Estimating Buddies is a construction estimating company that turns your drawings into a bid-ready quantity takeoff and construction cost estimate - whether you're bidding a warehouse near Savannah, a mixed-use tower in Midtown Atlanta, or a custom home outside Athens.
Takeoff Snapshot
PROJECT #GA-SAV
Project type
Warehouse / logistics
Location
Savannah, GA
Concrete
642 CY
Structural steel
88.2 Tons
TPO roofing
96,000 SF
Electrical
8,760 LF
Delivered as a formula-linked Excel workbook with PDF markups tied to every line.
24–48h
Typical turnaround time
159
Georgia counties covered
20+
CSI divisions estimated
2nd
Independent review, every job
What We Offer
Some contractors need a quick material count before a bid closes today; others need a full construction cost estimate ready for owner review next week. Our services are structured to cover both ends of that range.
Serves: general contractors, subcontractors, developers
Line-by-line construction quantity takeoff covering concrete, framing, masonry, roofing, drywall, and finishes, sorted by CSI division so your subcontractors can price without guesswork.
Serves: home builders, framing crews, suppliers
A purchasable material list with quantities, units, and waste allowances built in - the kind of takeoff your purchasing team can hand straight to a supplier for a quote.
Serves: GCs, owners, project managers
Current material pricing and regional labor productivity applied on top of your takeoff, producing a full construction cost estimate you can defend to an owner or lender.
Serves: contractor estimating teams under deadline
Rapid-turnaround bid support, including addendum updates as they come in, so the number you submit reflects the drawings that are actually current.
Serves: MEP subcontractors, design-build teams
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing takeoffs - ductwork, conduit, cable tray, piping, and fixtures - separated by system for clean subcontractor estimating services.
Serves: concrete and steel subcontractors
Rebar, formwork, cast-in-place and precast concrete, and structural steel tonnage, checked against structural drawings and connection schedules.
Who We Serve
Whether you're a solo estimator wearing five hats or a preconstruction team running several bids in parallel, we plug in wherever the work needs a second set of hands.
Complete construction quantity takeoff across every trade, giving you one consistent number instead of stitched-together estimates from past jobs.
Single-trade takeoffs sized to exactly the scope you're bidding - no need to sort through quantities that belong to someone else's package.
Repeatable material takeoffs for production plans and one-off custom homes alike, from Cobb County to coastal Chatham County.
Early quantity checks at the concept and schematic stage, so a project budget is grounded in real numbers before drawings are locked.
Independent cost verification during design development, useful when a client wants a reality check before construction documents.
Procurement-ready quantity lists for material forecasting, or an independent check against a contractor's submitted numbers.
Project Types
Georgia's construction pipeline spans single-family subdivisions, hyperscale data centers, and some of the country's busiest film production facilities. We size our approach to what the project actually needs.
Project category
Typical scope covered
Common in GA
Single-family homes, custom builds, additions, and townhome communities across metro Atlanta and beyond.
Atlanta, Alpharetta
Office build-outs, retail centers, restaurants, and hospitality projects, including full tenant improvement scopes.
Metro Atlanta corridor
Apartment communities, condominiums, and mixed-use developments with ground-floor retail.
I-75 / I-16 corridor
EV and battery manufacturing plants, food processing facilities, and general industrial construction.
Savannah, Port of Savannah
Distribution centers, fulfillment warehouses, and cold storage facilities tied to Georgia's port-driven freight growth.
Douglas County, Fulton County
Structural, electrical, and mechanical takeoffs for mission-critical, hyperscale data center construction.
Fayetteville, Atlanta, Savannah
Soundstage and studio complex takeoffs - structural, electrical, and HVAC scope for production facilities.
Statewide
Hospitals, medical offices, clinics, and senior living facilities with detailed MEP takeoff requirements.
Statewide
Grading, earthwork, utilities, paving, and roadway scope tied to public infrastructure work.
Statewide, GDOT projects
What's Included
A takeoff that only you can interpret isn't finished. Here's the standard we hold every deliverable to, no matter the trade or the size of the job.
Quantities itemized by CSI MasterFormat division
Units matched to how suppliers quote - SF, LF, CY, tons, EA
Material-specific waste and overage allowances
Trade-by-trade breakdowns for clean subcontractor scoping
Color-coded, marked-up drawings tied to each quantity line
Written notes on assumptions, exclusions, and drawing gaps
Addendum tracking when plans revise mid-bid
A spreadsheet formatted to drop into your existing bid template
Deliverables
Here's a shortened division summary from a real deliverable format, based on a warehouse project outside Savannah, GA.
Deliverable Preview - Division Summary
estimatingbuddies.com
CSI Division
Scope Description
Quantity
Unit
03 - Concrete
Slab-on-grade, tilt-wall panels, dock foundations
642
CY
05 - Metals
Structural steel framing, roof joists, deck
88.2
Tons
07 - Thermal & Moisture
TPO roofing membrane and insulation
96,000
SF
09 - Finishes
Office area drywall, paint, ceiling grid
4,300
SF
21 - Fire Protection
Sprinkler piping, ESFR heads
11,200
LF
26 - Electrical
Conduit, cable tray, high-bay lighting
8,760
LF
Deliverables ship as a formula-linked Excel workbook plus PDF markups keyed to every line item, so anyone reviewing the bid can trace a number back to the drawing it came from.
