ESTIMATING PRACTICES THAT BUILD CERTAINTY
Create stand-out estimates by establishing confidence even in uncertain times
Estimators today face rising complexity, tighter margins, and heightened scrutiny. Projects are getting larger, while risks are increasing as material and staffing costs become more variable. At the same time, project owners are demanding more transparency and precision than ever before. The industry research is sobering:
LARGE-SCALE DELIVERY
One large-scale study found that just 8.5% of projects are delivered on time and on budget.[1]
LARGE PROJECTS
A McKinsey study found that large projects typically take 20% longer to finish than scheduled and are up to 80% over budget.[2]
OVERSPENDS
InEight’s third-annual Global Capital Projects Outlook Report, respondents that reported actually completing projects on time or ahead of schedule also reported an average overspend of 28%.[3]
INPUT PRICES
Construction input prices rose at a 9.7% annualized rate through the first quarter of 2025 and are over 40% higher vs. five years ago.[4]
In this environment, delivering an estimate that inspires confidence in both timeline and budget is a competitive advantage. A winning bid isn’t just accurate—it’s defensible, detailed, and adaptable to real-world execution. Owners aren’t looking only at total cost. They base award on cost, schedule, and execution plans taken as a whole. That’s why today’s top estimators rely on three key approaches to build rock-solid confidence into their work. These practices don’t just help them work faster and smarter, but also allow them to answer the dreaded question, “Where’d you get that number?” with data-driven certainty.
[1] Most infrastructure projects are late, over budget. He hopes to fix that, Lori Aratani, Washington Post, June 2023.
[2] Imagining construction’s digital future, McKinsey & Company, 2016.
[3] InEight Webinar: Seeing the Bigger Picture: A Special Look Into The Global Capital Projects Outlook Report, July 2023.
[4] Construction materials costs rise for third month on tariff pressures, Construction Dive, April 2025.
DELIVER CONSISTENCY AND PRECISION
Whether it’s a project owner, executive, or field lead asking, it’s essential that an estimator is able to respond to questions or challenges with defensible logic and data. Confident responses start with precision and consistency. A small error early in an estimate like overlooking a critical activity, underpricing a resource, or failing to account for accurate crew productivity can snowball into major cost deviations. Regardless of the specific type of error or the reason it occurred, the resulting risk can set off a domino effect (also referred to as a knock-on effect) of broader problems, which can wind up becoming very costly, including the following:
- Underestimating putting profitability at risk: Profit margins are already slim, and approximately 60% of construction companies expect them to remain so or get even thinner.[1] A good estimator addresses the risks of an estimate and properly communicates them to management for review and possible costing to account for those uncertainties. Underestimating costs puts a company’s profitability in a dangerously vulnerable position.
- Completion date delays incurring extended indirect costs: Errors in estimating the duration of activities due to errors in crew size or productivity rates can give the false impression of durations being shorter than they actually are. Couple this with errors in paying little to no attention to an estimate schedule, and contractors could be at risk of the project running much longer than thought of at the time of the estimate, and could easily trigger LD claims, and what could be even more costly, extended duration of indirect costs.
This is why the best estimators don’t just plug in numbers. They document assumptions, break scope down into highly granular units, and align all activities with real-world execution logic. This detailed accounting strengthens internal reviews, increases owner trust, and supports better project control during project execution. Quote management also plays a role in precision. When estimators can accurately compare vendor quotes or validate line items based on market data, they build traceability into their process that eliminates ambiguity and boosts credibility.
[1] Press release: ABC: Contractors’ Backlog Falls Sharply in May, Associated Builders and Contractors, June 2025.
ACCURATE ESTIMATE, ACCURATE OUTCOME
When estimators have the ability to precisely account for every scoped item and link it to real data, they’re building a solid case that the project team can confidently execute. An integrated project controls solution, such as InEight, allows project teams to quickly realign pre-execution and execution plans to maintain key project parameters throughout the project lifecycle. Learn more about how InEight enables consistency and precision.
“Between the custom pricing structure and resource databases alone, InEight Estimate has been an invaluable tool for us and how we approach our business. The customizable, detailed estimates of InEight are a real strength of the program. It’s flexible and robust enough to do whatever you want from a project estimating standpoint.”
- Bryan Myers, P.E., Regional Preconstruction Director, Brasfield & Gorrie
“
Between the custom pricing structure and resource databases alone, InEight Estimate has been an invaluable tool for us and how we approach our business. The customizable, detailed estimates of InEight are a real strength of the program. It’s flexible and robust enough to do whatever you want from a project estimating standpoint.
- Bryan Myers, P.E., Regional Preconstruction Director, Brasfield & Gorrie
VALIDATE TIMELINES WITH EXPERTS
When estimators are more confident in the project timeline, they can be more confident in the cost. That’s why the best estimators incorporate the input and expertise of the people who will bring the project to life. Rather than treating cost and schedule as separate functions, leading estimators think through the execution plan of a proposed project, making sure that the estimate schedule properly reflects the cost estimate, and also reflects accurate durations of activities. Providing a detailed estimate schedule gives executives and owners confidence that the estimator has properly planned the execution of a project, not just put numbers into a system. This is especially critical in large capital projects, where delays can quickly push overrun costs into the millions.
