About JLG Estimating
Dedicated commercial MEP cost engineering and quantity takeoff consulting. We deliver accurate, trade-specific estimating packages designed for commercial subcontractors and general contractors across the United States.
Built Exclusively for the Commercial MEP Trades
JLG Estimating is an independent commercial preconstruction cost consulting practice focusing exclusively on mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC systems (headquartered in Austin, Texas; not affiliated with JLG Industries, Inc. access equipment manufacturers). Unlike broad, general-purpose estimating firms that attempt to estimate everything from earthwork to finish carpentry, we direct 100% of our attention to the mechanical, electrical, and piping trades.
Our estimating team understands that mechanical and plumbing systems represent some of the highest-risk, highest-value packages on any commercial project. An overlooked riser, uncounted pipe fittings, or uncoordinated duct transitions can quickly eliminate contractor margins. We apply rigorous digital takeoff workflows to eliminate scope ambiguity.
How We Support Contractor Success
Our practice is guided by transparency, technical precision, and a commitment to protecting our clients' bid margins.
Verifiable Digital Quantification
We believe that every line item in an estimate should be traceable directly back to the project drawings. We do not provide mystery lump sums; we provide color-coded blueprint drawings that your project team can audit sheet by sheet.
Client Ownership of Data
Every deliverable workbook is provided in standard, unlocked Microsoft Excel formats. You maintain full access to change labor unit hours, adjust supplier multipliers, update scrap percentages, and incorporate your preferred equipment vendors.
Scope Clarifications & Discrepancies
Contractor profit is frequently lost in the fine print. We review drawing notes, schedules, and specifications to identify missing details, cross-discipline clashes, and ambiguous requirements, detailing them in a formal scope letter for bid submission.
How JLG Estimating Integrates With Your Preconstruction Team
Commercial trade contractors face intense bidding cycles where multiple large tenders close in the same week. Adding permanent in-house estimating overhead can strain operating cash flow during slower quarters. JLG Estimating acts as a seamless extension of your estimating department:
1. Rapid Plan Ingestion & Scope Boundary Definition
Upon receiving your contract set, we perform an immediate scope intake. We confirm sheet counts, review project specifications (Divisions 01, 22, 23, 26), isolate addenda, and verify exactly which system packages you are bidding to avoid unneeded takeoff effort.
2. Multi-Stage Takeoff Quality Control
Every takeoff undergoes an internal peer check before client delivery. We reconcile floor plans against riser diagrams, cross-reference equipment schedules with panelboards, and audit pipe/duct linear footage totals against gross building square footage rules of thumb.
3. Strict Confidentiality & Zero Contractor Conflict
JLG Estimating is strictly an independent cost consulting and quantity takeoff practice. We never bid projects directly, never self-perform construction work, and never share project drawings or pricing models with competitor firms. Your project data remains completely secure.
Why True MEP Estimating Requires Deep Trade Focus
Estimating commercial mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems is fundamentally different from estimating dry architectural finishes or site excavation:
Three-Dimensional System Routing
Piping and ductwork traverse congested plenum corridors, vertical utility shafts, and tight mechanical rooms. Our estimators visualize ceiling interstitial space, structural steel elevations, and gravity slopes so vertical riser drops and fitting transitions are counted accurately.
Material & Specification Variance
A commercial plumbing job may specify Type L copper with wrought fittings, PEX distribution with multi-port manifolds, Schedule 40 PVC DWV, or service-weight No-Hub cast iron with heavy-duty shielded couplings. We price systems to the exact written specification, not generic commodity averages.
Transparent, Contractor-Owned Workbooks
We never lock you into proprietary black-box estimating software. Our workbooks open in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet editor, giving your chief estimator full control over formulas, margins, and final bid-day adjustments.
MasterFormat Classification & Estimating Architecture
Our takeoffs follow standard CSI MasterFormat conventions so your project managers, purchasing agents, and field superintendents can immediately cross-reference project cost codes.
CSI Division 22 — Plumbing
Complete sanitary waste, vent piping, storm drainage, domestic cold/hot water distribution, natural gas systems, backflow prevention assemblies, and commercial plumbing fixtures.
Plumbing Estimating Scope →CSI Division 23 — HVAC
Commercial rooftop units, air handlers, chillers, boilers, hydronic distribution piping, SMACNA sheet metal duct poundage, terminal air devices, and variable refrigerant flow systems.
HVAC Estimating Scope →CSI Division 26 — Electrical
Service entrance switchgear, distribution panelboards, feeder and branch conduit raceways, commercial lighting fixtures, lighting control relays, and mechanical equipment hookups.
Electrical Estimating Scope →Serving Contractors Across the United States
Preconstruction estimating is inherently digital. With cloud plan rooms and electronic plan distribution, our estimators support contractors bidding commercial projects in every U.S. region. Operating from our central business office at 5900 Balcones Dr, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78731 (+1 (317) 751-5969), we provide seamless nationwide estimating support.
We calibrate each estimate to the specific geographic conditions of the project site:
- Localized Labor Burden: Factoring local union collective bargaining wage scales or open-shop regional hourly rates.
- Regional Material Pricing: Applying geographic cost indexes to reflect market supplier rates and freight factors.
- Code Alignment: Accounting for regional building, plumbing, and mechanical code standards (IPC, UPC, ASHRAE, and state amendments).
Our preconstruction estimators operate with industry-standard digital takeoff workflows, performing high-precision on-screen measurement to quantify pipe linear footage, sheet metal poundage, and electrical branch circuitry. Whether your contract documents originate from commercial online plan rooms or private client portals, we deliver clear, unlocked workbooks ready for your team's bid-day review.
By establishing clear drawing boundaries, verifying scope demarcation across architectural and engineering sheets, and documenting all estimating assumptions directly within the workbook, we help commercial contractors submit competitive, defensible proposals without burdening in-house estimating personnel.
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