Estimating Buddies is a construction estimating company built around one job: turning your drawings into a quantity takeoff you can bid with confidence. We prepare material takeoff, MEP takeoff, and full construction cost estimates for general contractors, subcontractors, home builders, and developers working anywhere from Baltimore to the Eastern Shore.
Whether you need a residential material takeoff for a custom home in Bethesda or a trade-by-trade quantity takeoff for a federal laboratory build in Frederick County, our estimators read your plans, measure every scope item, and hand back a bid-ready package - usually within 48 hours.
Sample Takeoff Line Items
PREVIEW
03 30 00 - Cast-in-place concrete
412 CY
04 20 00 - CMU / masonry veneer
18,640 SF
05 12 00 - Structural steel
96.4 TON
09 29 00 - Gypsum board
41,200 SF
22 00 00 - Plumbing fixtures
128 EA
26 00 00 - Electrical conduit
22,900 LF
Delivered as a formula-linked Excel workbook with PDF markups tied to every line.
48–72 hrs
Typical turnaround on standard bids
20+
CSI divisions covered
MD-wide
From Garrett County to Ocean City
What We Offer
Estimating Buddies works as an extension of your team - the outsourced estimating department you call on when a bid is due and there's no time to measure every sheet in-house. Below is the full range of construction cost estimating services we provide to contractors across Maryland.
quantity takeoff · construction quantity takeoff
Detailed, trade-wise quantity takeoff from architectural, structural, and civil drawings - measured to CSI MasterFormat divisions so nothing gets missed between scopes.
material takeoff · bill of materials
A full material takeoff and bill of materials broken out by trade, ready to hand to suppliers for pricing or attach directly to your bid package.
construction cost estimating · construction cost estimator
Quantities paired with current unit pricing to produce a full construction cost estimate - from conceptual budget through guaranteed maximum price.
construction bid estimating · bid-ready takeoff
Bid-day support that turns a stack of addenda and last-minute drawing revisions into a clean, submittable number before the deadline hits.
contractor estimating services · subcontractor estimating services
Scope-specific estimating support for general contractors and trade subcontractors alike, sized to fit a single bid or an ongoing pipeline of projects.
MEP estimating services · MEP quantity takeoff
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing quantity takeoff - ductwork, piping, conduit, fixtures, and equipment - counted trade by trade for accurate MEP bids.
commercial construction estimating
Office, retail, hospitality, and mixed-use estimates that account for tenant improvement scope, façade systems, and commercial-grade finishes.
residential construction estimating
Single-family, custom home, and multifamily takeoffs sized for builders - from framing packages to finish schedules.
preconstruction quantity takeoff
Early conceptual and schematic-design quantity takeoffs that help owners and design teams set a realistic budget before drawings are finished.
Who We Serve
A quantity takeoff means something slightly different depending on who's asking for it. Here's how we tailor the estimate for each side of a Maryland construction project.
A full quantity takeoff across every division so your team can compare subcontractor bids line by line instead of taking a lump sum on faith.
Trade-specific takeoffs - concrete, drywall, electrical, roofing, and more - scoped tightly to your contract so nothing outside your work gets counted twice.
Material lists and framing packages for single-family homes, additions, and small subdivisions, sized for how residential builders actually order material.
Early-stage quantity takeoffs that support feasibility studies and pro formas for multifamily, mixed-use, and land development projects.
Design-stage material takeoff that helps a design team keep a project inside the owner's budget before it goes out to bid.
An independent quantity takeoff that gives owners a second opinion on contractor numbers, or gives suppliers a clean material quantity to quote against.
Project Types
Maryland's project mix is unusually broad - rowhouse renovation in Baltimore, biotech labs in the I-270 corridor, federal work around Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground, and everything residential in between. Our estimators have takeoff experience across all of it.
Single-family, custom homes, additions, townhouses, and multifamily.
Office, retail, restaurants, hotels, and tenant improvement fit-outs.
Warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing, and process facilities.
Medical offices, hospitals, cleanrooms, and biotech/life-science space.
GSA buildings, public schools, courthouses, and public works bids.
Facility construction and renovation on and around Maryland's military installations.
Mission-critical mechanical, electrical, and structural quantity takeoff.
Earthwork, grading, utilities, paving, and land development takeoffs.
Historic rowhouse and building restoration, retrofits, and adaptive reuse.
Apartment, condominium, and mixed-use residential development.
K-12 schools and university buildings, new construction and renovation.
Roads, bridges, stormwater, and municipal infrastructure projects.
What's Included
A quantity takeoff is only useful if it holds up against the drawings. Here's what's covered in every estimate we prepare, regardless of trade or project size.
Line-item quantities by CSI division, with units matched to how you actually buy material (SF, LF, CY, TON, EA)
Marked-up, color-coded drawings showing exactly where each quantity was taken from
Waste factors applied per material type, not a flat blanket percentage
Scope notes and assumptions, written in plain language, plus any exclusions we flagged in the drawings
Addenda and drawing-revision tracking, so a mid-bid revision doesn't get missed
A summary sheet totaling every division, ready to plug into your bid form
Sample Estimate & Deliverables
Every takeoff is delivered as an Excel workbook, broken out by CSI division, alongside the marked-up plan set. Below is a shortened excerpt from a real commercial tenant-improvement takeoff, trimmed to show the format.