By linking estimating and scheduling from the very start of the process, estimators can:
- Run what-if scenarios to come up with the best execution plan.
- Validate durations with field teams
- Adjust logic to reflect the best path of construction
This approach transforms estimates into a shared tool that all stakeholders can trust, because it reflects both scope and strategy. By bringing feedback from field leadership, superintendents, and schedulers into the estimate, the costs and timelines become more realistic and more resilient—instilling confidence and buy-in across the extended team.
“InEight helps us understand the costs and communicate that to the people that are working on the project.”
- Jim Blois President, Blois Construction
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InEight helps us understand the costs and communicate that to the people that are working on the project.
- Jim Blois President, Blois Construction
BENCHMARK FOR DEFENSIBLE CERTAINTY
Confidence comes from having quantitative evidence to back up an estimate when it’s challenged. That’s why top-performing companies build a library of as-built projects—continually feeding actuals data back into the system—so their estimators will have precise benchmarks to validate assumptions about cost and time to execute.
With historical benchmarks in-hand, estimators can:
- Validate assumptions for labor productivity, unit costs, and durations
- Forecast likely outcomes with more certainty
- Justify decisions using actual project performance, not guesswork
Imagine being asked the dreaded: “Where’d you get that number?” and being able to confidently respond: “From similar successfully implemented projects: 75% hit this timeline and cost, 15% came in under, and 10% were over.” That kind of answer helps owners distinguish a credible, data-driven bid from competitors’ and gives estimators the confidence to say, “We’ve seen this before, and here’s how it went.” Benchmarking also helps reduce the time it takes to develop an estimate. Instead of reinventing the wheel, estimators can pull from prior projects, adapt proven assemblies, and shorten the path to precision. Improving data usage, including through benchmarking, can deliver business impact in several ways. In one industry study, 53% of contractors said that it’s helped them complete projects at or under budget, 36% said that it’s helped them complete projects at or ahead of schedule, 46% said it’s resulted in greater profitability, and 26% said it’s helped them win new work.[1]
[1] SmartMarket report: Improving Performance with Project Data, Dodge Construction Network, 2019.
“For us, it’s most important to have data, so that when we hand a client a deliverable, every dollar in that estimate is accounted for in the document. InEight Estimate allows us to have that level of detail.”
- Scott Brower, Project Controls Manager, HNTB
“
For us, it’s most important to have data, so that when we hand a client a deliverable, every dollar in that estimate is accounted for in the document. InEight Estimate allows us to have that level of detail.
- Scott Brower, Project Controls Manager, HNTB
CONFIDENCE IS THE COMPETITIVE EDGE
The most successful estimators don’t just produce numbers, they deliver confidence. And in an industry where just 8.3% of projects meet both budget and schedule goals, that confidence sets winning teams apart.
By focusing on:
- Consistency and precision
- Integrated cost and schedule planning
- Data-driven benchmarking
Estimators can empower their organization to bid boldly, execute smoothly, and inspire trust at every stage from bid to final delivery.
THE RIGHT ESTIMATING SOLUTION CAN BUILD—OR BREAK—YOUR CONFIDENCE
Technology doesn’t replace estimator expertise—but the right tool amplifies it. A flexible estimating solution like InEight Estimate helps professionals focus on what matters: delivering a bid that holds up under scrutiny. Here are five ways that InEight Estimate supports confident estimating:
- Handles any level of detail: Built for complexity, it accommodates everything from broad assemblies to minute line items—without forcing you into rigid structures.
- Highly flexible: Unlike tools tailored to narrow project types, InEight Estimate supports all kinds of capital work, making it a single-source solution.
- Multiple, configurable data views: Plan by activity sequence, group by trade, or present rolled-up costs—shifting views without rework makes it easy to collaborate, communicate, and align.
- Re-use and benchmarking: Easily pull in past estimates, assemblies, and real project benchmarks to move faster without sacrificing accuracy.
- Integration across InEight Project Controls: Seamless connection between InEight Estimate and other elements of the InEight platform means your cost assumptions always align with your construction plan—enhancing both accuracy and confidence.
ABOUT INEIGHT
InEight is a leader in construction project controls software, empowering over 850 companies taking on challenging projects in industries including construction and engineering; transportation infrastructure; mining; water; power and renewables; and oil, gas and chemical. Uniquely suited to capital construction and other complex work, our integrated, modular software manages projects worth over $1 trillion globally, taking control of project information management, costs, schedules, contracts, and construction operations, and delivering insights with advanced analytics and AI. InEight's solutions adapt and scale to meet the dynamic needs of modern construction, driving operational excellence and successful project outcomes. For more information, follow InEight on LinkedIn or visit InEight.com. © 2026 InEight, Inc. All Rights Reserved