Trade-specific estimators
Who understand Title 24, seismic and wildfire scope items.
CA
Estimating Buddies is a construction cost estimating and quantity takeoff company serving contractors, builders, developers and restoration firms across the United States. Our estimators read your plans, measure every scope and return clear, bid-ready numbers.
For California projects, that means estimates shaped by Title 24, seismic and wildfire requirements, with pricing for work from Bay Area labs to Southern California homes, delivered remotely and built around your bid date.
Estimate log - CA
California
California construction
California projects run on the statewide California Building Standards Code (Title 24), which is updated on a three-year cycle and layers on energy, green-building, accessibility and seismic requirements. Local jurisdictions then add their own amendments, and schools and hospitals face extra state review.
Those rules, together with wildfire-zone construction, high labor costs and prevailing-wage public work, change what a project costs. Estimating Buddies prepares takeoffs and estimates for the California mix: multifamily and ADUs, tech and life-science buildings, ports and logistics, custom homes, and wildfire and storm recovery.
Send us plans in PDF, CAD or BIM format. We return organized, bid-ready numbers your team can check, price and submit.
Trade-specific estimators
Who understand Title 24, seismic and wildfire scope items.
Clear, organized output
With quantities and scope notes you can check line by line.
Flexible capacity
For one bid or a steady stream of weekly packages.
What we offer
Eleven estimating services for California projects, from Siskiyou to San Diego. Open any service to see how it works.
CA-01
Full-project estimates for California general contractors, built around Title 24 requirements, prevailing-wage rules on public work and the state's high labor and material costs.
CA-02
Measured quantities from California plan sets with no pricing attached, so your estimators can apply their own unit costs, supplier quotes and markups.
CA-03
Plumbing estimates written to California Plumbing Code scopes, including water-efficiency fixtures, recycled-water systems and multi-story residential risers.
CA-04
Electrical estimates for California contractors covering solar-ready and battery-ready requirements, EV charging, lighting controls and service upgrades.
CA-05
HVAC and mechanical estimates shaped by California's energy rules, including heat-pump systems, ventilation requirements and Title 24 compliance items.
CA-06
Combined mechanical, electrical and plumbing estimates for California projects with seismic bracing, high energy standards and tight coordination between trades.
CA-07
Finish and envelope costing from California architectural drawings, from early programming budgets through construction-document pricing.
CA-08
Model-based estimates for California projects delivered in Revit and IFC, including public-agency work where BIM deliverables are expected.
CA-09
Estimates from paper blueprints, scans and older drawings, a common starting point for California renovations, retrofits and historic buildings.
CA-10
Claim-ready Xactimate estimates for California restoration contractors, covering wildfire, smoke, atmospheric-river water intrusion and earthquake damage.
CA-11
Cost estimates for California custom homes, spec builds and rebuilds, including ADUs, hillside lots and wildfire-rated construction.
Service areas
From coastal cities to the Central Valley, we support contractors in these cities.
Software
PDF, scanned blueprints, CAD and Revit models are all accepted. These are the tools we use to measure and price them.
PS
Quick digital takeoffs with reusable assemblies.
BB
Plan markup and revision comparison.
XA
Wildfire, smoke and water-damage estimates.
TR
Model and construction data workflows.
OS
Precise measurement on big plan sets.
RS
Cost data for labor, material and equipment.
AC
Direct measurement from DWG files.
RV
Quantities extracted from BIM models.
How it works
Our estimating process is simple, organized, and built around your project needs.
01
Customer sends PDF drawings, specs, or ZIP files through one clear form.
02
Estimator checks trade, project size, timeline, and required deliverable.
03
Quantities, labor, material pricing, and scope notes are prepared.
04
Client receives a clean estimate they can use for bidding & planning.
Next step
Share your plans and due date. We will confirm the scope and get your estimate moving.
Why choose us
Title 24, seismic and wildfire scopes are priced, public and private work are both covered, and the work is handled remotely around your bid date.
Title 24, CALGreen and CPC items are priced, not left as allowances.
Prevailing-wage bids, DSA-style projects and private work all covered.
Bracing, anchorage and ignition-resistant materials are counted separately.
PDF, scans, CAD and Revit models are all accepted.
One bid or a weekly stream, handled remotely.
California projects
Share your plans and due date. We will confirm the scope and get your estimate moving.
Questions we hear from California contractors
We provide construction estimating, quantity takeoff, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and MEP estimating, architectural cost estimating, BIM and blueprint estimating, Xactimate estimates and single-family residential estimating for projects across California.
Yes. We price the energy, ventilation, lighting-control and green-building items that California projects typically require, and flag scope that depends on local plan-check interpretation.