A1
Electrical estimating
Electrical cost estimating and electrical bid estimating for panels, wiring, fixtures and low-voltage systems.
Estimating Buddies runs cost estimating services in Illinois for general contractors, subcontractors, builders and developers - from a two-flat rehab on Chicago's North Side to a distribution center rising outside Joliet. Send the plans, get back a construction cost estimate ready to submit.
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About the company
Illinois construction doesn't move at one speed. Chicago's dense mid-rise and mixed-use pipeline runs on a different labor and permitting rhythm than a manufacturing build in Rockford or a grain-adjacent industrial project downstate near Springfield. Estimating Buddies was built around that range, offering cost estimating services in Illinois that price to the region a project actually sits in.
We work directly from construction drawings, architectural plans and project specifications to produce a complete construction cost estimation package - quantity takeoffs, material and labor cost estimating, and a full cost breakdown built on current Illinois labor rates, Illinois material prices and local supplier pricing.
Our estimators support Illinois general contractors, subcontractors, builders, developers, architects and engineers across the Chicagoland construction market, Northern, Central and Southern Illinois alike - and we also handle a construction cost estimate for out-of-state work when an Illinois contractor is bidding a project elsewhere in the USA.
What we offer
Every module below is a service we run for Illinois contractors - on its own, or combined into one full project estimate.
A1
Electrical cost estimating and electrical bid estimating for panels, wiring, fixtures and low-voltage systems.
A2
Mechanical cost estimating for HVAC, piping and equipment, including residential mechanical estimating.
A3
Combined mechanical, electrical and plumbing cost estimating packaged as one coordinated MEP estimate.
A4
Plumbing cost estimating and piping estimating for domestic water, drainage and specialty systems.
B1
Concrete cost estimating and masonry cost estimating with a full material quantity estimate.
B2
Framing cost estimating, structural steel estimating and rebar estimating for mid-rise and industrial builds.
B3
Roofing cost estimating, drywall cost estimating and flooring cost estimating for finish-stage scopes.
B4
Sitework cost estimating, earthwork estimating and civil construction estimating for grading and utilities.
C1
Fire protection estimating and painting cost estimating scoped with finish and life-safety packages.
C2
Material takeoff services and quantity takeoff services - lumber, concrete, drywall and structural steel takeoff.
C3
Contractor estimating services and subcontractor estimating services for bid pricing and bid preparation.
C4
Commercial construction estimating for offices, retail, restaurants, hotels and healthcare projects statewide.
Who we serve
The same construction cost estimate does different work depending on who opens it.
Estimating services for general contractors assembling a full multi-trade bid.
Estimates for subcontractors pricing a single trade - electrical, mechanical or concrete.
Cost estimating for builders and estimating services for developers building a project budget.
A construction estimator's check on design-stage budgets before bidding.
Project types
From dense Chicago infill to downstate agricultural and industrial infrastructure, we scope and price by project type.
What's included
The core components stay the same across every project - depth changes based on what you need it for.
Deliverables
Deliverables are built to drop straight into a bid submission or budget review.
Sample estimate
A shortened excerpt from a small commercial build-out estimate, shown to illustrate format - figures are illustrative only.
Sample estimate - commercial build-out, Cook County
Illustrative figures, not a live quote
| Item | Description | Qty | Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Demolition & selective removal | 1 | LS | $5,900 |
| 02 | Framing & partition walls | 2,100 | SF | $21,300 |
| 03 | Electrical & low-voltage rough-in | 1 | LS | $17,600 |
| 04 | Mechanical & HVAC modifications | 1 | LS | $23,750 |
| 05 | Finishes & flooring | 2,100 | SF | $27,900 |
| Estimated project subtotal | $96,450 | |||
Full estimates include a detailed cost breakdown, quantity takeoff backup and labor/material sourcing notes - this excerpt is shortened for readability.
How it works
Six steps from plan submission to a finished, bid-ready estimate.
01
Construction drawings, architectural plans and project specifications for the scope you need priced.
02
We confirm trades, project type and format - preliminary, detailed, conceptual or final.
03
Estimators complete the material takeoff and quantity takeoff trade by trade.
04
Costs are applied using current Illinois labor rates, material prices and supplier pricing.
05
A second estimator checks quantities and pricing before delivery.
06
You receive the finished estimate with a full cost breakdown, plus revision support.
Software & pricing sources
Software speeds up the takeoff. The pricing source underneath is what makes the number right for Illinois.
PlanSwift
Bluebeam
On-Screen Takeoff
Trimble
RSMeans cost data
Excel estimating workbooks
BIM cost estimating
Digital quantity takeoff
Baseline pricing is checked against RSMeans cost estimating data, then adjusted to current Illinois labor rates, Illinois material prices and market-based construction pricing across Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Rockford and Peoria - because a Chicagoland unit cost rarely matches one from Central or Southern Illinois.
Accuracy & QA
Accurate construction cost estimates come from a review step, not just software output.
QA-01
Takeoffs are checked against the drawing set for missed scope or wrong units.
QA-02
Material and labor rates are compared against current Illinois construction pricing by region.
QA-03
A second estimator reviews the finished cost breakdown before delivery.
Why choose us
Estimates reflect Chicagoland or downstate Illinois rates, not one blended state number.
From electrical bid estimating to civil construction estimating, one estimating partner covers it.
Estimates arrive formatted for your bid package, not a raw spreadsheet.
Standard requests move in 24-72 hours, with priority handling when needed.
A second set of eyes on quantities and pricing before anything ships.
You know what the estimate itself costs before work begins.
Service areas
We estimate statewide, with regular project work concentrated in these Illinois markets.
Schaumburg and towns beyond this list are covered too - our Illinois coverage runs statewide, from the Chicago construction market and wider Chicagoland construction to Central and Southern Illinois. Searching for a construction cost estimator near me or a cost estimating company near me anywhere in Illinois usually means we're already working nearby.
Illinois building codes
Illinois building requirements and local construction regulations directly shape a construction cost estimate - through material specifications, permitting steps and inspection order. We factor code compliance into the number rather than pricing off a generic national baseline.
That includes the fact that the City of Chicago maintains its own building code, separate in several respects from the state's ICC-based code used by most other Illinois municipalities, along with frost-depth foundation requirements driven by Illinois winters and stormwater detention rules common across Chicagoland due to combined sewer system requirements.
Chicago's municipal building code versus statewide ICC-based codes elsewhere in Illinois
Frost-depth foundation requirements tied to Illinois winters
Stormwater detention and combined-sewer requirements common in Chicagoland
Municipal permit and inspection sequencing by Illinois city or county
Pricing factors
A handful of variables determine what a construction cost estimating request costs.
SIZE
TRADES
TYPE
DEPTH
SPEED
PLANS
REGION
QTO
Ready to Bid?
You know what the estimate itself costs before work begins.
Questions we hear from Illinois contractors
We work directly from construction drawings, architectural plans and project specifications to produce a complete construction cost estimation package - quantity takeoffs, material and labor cost estimating, and a full cost breakdown built on current Illinois labor rates, Illinois material prices and local supplier pricing.
A handful of variables determine what a construction cost estimating request costs: project size and total square footage, number of trades involved, project type, estimate depth, turnaround time, drawing completeness, region within Illinois, and whether takeoffs are needed alongside pricing. You know what the estimate itself costs before work begins.