How the Process Works
Most contractors come to us against a deadline, so the process is built to move without cutting corners on accuracy.
01
Send PDF plans, CAD files, or a full bid package along with the trades you need covered and your bid due date.
02
Our team reviews the set for completeness and flags missing sheets, unclear specs, or contradictions before any counting starts.
03
An estimator takes off quantities using on-screen takeoff software, then a second estimator independently verifies every line.
04
You receive the completed takeoff or estimate - typically within 24 to 48 hours, sooner for smaller or simpler scopes.
05
If revised drawings arrive before the bid closes, we update only the affected quantities so nothing slows down your submission.
Software & Pricing Sources
Quantities are measured directly from your PDF or CAD drawings using the same on-screen takeoff platforms most Georgia estimating departments already run.
Costs are sourced from recent supplier data for the Georgia market rather than stale national price books.
Labor hours reflect typical Georgia crew output, adjusted for project type, site access, and schedule.
If you provide preferred unit costs or supplier quotes, we build the estimate around those figures instead of a generic average.
Accuracy & Quality Control
An underestimated scope can eat straight into your margin after the contract is signed, and an overstated one can cost you the bid entirely. Review isn't a final polish step here - it's built into the workflow.
01
Every job is independently checked against the original drawings before it's sent back to you.
02
Each quantity links back to a marked, color-coded location on the plans so you can verify it yourself.
03
Unclear or conflicting details are noted explicitly rather than resolved with a silent assumption.
04
If something looks off once you review it, we walk through it with you and fix it at no charge.
Why Choose Us
Quantity takeoff and construction estimating for Georgia contractors who need a number they can bid with - measured from the drawings, reviewed twice, and delivered before the deadline.
From Port of Savannah logistics work to Atlanta high-rise construction, we understand what's actually being built in this state.
Quantities are measured by people who read drawings professionally, not run through an automated template.
24-48 hour standard delivery, with rush handling available when your deadline is tighter than that.
You see exactly what was measured and where - every line traces back to the drawing it came from.
Service Area
All work is done digitally from your drawings, so location is never a limiting factor - we take on projects statewide, not just around Atlanta.
Codes & Compliance
Footing depths, fire-rated assemblies, wind bracing, and stormwater scope are all driven by code requirements - we factor that in rather than measuring every drawing set the same way regardless of jurisdiction.
GA-MIN
Structural, fire protection, and life-safety quantities are checked against the current codes adopted statewide in Georgia.
GA-IRC
Single-family and townhome takeoffs reflect the framing, footing, and insulation requirements under Georgia's residential code adoption.
GDOT
Roadway, paving, and utility quantities for public infrastructure work are aligned with GDOT specifications and standard drawings.
WIND
Projects around Savannah and the Georgia coast are reviewed for wind-resistant detailing appropriate to that zone.
STORM
Earthwork and site utility quantities account for county-level stormwater and grading requirements that affect scope.
CSI
Every takeoff is organized by CSI division, mapping cleanly onto code-driven specification sections and trade scopes.
Cost & Pricing
There's no flat rate that fits every job - a single-trade residential material takeoff and a multi-division industrial estimate take very different amounts of work. Here's what drives the quote.
01
Square footage, sheet count, and number of trades involved are the largest factors in cost.
02
A single-trade takeoff costs less than a full multi-division construction quantity takeoff.
03
Standard 24-48 hour delivery is priced differently than a same-day or rush request against a closing bid.
04
Complete, fully dimensioned sets take less time to measure than incomplete or low-resolution scans.
05
A high-level budget check costs less than a fully itemized, bid-ready takeoff with waste factors applied.
06
Adding a full construction cost estimator's pricing on top of quantities costs more than quantities alone.
Send your plans and you'll get a firm, no-obligation quote before any work starts - there's no cost to find out.
Ready to Bid?
Send your plans and we'll return a firm, no-obligation quote before any work begins - there's no cost to find out what your Georgia project would run.
Questions Georgia contractors ask us most
Every construction quantity takeoff includes quantities itemized by CSI MasterFormat division, units matched to how suppliers quote (SF, LF, CY, tons, EA), material-specific waste and overage allowances, trade-by-trade breakdowns, color-coded marked-up drawings tied to each quantity line, written notes on assumptions and exclusions, addendum tracking when plans revise, and a spreadsheet formatted to drop into your existing bid template.
There is no single flat rate. Cost depends on project size and scope, the number of CSI divisions requested, turnaround, drawing quality, the level of detail needed, and whether a full pricing layer is added on top of quantities. Send your plans and you'll get a firm, no-obligation quote before any work starts.