Masonry Magazine March 2009 Page. 20
Understanding
Estimating Software
In a struggling economy and tightly competitive industry like construction, the ability to create accurate, user-friendly project cost estimates for a potential client is paramount. To that end, a number of software companies are offering estimating software, each proposing some unique hook or added benefit.
Staying ahead in the ever-changing construction technology arena is a challenge that can prove pricey if you don't choose the software that is right for your company and your staff. A little research can point you in the right direction and save your company a lot of money, time and frustration in the end. Following is a look a several types of estimating software products currently on the market.
WinEst
Developed in 1992, Kent, Wash.-based WinEst has proven to be the single biggest success for WinEstimator Inc., says Steve Watt, president/CEO. "The majority of people purchasing WinEst are either coming from a manual method of developing estimates or using Excel," he says, noting the program's heavy focus on ease-of-use. "It was developed with the idea of making sure the estimator had ease-of-use and the comfort of using Excel; it's very spreadsheet driven."