Excel estimating systems — your existing spreadsheet, rebuilt
Your spreadsheet holds years of pricing logic. We keep what works and turn it into a reliable costing and quoting tool. It is still Excel, structured around how you already price work.
If three or more of these are true, it is time.
- The workbook takes minutes to recalculate or open
- Only one estimator can safely change the formulas
- Rates are copied between tabs and quotes by hand
- You keep "FINAL v7" and "FINAL v7 (2)" in the same folder
- Quote documents are retyped into Word
- Nobody can tell you the margin on last month’s quotes
- New estimators take months to trust the numbers
A structured application, still in Excel.
Structured takeoff sheets
Consistent component lists and item entry, every job.
Central rate libraries
Labour, material and plant rates maintained in one place.
Supplier price list imports
Bring in updated supplier pricing without retyping.
Waste, overheads and contingency
Allowances applied by rule, not by memory.
Margin and markup controls
Minimum-margin locks so nothing leaves underpriced.
Options, variations and revisions
Price alternates and track every quote revision.
One-click quote PDFs
Branded quotes and proposals generated from the estimate.
Validation and protected formulas
Inputs checked, logic locked away from accidental edits.
VBA automation
Repetitive steps reduced to a button.
Connections where needed
Link to databases, accounting or ERP systems.
Same pricing logic. A completely different workbook.
Schedules and BOMs straight into your takeoff sheet.
Word documents and PDFs — schedules, specifications, bills of materials, supplier documents — are processed into structured line items and dropped into your Excel takeoff sheet for review. Your estimator checks every item before it is priced.
- 01Documents in
- 02Structured items and measurements
- 03Estimator review
- 04Into your estimate
Every AI extraction is checked. An estimator reviews the output and we run a joint review for outliers and anomalies before anything is priced.
When Excel is the right choice — and when it isn’t.
Excel is right when
- One to a few estimators, usually in the office
- Your team is fluent in Excel and wants to stay there
- Pricing logic changes often and needs to stay flexible
- You want a strong result without a hosted platform
Consider web or hybrid when
- Several estimators need the same price lists at once
- Site and delivery teams need to see what was quoted
- You need approvals, roles and an audit trail
- Estimates must connect to CRM, accounting or ERP
Not sure? A hybrid keeps Excel where your estimators work best and connects it to a central database.
Excel systems in daily use.
- Engineering & fabricationExcel
Kings Engineering
Project quoting and cutting stock tool
Faster quoting on complex fabrication jobs, minimised material waste and protection against underquoting.
- ConstructionExcel
Tuatara Constructions
Construction costing application
More accurate project costing and easier decisions.
We work alongside the software you already run
Your estimate doesn't live on its own. We import/export it as required in the format your job management or accounting system expects — so nothing gets re-keyed.
Simpro / Procore
Import and export data according to your job workflows.
Xero / MYOB
Quote and invoice data exported ready for billing.
Other systems
If it imports CSV or Excel, we can match its format.
Need a live connection rather than a file? We can scope it.
Common questions.
How a well-engineered Excel system should work.
- Pillar 01
Capture and encode line items and project components accurately
Ensure that take-offs, products, services, treatments, options, quantities, units and source information are encoded consistently so that the resulting cost or price is reliable and explainable.
- Pillar 03
Apply rates, mark-ups and commercial rules consistently
Maintain rate bases, mark-ups, minimum charges, allowances and commercial rules in a controlled way, while retaining the ability to authorise and record exceptions.
- Pillar 04
Handle complexity, exceptions and manual overrides
Represent non-standard work, unusual requirements, additional treatments and one-off adjustments without hiding them in formulas or changing the standard data used by other projects.
Projects from NZ$1,000 — fixed price after scoping
Let’s solve your estimating problem.
Book a discovery call or get in touch. Attach your current spreadsheet and we'll tell you what we'd keep, fix and automate.
We typically reply the same business day. Fixed-price quotes after scoping. Your files stay confidential.