Construction Cost Estimator
Create a project budget from quantity, material and labor rates, waste, fees, tax, and contingency. Rates are your estimates, not local contractor pricing.
Advanced fees, tax, contingency, and scenario controls
Use low/base/high multipliers in your own scenario sheet when local prices are uncertain. This estimator reports the base values you enter.
Construction cost formula
Material subtotal = quantity × material rate. Labor subtotal = labor quantity × labor rate. Waste allowance = material subtotal × waste percentage. The total adds labor, materials, waste, fees, tax, and contingency.
Worked example
A 400-unit deck at $8 material per unit, 24 labor hours at $45 per hour, and 10% waste gives $3,520 before fees, tax, and contingency; the default 10% contingency produces a $3,872 estimate.
Assumptions
- Currency is displayed as dollars for convenience.
- All rates, fees, tax, and contingency are user-provided estimates.
- Actual bids vary by location, access, scope, schedule, and contractor.