Big Estimate

Big Estimate is a New Zealand-based quantity surveying and estimation service that provides tender-ready estimates and bills of quantities for construction projects. The company covers trade specialties including roofing, tiling, brick and block, and insulation. They have completed over 10,000 projects and aim to deliver fast, accurate estimates that comply with NZ construction standards. Their services are designed to help builders, sub-contractors, and material suppliers quote with confidence.

The business follows the NZS4202:1995 format for schedule formatting and sectioning in their reports. They also offer a PDF option that includes scope summaries, room-wise breakdowns, and total quantities. These structured BOQs are intended to be easy to plug into pricing workflows or tender schedules. Supplier-compatible layouts group quantities by material type, profile, and usage to speed up quote requests.

To get started, clients must upload their full set of tender documents via Dropbox or Google Drive and send them to [email protected]. After approval of the fixed quote and expected delivery date, the estimator begins measuring and building the QS report. The final report is downloaded through a secure portal where clients can log in, view current projects, make payments, and access reports anytime.

Big Estimate partners with builders, sub-contractors, and material suppliers across New Zealand. They support in-house QS teams by handling trade-specific scopes during peak workloads. Sub-contractors receive complete takeoffs to help them quote accurately for supply and install projects. Material suppliers benefit from estimates that support bulk material orders and faster responses to large builder requests.

The company covers a wide range of regions including Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Nelson-Tasman, Canterbury, and Otago. Their office is located at 14 Garden Place, Hamilton Central, Hamilton 3204. They are described as 100% NZ-owned and operated with fast estimates for over 10+ trades.

Roofing estimates include long-run roof sheets by profile and pitch, flashings, gutters, downpipes, underlays, vapour barriers, and safety mesh. They also calculate roof penetrations like skylights, vents, and pipe openings. Optional items such as wall cladding, insulation layers, and internal gutters can be included based on the project scope.

The process involves a senior estimator double-checking every report to ensure accuracy and minimize human error. This quality check step is part of their commitment to delivering practical formats that work on site, in an inbox, or with a merchant. They aim to prevent material overordering and wastage through precise measurements.

Some users on Reddit mention that Big Estimate provides a fixed quote and expected delivery date so clients know exactly what to expect. The website states they deliver fast, accurate estimates in formats that meet NZ construction standards. They emphasize speed and accuracy as key differentiators for their services.

The company states they have completed over 10,000 projects and offer support for project tendering with an average turnaround time. They claim to deliver tender-ready estimates and bills of quantities across multiple trade specialties. Their goal is to help clients win more contracts through precise quantity estimation and project tendering support.

Some reviewers on Reddit note that Big Estimate helps prevent material overordering and wastage by providing accurate and profitable rates. They also mention that the estimates comply with NZ codes and supplier requirements. The business states they help speed up tendering with clear, builder-ready BOQs.

The website mentions that they can estimate labour hours for key roofing tasks to help plan better, though this is optional and available on request at the quote stage. They also offer cost estimation breakdowns with wastage and overlap adjustments. Labour effort planning is broken down to include installation hours for roofing teams and safety prep.

Big Estimate offers a structured and editable BOQ / SOQ style file that is easy to plug into pricing workflows. They also provide a PDF option with fixed-format versions that are easy to share with clients or team members. These formats are designed to work on site, in an inbox, or with a merchant.

The business states they follow NZ construction practices and use real NZ pricing structures or preferred supplier rates. They calculate cost projections using these rates to help clients submit competitive bids with profit clarity. Wastage allowances are included to reflect site conditions and sheet layout logic.

You can reach Big Estimate by phone at 72820170.

Big Estimate has no reviews on Trustburn yet. Anyone who has used it can write the first review on its Trustburn page.