ConstructionOnline Blog

Imagine you’re building a house, but no one’s checking the plans, tracking the budget, or making sure the materials fit the design. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? You may be surprised to hear that when your company doesn’t have proper construction expense management, it can be just as disastrous. Inaccurate and unorganized construction expense tracking can lead to project delays, budget overruns, and even legal trouble. Let’s dive into the 8 biggest mistakes construction companies make when tracking expenses, and how to solve them.

The success of any construction project starts with an accurate, organized, and detailed estimate, and when you’re dealing with commercial projects which tend to be more complex and involved than say other types of estimates, the stakes are often higher. There are typically more fees, more permits, more compliance, and more safety considerations that take place.

That’s why it’s crucial that you get the estimate right from the get-go. In this article, we’ll lay out exactly how you should construct a proper estimate for commercial construction projects so that you can know what to expect financially, and ultimately protect your bottom line.

The success of any residential construction project starts with an accurate, organized, and detailed estimate. Whether you are new to residential construction estimating or experienced, it's easy to overlook small details that can cause big problems later. This guide covers everything you need to include in your estimate, from materials and labor to permits and inspections. We’ll also discuss best practices to help you stay on track, highlight free construction estimate templates, and point out common mistakes to avoid.

Preparation is key. Before estimating, research prices and understand your project's full scope. Using residential construction estimating software can make this process easier and more accurate. As the project progresses, track actual costs and compare them to your estimate to stay on budget and make informed decisions. By following the 8 tips in this guide, you can ensure your residential construction project runs smoothly from start to finish.

In my role as Success Coordinator for UDA ConstructionOnline, I’ve worked with hundreds of construction teams who have found that the implementation of UDA’s industry-leading construction estimating software has led to substantial revenue growth for their companies. Oftentimes, a company’s success can be determined early on by the priority they place on the simple things. For new customers getting started or current customers who are looking to do more, these are the three best practices that can be applied to support your success with construction estimating software -

At UDA Technologies, we frequently recommend working with templates in construction management – estimate templates, schedule templates, document templates, even complete project templates – because we know that building repeatable, reliable processes supports the growth and success of your construction company. However, many construction professionals scoff at the idea of templates when first introduced, thinking that these types of tools only apply to certain types of builders. You’ll be happy to learn that templates – particularly construction estimate templates – are actually beneficial tools for almost all types of builders. Read on to learn more about why you should start using estimate templates today at your business:

Knowing the full capabilities of your construction estimating software can have a significant impact on the success of your business, both in the short and long term. ConstructionOnline offers 5 distinct views for your construction estimates that correlate with different stages of the average construction project. Learning how to utilize all 5 of ConstructionOnline's default views will allow you to gain a greater understanding of where your company stands at any given moment, enabling you to dedicate more time and more focus to growing your construction business.

Continuing our Tips & Tricks Series of webinars, Senior Product Specialist Ian Schaefer shows how you can find success with OnCost Estimating in 3 different ways! If you missed our live session, you can find the recording here as well as questions asked in the webinar by some of ConstructionSuite's 500,000 users.

In the first installment of our Profit Series webinars, Senior Product Specialist Ian Schaefer and Sales Specialist Jordan Davis show you how you can drive up profits by utilizing features in ConstructionSuite's OnCost Estimating. If you missed our live session, you can find the recording below, as well as questions asked in the webinar by some of ConstructionSuite's 500,000 users.