Commercial projects we estimate
- Office buildings, corporate campuses and suburban office parks.
- Retail and restaurants, from strip centers to freestanding quick-service restaurants and pad sites.
- Healthcare, including medical office buildings, clinics, dental offices and senior living.
- Multifamily and mixed-use, wood-frame over podium and garden-style apartments.
- Hospitality, hotels and event venues.
- Tenant finish and renovations in occupied buildings.
- Churches, community and recreation buildings.
How a commercial estimate is organized
We follow CSI MasterFormat so the estimate lines up with the project manual and your bid form. Self-performed work is priced from crew productivity; subcontracted scopes are carried as plug numbers with written scope sheets. General conditions are built from the schedule, not a percentage.
| Division group | What we price |
|---|---|
| 01 General requirements | Supervision, temporary facilities, testing, cleaning, bonds, insurance, permits |
| 02 to 14 Building | Demolition, concrete, masonry, metals, wood, thermal and moisture, openings, finishes, specialties, equipment, conveying |
| 21 to 28 MEP and fire | Fire suppression, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, communications, fire alarm |
| 31 to 33 Site | Earthwork, paving, utilities, landscaping |
Kansas commercial cost drivers
- Local code edition. Wichita and Sedgwick County moved to the 2024 International Building Code effective January 1, 2025, while other jurisdictions may still enforce older editions. Code edition affects energy compliance, fire protection and accessibility. See Kansas building codes by city.
- Storm shelters. Under the 2015 and later IBC, new K-12 schools and certain emergency facilities in the 250 mph shelter wind zone, which includes Kansas, need ICC 500 storm shelters.
- Envelope and roofing. Hail-resistant roofing, rooftop unit hail guards and wind-rated glazing systems are common owner requirements.
- Labor competition. Large projects in the Kansas City metro, such as the Panasonic battery plant in De Soto and data center campuses, compete for the same electricians and pipefitters, which can push subcontractor pricing up.
- Sales tax. Taxable remodel labor vs. exempt original-construction labor, and Project Exemption Certificates on nonprofit and public projects, change your tax line. See our sales tax guide.
Deliverables
Excel estimate with live formulas, PDF summary, marked-up takeoff sheets, subcontractor scope sheets and a written list of inclusions, exclusions and clarifications. For public bids, quantities are organized to match the owner's bid form, alternates and unit prices.
Related services
For schools, municipal and KDOT work, see public works bid estimating. For trade-level detail, see structural steel and HVAC and mechanical. Metro contractors can also read our Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas pages.
Frequently asked questions
What types of commercial projects do you estimate?
Office buildings, retail and shopping centers, restaurants, medical office buildings and clinics, hotels, multifamily and mixed-use buildings, churches, tenant finish and interior renovations, and light industrial flex space.
Can you produce a GMP or schedule of values from the estimate?
Yes. The estimate can be reorganized into a schedule of values or GMP breakdown by CSI division, with general conditions, contingencies and fees shown separately.
Do you estimate tenant finish in Johnson County office buildings?
Yes. Yes. We estimate tenant finish in Overland Park, Lenexa and Leawood office buildings, including demolition, partitions, ceilings, MEP modifications and finishes.
How do you handle subcontractor scopes?
We price subcontracted scopes with realistic Kansas plug numbers and write scope sheets you can send to subs, so bids come back on the same basis and are easier to level.