Replacing the roof on a 1,200-square foot house typically costs between $6,000 and $16,000, with most homeowners spending around $7,000...
ACON ENGINEERING
Estimating
By Sector
Takeoff & Bidding
Structure
Wood & Finishes
MEP Systems
Our estimating team prepares construction cost estimates, material takeoffs, quantity takeoffs, bid estimates, conceptual budgets, value engineering, and cost consulting for projects of all sizes. Each estimate is developed using Illinois labor rates, supplier pricing, project specifications, and current market conditions to support competitive bidding, financial planning, and procurement.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 312 reviews
● 9,800 plans estimated
● Reply within 4 business hours
● Built for GCs, subs, developers
Construction costs continue to shift across Illinois because of labor availability, material pricing, code requirements, and regional market conditions. Successful bids depend on estimates built from current project data rather than outdated averages. ACON Engineering brings together certified estimators, quantity surveyors, cost engineers, and construction professionals who prepare detailed estimates using digital takeoffs, current pricing databases, and disciplined quality control. Our team supports residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, municipal, and infrastructure projects with construction estimating, quantity takeoffs, bid preparation, value engineering, budget estimating, conceptual estimating, change order pricing, cost consulting, and procurement support.
Our team prepares detailed cost data, quantity takeoffs, and bid support across multiple construction sectors throughout Illinois.
Building a home, duplex, apartment, or custom residential project requires accurate quantities before pricing begins. We prepare residential construction estimates with material quantities, labor calculations, equipment costs, and trade specific pricing to help builders control budgets and submit competitive bids.
Commercial projects involve multiple trades, tight schedules, and larger procurement requirements. Our commercial estimating services provide complete quantity takeoffs, CSI-based cost breakdowns, labor pricing, subcontractor coordination support, and bid-ready reports for offices, retail buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, and mixed-use developments.
Industrial facilities demand careful evaluation of structural systems, process equipment, utilities, mechanical installations, and heavy construction work. Our industrial estimating services provide detailed cost analysis for manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centers, processing facilities, and large industrial developments across Illinois.
Mechanical systems often represent a significant portion of construction costs. Our HVAC estimating services calculate ductwork, equipment, piping, insulation, controls, fittings, hangers, accessories, and installation labor, helping mechanical contractors prepare organized bids with accurate material quantities.
Projects often require budget guidance before design documents are complete. Our preliminary estimating services develop conceptual construction budgets using available drawings, project scope, historical cost data, and regional pricing, giving owners, architects, and developers a practical starting point for planning.
Many contractors need estimating support without adding permanent staff. Our freelance estimating services work as an extension of your estimating department, preparing professional quantity takeoffs, bid estimates, change order pricing, and value engineering reports whenever additional estimating capacity is required.
Grading, excavation, cut and fill, drainage, utilities, paving, site improvements, and landscape estimating services.
Foundations, slabs, footings, walls, columns, paving, with rebar, formwork, and finishing counted through our concrete estimating services and rebar estimating services.
Wall, floor, and roof framing, sheathing, trusses, blocking, and millwork covered by our carpentry estimating services, framing estimating services.
Roofing, flashing, insulation, waterproofing, siding, and sealants quantified via roofing estimating services, insulation estimating services, and waterproofing estimating services.
Doors, frames, windows, storefronts, glazing, hardware, and specialized conveying estimating services.
Gypsum board, framing, paint, flooring, tile, ceilings, and interior finishes calculated using drywall estimating services, drywall takeoff services, flooring estimating services, and painting estimating services.
HVAC equipment, ductwork, piping, supply and waste lines, fixtures, water heaters, and solar estimating services construction.
Panels, conduit, wiring, feeders, lighting, devices, and low voltage.
Sprinkler systems, standpipes, fire stopping, suppression systems, fire alarms, hydrants, and fireproofing supported by fire suppression estimating services and fireproofing estimating services.
Toilet partitions, signage, lockers, fireproofing, casework, countertops, appliances, building specialties, and comprehensive residential material takeoff services.
Your Illinois construction estimate is prepared as a working document and includes a complete material takeoff, labor and equipment costs, editable Excel pricing, marked up drawings, quantity summaries, scope assumptions, inclusions, exclusions, and supporting notes.
Get 3 redacted full sample sets covering takeoff, estimate, and schedule. No call required.
Our estimating team reviews project documents, applies local pricing, verifies calculations, and performs multiple technical checks before the final estimate is released.
Upload your PDF drawings, specifications, addenda, CAD files, or bid documents. We examine the project scope, identify missing information when necessary, and confirm the estimating requirements.
Our quantity surveyors measure every applicable construction component using professional digital takeoff software. Material quantities are organized by CSI divisions, creating a clean foundation for pricing and subcontractor comparison.
Labor rates, supplier quotations, equipment costs, production rates, freight, and material pricing are developed using Illinois zip code based construction data instead of generalized national averages.
Before delivery, a senior construction estimator reviews quantities, calculations, pricing logic, and project scope. Once approved, the completed estimate, supporting reports, and marked drawings are delivered in editable formats.
ACON Engineering combines PlanSwift, Bluebeam, RSMeans, supplier quotations, and historical project cost data to produce detailed construction estimates that are organized, traceable, and practical for bidding and cost planning.
Contractors work with ACON Engineering because our estimating process helps reduce overhead, improve bidding efficiency, and deliver dependable support throughout the project lifecycle.
Maintaining an in house estimating department creates ongoing payroll, software licensing, training, and administrative expenses. Our outsourced construction estimating services can reduce estimating costs by up to 60%.
