Commercial estimating, automated.
Commercial bidding is a different animal from residential — more trades, more code, more sheets, more volume. Here's what commercial estimating software needs to do.
What commercial estimating needs
Commercial construction estimating is multi-trade, code-heavy and high-volume: large plan sets, dense schedules, a spec book that drives scope, and a bid calendar that never stops. Commercial estimating software has to handle the full set and specs (not just a floor plan), cover many trades, account for code, and produce defensible numbers fast enough to keep up with bid volume. Tools built for simple residential takeoff struggle on commercial sets.
How Pilars does it
Pilars is built for commercial work: it reads the full plan set and spec book, runs trade-specific models across 48 CSI divisions, flags code against IBC/NEC/IPC/IMC/ADA/NFPA, and returns confidence-scored quantities sourced to the sheet — so commercial subs and GCs bid more jobs without adding estimators, at $100 per trade.
Everything Pilars does
Reads the whole set + spec book
Pilars reads every sheet and the specification book together, resolving references across sheets and schedules — not just one floor plan in isolation.
Trade-specific models
Counts devices, fixtures and equipment and traces runs across 48 CSI divisions — real trade takeoff, not generic area measurement.
Code-compliance flagging
Every takeoff is checked against IBC, NEC, IPC, IMC, ADA and NFPA, so compliance risk surfaces before the bid goes out.
Confidence score on every line
Each quantity carries a confidence score sourced to the exact sheet, so review is fast, targeted and defensible to the GC.
Cross-sheet reasoning
Resolves door, window and fixture schedules and one-line references the way a senior estimator would — catching scope the plan alone hides.
Cloud, with clean exports
Nothing to install. Export bid-ready quantities to Excel, Sage, WinEst and your estimating tool of choice.
Why estimating teams choose Pilars
- 8x faster bidding — a multi-hour takeoff becomes a short review of confidence-scored quantities.
- 94% takeoff coverage on the first pass, so estimators refine rather than rebuild.
- Bid 2–3x more jobs without hiring — and for subs, win rate rises with bid volume.
- $100 per trade, per plan — no per-seat licenses, unlimited projects.
- Quantities sourced to the sheet with a confidence score — defensible to owners and GCs.
Frequently asked questions
What makes commercial estimating harder than residential?
Scale and complexity — many trades, large sets, dense schedules, a binding spec book, and heavy code requirements, all on a relentless bid calendar.
What should commercial estimating software include?
Full-set and spec reading, multi-trade coverage, code awareness, schedule reconciliation, confidence scoring, and clean export to your pricing tool.
Does Pilars handle large commercial plan sets?
Yes — it's designed for full commercial sets and the spec book, resolving references across sheets rather than reading one page at a time.
Is Pilars good for commercial subcontractors and GCs?
Both — subs get trade-specific takeoff to bid more; GCs get multi-trade quantities to scope and level sub bids. See the subcontractor and general-contractor pages.
How much does commercial estimating software cost?
Pilars is $100 per trade, per plan with no per-seat fees and unlimited projects — predictable for high-volume commercial teams.
How much does Pilars cost?
Pilars is $100 per trade, per plan, with no per-seat licenses and unlimited projects — so a shared estimating team scales without seat creep.
Which trades does Pilars support?
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete and rebar, drywall, doors and windows, finishes, flooring, structural steel, roofing and millwork — trade-specific models across 48 CSI divisions.
Does Pilars replace estimators?
No. Pilars automates the extraction and validation — the counting, measuring, reconciliation and code checks — while the estimator owns pricing, scope judgment and risk. It removes the bottleneck, it doesn't remove the expert.
Does Pilars read specifications, not just drawings?
Yes. Pilars reads the spec book alongside the drawings and resolves references across sheets and schedules, so scope that lives in the specs is captured in the takeoff.