Deliverable Preview - Division Summary
estimatingbuddies.com
CSI Division
Description
Quantity
Unit
Notes
03 30 00
Cast-in-place concrete, slab on grade
412
CY
4" slab, per S-101
04 20 00
CMU back-up wall
6,120
SF
8" CMU, exterior walls A–C
06 10 00
Rough carpentry / framing
18,400
BF
Interior partitions, level 2
09 29 00
Gypsum board, 5/8" Type X
41,200
SF
Both sides, rated partitions
09 65 00
Resilient flooring, LVT
9,850
SF
Excludes restrooms, see finish schedule
22 40 00
Plumbing fixtures
128
EA
Per fixture schedule P-501
Total
Line items across 14 divisions
-
-
Full workbook delivered with quote
Editable, sortable, and formatted to drop straight into your bid spreadsheet or estimating software.
Color-coded by trade so your team - or your subs - can see exactly what was counted and where.
A one-page rollup of quantities and totals, ready to attach to a proposal or bid submission.
How the Process Works
The process is the same whether it's a two-page residential floor plan or a full federal drawing set - only the timeline changes.
01
Upload PDF drawings, CAD files, or a Revit/BIM model through our intake form or email.
02
We confirm trades, bid date, and any specific divisions or exclusions before starting.
03
Estimators measure every scope item using digital takeoff software, division by division.
04
A second estimator cross-checks quantities against the drawings before anything ships.
05
You receive the Excel workbook and marked-up plans, with revisions covered if drawings change.
Software We Use
Every measurement is taken on-screen from your actual drawing files, which keeps scale errors out of the count and lets us hand you a marked-up plan set instead of just a number.
Pricing Sources
When a job calls for a full construction cost estimate rather than a bare quantity takeoff, unit costs are built from current regional cost data, recent supplier and subcontractor quotes you provide, and historical bid data from comparable Maryland projects - never a stale national average dropped in without adjustment.
Accuracy & Quality Control
Missing scope is the most expensive mistake in construction estimating - it either kills your margin after you win, or costs you the bid outright. Our QA process is built to catch it before you ever see the numbers.
01
Every takeoff is checked line by line by a second estimator before delivery, not just the person who measured it.
02
Quantities are cross-checked between architectural, structural, and MEP sheets to catch conflicts between disciplines.
03
When addenda or revised drawings arrive mid-bid, we log exactly what changed and update the affected line items only.
Why Choose Estimating Buddies
Estimating Buddies exists because too many contractors lose bids over scope they simply didn't have time to measure. We built our process around Maryland's bid calendar - fast turnaround, real trade knowledge, and a takeoff you can defend if a GC or owner questions a number.
Our estimators specialize by trade - concrete, MEP, structural steel, sitework - so the person counting your ductwork actually reads mechanical drawings for a living.
From Baltimore rowhouse renovation to federal work near Fort Meade, we've measured the project types that make up Maryland's actual construction market.
Standard takeoffs ship in 48–72 hours, with rush options available when a bid deadline is tighter than that.
Quotes are based on drawing set size and trade count, given upfront - no surprise charges after the takeoff is already done.
Service Area
Because everything is delivered from digital drawings, distance from our office never affects turnaround. We regularly prepare takeoffs for projects in:
Also serving Baltimore County, Howard County, Harford County, Charles County, and Washington County - plus federal and military project sites near Fort Meade, Aberdeen Proving Ground, and Joint Base Andrews.
Maryland Codes & Standards
A quantity takeoff that ignores local code requirements can undercount scope before the project even starts. We read drawings with Maryland's applicable codes in view, so the quantities reflect what's actually required to get a permit and pass inspection.
MBPS
Statewide adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC), which sets structural, fire-rating, and life-safety scope that has to be captured in the takeoff.
LOCAL
Counties and cities such as Baltimore City, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County apply their own permitting amendments on top of the state code - we account for the jurisdiction your project falls under.
ENERGY
Maryland's energy code requirements affect insulation, HVAC equipment, and envelope quantities on both residential and commercial takeoffs.
MDE
MDE and MDOT stormwater management requirements shape sitework, grading, and drainage quantities on land development and civil projects.
WAGE
State and municipal public works projects carry prevailing-wage and bid-documentation requirements that affect how a public-sector takeoff is scoped and presented.
FLOOD
Projects near the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore may fall under flood-resistant construction requirements that add foundation and elevation scope to a residential or commercial takeoff.
Code requirements vary by jurisdiction and project type - this is a general reference, not a substitute for confirming requirements with your local building department or design team.
Cost & Pricing
There's no flat rate that fairly covers a two-page residential plan and a 400-sheet federal drawing set, so every quote is scoped individually. These are the factors that move the price:
01
Square footage and total drawing-sheet count are the biggest single driver of price and turnaround time.
02
A single-trade takeoff (just concrete, or just electrical) costs less than a full multi-division estimate.
03
Incomplete, low-resolution, or conflicting drawings take longer to interpret and can affect pricing.
04
Rush and same-day options are available at a premium over our standard 48–72 hour delivery.
05
A bare quantity takeoff costs less than a full construction cost estimate with unit pricing and totals attached.
06
Addenda and drawing revisions during a live bid are typically covered; major scope changes after award are quoted separately.
Most residential and small commercial takeoffs land in a modest fixed-fee range; larger commercial, industrial, and federal takeoffs are quoted per project once we've reviewed the drawing set. Send your plans for an exact quote - there's no charge to get a number back.
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 Maryland project would run.
Questions Maryland contractors ask before sending plans
A quantity takeoff measures how much of each material a project needs - square footage, linear footage, cubic yards, item counts. A construction cost estimate takes those quantities and applies unit pricing to produce a dollar total. We provide both, separately or together.
PDF plans are the most common format we work from, along with scanned drawings, CAD files, and Revit/BIM models. If the drawings are legible and to scale, we can measure from them.