Estimating support
A dedicated estimator, backed by AI agents, who works your bid board, not a per-project takeoff shop.
Add estimating capacity as part of your coordinated Veltronx team: a construction professional trained on your plans, your pricing structure and your bid procedures, working alongside AI agents that handle first-pass drafting and data entry. They prepare; your lead estimator reviews and decides.
The problem this solves
Where the hours go today.
The bid board is full and the estimating desk is not
Invitations to bid arrive faster than one or two estimators can turn around complete, checked quantities. Good jobs get passed or bid late.
Senior estimators spend their day on quantity counts
The people who know how to price risk are counting diffusers, fixtures and linear feet of pipe instead of reviewing scope and strategy.
Hiring locally takes months and stays expensive
An experienced in-house estimator is a long search, a large fixed cost, and a single point of failure when they leave.
Responsibilities
What the team member actually does.
Scoped in writing in your Schedule A. This is the typical shape of the role; yours may include less or more.
- 01Plan and specification review to identify scope, drawing sets, addenda and bid requirements
- 02Quantity takeoffs for ductwork, piping, equipment, fixtures, insulation, accessories and labor units, using your takeoff software and your standards
- 03Organizing vendor and subcontractor quote requests and tracking responses
- 04Assembling the estimate in your template: quantities, labor hours, material pricing placeholders, equipment schedules
- 05Preparing scope letters, inclusions and exclusions, and bid forms for your review
- 06Maintaining the bid log, deadlines and addenda tracking
- 07Post-bid: organizing buyout information and handing off to the project team for execution
Inputs we need
- Drawings, specifications and addenda (PDF or your plan-room access)
- Your estimating template, labor units and pricing structure
- Access to your takeoff and estimating software under your account
- A lead estimator or owner who reviews and signs off on every bid
Outputs you get
- Checked quantity takeoffs with marked-up drawings
- Estimate workbooks in your format, ready for pricing review
- Scope letters and bid forms prepared for review
- A maintained bid log with status, due dates and outcomes
Review boundary
Your estimator or owner reviews every takeoff, sets pricing, decides on risk and margin, and submits the bid. Veltronx staff prepare and organize; they do not commit your company to a price.
Working together
- Daily check-in by chat or email on active bids and priorities
- Work hours aligned to your office day for the overlap you need
- Weekly report: bids completed, in progress, hours by bid, blockers
Systems
Team members work inside the software you already use, under access you control. Confirm specific tool experience for your role during scoping.
- Bluebeam Revu
- Trimble / Accubid
- McCormick
- FastPIPE / FastDUCT
- PlanSwift
- Excel
Examples of systems clients use, not endorsements or certifications.
Onboarding
- 1Discovery call: your bid mix, drawing types, template and review process
- 2Role scope and Schedule A: responsibilities, hours, tools
- 3Least-privilege access to plan rooms and estimating software
- 4Shadowing on two or three live bids with your estimator's feedback
- 5Independent work with review, then weekly reporting
Pricing factors
- HVAC, mechanical or plumbing focus and experience level
- Full-time or part-time hours and the overlap you need
- Number of estimators and whether a lead coordinator is useful
Dedicated staff, not one-off estimates
If you need a single estimate for a single project, a per-project takeoff service is the better fit. Veltronx is for contractors who need ongoing estimating capacity that learns their standards.
FAQ
Questions about estimating support.
Is this a per-project estimating service?
Who is responsible for the bid?
Can a remote estimator read our drawings?
What software do they use?
Scope a estimating support role with us.
A 30-minute discovery call: how your estimating, accounting, payroll and administrative work flows today, which systems are involved, and how a Veltronx team fits.