They count permits issued by the city itself for new privately-owned residential units only, so commercial and industrial permits are not included. In 2025 Kent issued 117 single-family units, down 36% from 184 in 2024, with a permitted value of $62M. That is a residential-only view and should not be read as total construction activity in the city.
Do you cover projects outside Kent city limits?
Yes. We cover the surrounding King County and Puget Sound area, including Tacoma, Renton, Bellevue, Everett, and the rest of the state. If your project is in unincorporated King County, the permit path and code edition may differ from the city, so tell us the jurisdiction when you send plans. Our Washington construction estimating services page lists the coverage area and the nearby city pages.
What format is the finished estimate in?
Excel and PDF, organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets showing what was measured. The Excel file has quantities, units, and unit prices in separate columns so you can sort, adjust waste factors, or drop rows into your own bid form. The marked-up PDF lets you check our takeoff against the drawings without re-measuring. Both come back in the same 24-to-48-hour window for most projects.
Can you help with a multifamily project in Kent?
Yes, even though the 2025 residential permit data for Kent shows no multifamily units. Multifamily work in the region is often permitted in nearby cities, and we estimate those projects from the architectural, structural, and MEP sets. Unit mixes, common areas, and parking structures are taken off separately because the cost per square foot differs sharply between them. See our multi-family estimating services and residential estimating services for the scope.
How do you treat sales tax and material haul in a Kent takeoff?
Washington sales tax applies to materials and some equipment, so the estimate shows material costs before tax and lists tax as a separate line you can adjust to the current rate. Haul and disposal are priced from the cut and fill balance on the civil sheets, with a separate allowance for unsuitable soils. If the disposal site changes, the haul line changes. Confirm current tax rates and disposal requirements with your accountant and the local jurisdiction.
Other Washington cities we cover
Popular services in Kent
Send your Kent project plans for a quote
Email your plan set and bid date and we will return a division-by-division takeoff in Excel and PDF, 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.