Our estimating workflow is designed to deliver detailed construction estimates quickly without sacrificing technical accuracy, helping contractors respond to invitations to bid while keeping internal teams focused on project execution.
Our work doesn't stop after the estimate is delivered. If drawing revisions, scope updates, clarification requests, or pricing questions arise during bidding, our estimating team remains available to provide technical support.
Material suppliers, labor availability, transportation, and regional conditions all affect pricing. Our estimates are developed using zip code based pricing to reflect the actual market where the project will be built.
Accurate quantities and organized pricing help contractors submit competitive proposals. Our estimating process improves bid quality, simplifies subcontractor comparisons, and supports stronger bidding decisions on residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
Our team includes experienced construction estimators, quantity surveyors, and certified professionals who follow recognized estimating practices. Estimates undergo technical review before delivery to improve overall estimating accuracy.
Answer a few quick questions about your project, and our estimating team will review the information before providing a fixed quotation for your Illinois construction estimating services.
Choose the project category, including residential, commercial, industrial, renovation, tenant improvement, or public infrastructure. This helps determine the estimating scope and required level of detail.
Provide the approximate square footage, estimated construction value, or drawing package. Project size allows us to evaluate the quantity takeoff effort, trade coverage, and delivery schedule.
Select the estimating support you need, including material takeoffs, cost estimating, MEP estimates, preliminary estimates, trade specific takeoffs, or complete CSI based construction estimating for your project.
$1,250
Turnaround · 3 business days
Final fee depends on plan complexity. No charge until you approve.
The rates match how you work. Pay a flat fee per project, or set up ongoing support, with no hidden costs. Get a single construction takeoff, or keep an estimator on call for your whole pipeline.
For a contractor who needs one construction estimate for a specific bid.
From $750
For firms bidding several construction projects a month.
$2,495 / mo
For large builders and developers with heavy volume.
Custom
ACON Engineering is great to work with. The team is hardworking, professional, and takes pride in their work. They respond quickly, communicate clearly, and keep projects moving from start to finish.
Acon Engineering is a trustworthy and professional firm. They consistently deliver on time and are excellent to work with throughout the process. Their estimates are clear, organized, and supported by detailed documentation.
It was a pleasure working with them. The team was professional, responsive, and easy to communicate with throughout the project. Their service was reliable, efficient, and delivered exactly what was promised.
Our estimates are developed from your drawings, specifications, and project scope using digital quantity takeoffs, Illinois labor rates, supplier pricing, and current market data. Each estimate is reviewed before delivery to reduce quantity errors and pricing inconsistencies.
Yes. We prepare conceptual, budget, and preliminary estimates using the available drawings or design information. These estimates help developers, architects, and owners evaluate project feasibility, compare design options, and establish realistic construction budgets early in the planning phase.
Yes. Our estimates include separate pricing for materials, labor, equipment, subcontractor costs, and applicable markups. This makes procurement planning easier and allows contractors to compare supplier quotations or update individual pricing as market conditions change.
Absolutely. We prepare estimates for renovations, tenant build outs, interior remodels, additions, adaptive reuse projects, and occupied building improvements. Existing conditions, demolition work, phasing requirements, and project constraints are considered during pricing.
We regularly prepare trade specific estimates for electrical contractors, HVAC contractors, plumbing contractors, roofing companies, concrete contractors, steel fabricators, drywall contractors, flooring installers, and many other specialty trades throughout Illinois.
Many developers, owners, and lenders require a detailed construction budget before financing is approved. A professionally prepared estimate provides a documented cost breakdown that supports budgeting, loan discussions, investment analysis, and project planning.
We accept PDF, CAD, DWG, DXF, BIM exports, scanned plans, specifications, and addenda. If project documents are incomplete, our team will identify missing information before preparing the estimate.
Turnaround depends on project size, trade complexity, and drawing completeness. Smaller projects are typically completed within a few business days, while larger commercial or industrial estimates require additional review to maintain pricing accuracy.
Yes. Construction documents frequently change during design and bidding. We update quantity takeoffs, pricing, and scope based on revised drawings or addenda, allowing your estimate to remain aligned with the latest project documents.
Outsourcing reduces payroll, software licensing, recruiting, training, and overhead expenses while giving you access to experienced construction estimators only when estimating support is required. Many contractors also increase bidding capacity without expanding internal staff.
ACON Engineering prepares detailed Illinois construction estimates that support bidding, budgeting, procurement, and project planning for residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector work.
Long form playbooks our clients use to sharpen pricing, win more jobs, and protect margin.
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ACON Engineering provides construction estimating services across the United States, supporting contractors, subcontractors, builders, developers, and construction firms nationwide. We proudly serve clients throughout the country, including the following markets:
States: California • Texas • Florida • New York • Pennsylvania • Illinois • Georgia • New Jersey • Arizona • Colorado • Michigan • Tennessee • North Carolina • Virginia • Washington • Massachusetts • Ohio • Minnesota • Louisiana • Missouri • Wisconsin • Nevada • South Carolina • Iowa • New Mexico • Wyoming
Major Cities: New York City, NY • Los Angeles, CA • Chicago, IL • Houston, TX • Dallas, TX • Austin, TX • San Francisco, CA • San Diego, CA • San Antonio, TX • Fort Worth, TX • Miami, FL • Orlando, FL • Atlanta, GA • Seattle, WA • Boston, MA • Washington, DC • Las Vegas, NV • Phoenix, AZ • Denver, CO • Raleigh, NC • Nashville, TN • Columbus, OH • Sacramento, CA • Sarasota, FL • Wichita, KS