In today’s construction environment, there’s a growing (and dangerous) trend: treating estimating as a commodity.
It shows up in subtle ways. “Can you just give us a quick number?” “We’re just looking for a ballpark.” “We’ll firm it up later.” Or worse, people expecting detailed, high-quality estimates under compressed timelines (often for free) as part of a pursuit strategy.
On the surface, it feels efficient. In reality, it’s one of the fastest ways to undermine a project before it ever breaks ground.
The Misconception: It’s Just a Number
At its core, the misconception is simple: If the output is a number, then the process must be simple. What this fails to realize is the number is just the result, not the work.
A credible estimate requires:
- Understanding scope—and more importantly, what’s missing
- Interpreting incomplete or evolving design documents
- Evaluating risk, logistics, and sequencing
- Analyzing market conditions and subcontractor capacity
- Applying historical data with proper context
- Making informed assumptions—and documenting them
That’s not a commodity. That’s professional judgment built on experience.
Note. Image generated using chatgpt.com
The Cost of “Free” and “Fast”
There’s an old saying: You get what you pay for. In estimating, that often translates into budgets that tell clients what they want to hear instead of what they need to know. When estimating is treated as a commodity, three things typically happen:
- Speed Replaces Accuracy
Unrealistic timelines force estimators to prioritize completion over validation.
Quantities are assumed. Scope gaps are glossed over. Risks are minimized.
The estimate gets done, but it’s not right.
- Optimism Replaces Objectivity
When estimates are produced to win work rather than inform decisions, numbers tend to skew low. Not because people are dishonest, but because the process incentivizes it.
The result? Budgets that look great on paper… until design progresses and reality shows up.
- Accountability Gets Lost
When an estimate is treated as a quick deliverable rather than a documented analysis, there’s no clear Basis of Estimate (BOE) and without a BOE:
- Assumptions aren’t transparent
- Risks aren’t understood
- Decisions aren’t traceable
The estimate becomes a number disconnected from its logic. This makes it easy to question later, and impossible to defend.
Estimating as a Value Driver—Not a Cost Center
A well-developed estimate does more than define cost, it informs strategy.
It helps answer questions like:
- Is the design aligned with the budget?
- Where are the major risks?
- How should trade packages be structured?
- What procurement strategies make sense in this market?
- What decisions need to be made now to avoid cost escalation later?
When done right, estimating becomes a decision-making tool, not just a line item.
A Familiar Scenario
Most estimators have lived some version of this scenario:
The call comes in, “We’ve got another rush estimate, we need this ASAP.”
Priorities shift. Calendars get rearranged. Other work gets pushed. The team leans in and delivers—often under a timeline that everyone knows isn’t realistic, but gets done anyway because that’s what professionals do. And then…silence.
The estimate goes out.
No feedback.
No review meeting.
No decisions.
A week passes. Sometimes more. Which leads to one of those internal observations that doesn’t always make it into the meeting minutes:
Nothing says urgency quite like a “drop everything and get this done now” estimate that requires us to rearrange our days (and occasionally our sanity), hit an unrealistic timeline, and push it across the finish line—only for it to then sit untouched for the next week or two. It’s a fascinating version of urgency where the pressure is entirely front-loaded… and the follow-through is on vacation.
It’s a humorous observation, but it highlights a serious issue. When estimating is treated like a commodity, urgency is often misapplied. The focus shifts to getting a number quickly, rather than ensuring the estimate is used effectively to inform decisions. When that happens, the real value of estimating is lost.
The Industry Disconnect
Ironically, estimating is one of the most scrutinized outputs in construction—and one of the least supported processes.
Projects will spend months navigating approvals, coordination meetings, and design reviews…Yet expect the estimate, the financial foundation of the project, to be produced in a fraction of that time. We wouldn’t accept a structural design without analysis. We wouldn’t accept a schedule without logic, but too often, we accept estimates without either.
Reframing the Conversation
If we want better project outcomes, we need to shift how estimating is viewed:
- From: “Just give me a number” To: “Help me understand the cost and the risks”
- From: “We’ll refine it later” To: “Let’s build it right the first time”
- From: “Fast and free” To: “Accurate and accountable”
Final Thought
An estimate is not a commodity, it’s a professional opinion of probable cost based on available information, experience, and judgment.
If you treat it like a commodity, and you’ll get a number.
If you treat it like a discipline, and you’ll get insight.
And in today’s construction environment, insight is what separates successful projects from expensive lessons.
If estimating were truly a commodity, every project would come in on budget. We all know how that story ends.
About: Andrew Kleimola is a Certified Estimating Professional with over 35 years of experience in construction and cost consulting. He currently leads estimating efforts as part of the Infrastructure & Capital Projects (IC&P) team at Accenture, where he serves as an Independent Cost Estimator and Owner’s Representative on complex aviation, infrastructure, and public sector projects.
