Excavation & Grading Estimating Services
For contractors and subcontractors bidding on excavation & grading scope for residential, commercial and industrial projects, Forte Estimating offers the specific expertise needed for excavation estimating services. Our estimators have hands-on experience in the trade and detailed takeoff software to ensure accurate, bid-ready earthwork grading & excavation estimates complete with material and labour pricing, including earthwork estimating services and grading estimating services.
If you’re a specialty subcontractor submitting bids on jobs directly or a general contractor requesting a excavation & grading estimate as part of a larger bid package, our staff will provide the detail for that trade that you need to correctly bid jobs and be competitive.
We take your plans and specifications and create an entire package that includes cut and fill estimates, organized to be easily passed on to suppliers for material pricing or to be used as a basis for your own bid review.
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What Is Excavation & Grading Estimating?
Excavation and grading estimating involves calculating quantities of cut and fill on a site, scope of site preparation and earthwork volumes that are needed to reach the designed grades of a site.
Our takeoffs determine positive and negative cut/fill volumes from grading plans, topsoil stripping and site clearing volume, and identify the need for structural fill or import/export material.
These quantities are not just important for the bid, but also have a direct impact on material ordering and scheduling when the project is awarded, so an incorrect excavation & grading takeoff can be a problem after the project has been won.
Our Excavation & Grading Takeoff Process
All cut and fill estimating services assignments start with a comprehensive examination of applicable drawings and specifications and then are detailed and organized into categories that are most significant in determining the price.
After the quantities have been measured, the second estimator will review the takeoff for accuracy, avoiding any pricing errors, or missing any scope of work before the takeoff is submitted to your bid.
What's Included in Our Excavation & Grading Estimate
This includes a cut and fill volume calculation by area, site clearing quantity and import/export material balance summary, for accurate earthwork contractor quoting.
Files are provided in spreadsheet and pdf format and may be tailored for your company’s required takeoff template or bid format if your company already has a preferred takeoff bid format.
Key Considerations for Excavation & Grading Estimating
Our estimators do not estimate volumes from rough sketches, but instead estimate them from known and proposed grades supplied by the civil engineer. The overall material balance of the site is also calculated to check for net import/export of material for the project, which has a significant impact on hauling costs.
Residential vs. Commercial Excavation & Grading Estimating
Residential excavation and grading is usually confined to a single building pad and driveway, while commercial and development scale grading may require an equal amount of cut and fill over a large site.
Why Trade Contractors Choose Forte
To specialty subcontractors who bid on excavation & grading projects, Forte is a company that understands the industry from the ground up, not just from a drawing set. The knowledge you’ve got in the particular trade can help us capture scope information that a generalist estimator might miss, which can help you keep your margin in place before you even submit a number.
We also provide flexible pricing models for excavation & grading estimating, including project pricing for specific jobs and a monthly retainer for subcontractors who repeatedly bid on this scope who wish to have a consistent, reliable estimating partner.
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Contact us Now
Call us now and upload your construction project plans with all the specific details to explain the scope of work that includes construction drawings, specifications and other specific documentation.
Receive your schedule
Our expert team of BIM Estimators manages to deliver the final draft for review and consult through an email or call to consult and finalize the construction project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you use the grading plan or survey data to determine cut and fill volumes?
Yes, we use the civil engineer’s grading plan and topographic survey data provided to us to determine the correct amount of cut and fill.
Is there a need to import or export material for a project?
Yes, we do perform site material balance and have an impact on project haul cost, as it is essential to the site to determine the import/export material balance.
Do you include site clearing and grubbing in the estimate?
Yes, site clearing/grubbing quantities are included in a complete excavation and grading job estimate.
Is there a way to estimate the structural fill needs without estimating the general grading needs?
Yes, if there is structural fill under foundations or under pavement areas, it is measured separately because it is made of different materials and has different compaction requirements.
What is your time to turnaround for a excavation & grading estimate?
Typical excavation & grading costs are finalized within 24-48 hours for typical sized projects, and bigger and more complex projects will be completed in 3-5 business days..
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