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Services and pricing
For residential and light commercial projects, anything with wood in it, anywhere in the US (no industrial). Flat prices by square footage; commercial and multifamily jobs over 5,000 sq ft are quoted. No charge until I've checked your files. Turnaround is counted in business days from approved, complete files.
| Service | Price | What you get | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote Check | $150 | Written. Up to 3 quotes compared, with a one-page summary of the gaps, terms and what to ask each vendor. Credited toward a Bid Review if you upgrade within 7 days. | 2 business days |
| Bid Review, up to 3 quotes | $450 | Any material quotes (lumber or panel package, concrete, roofing, siding, windows and more): workbook comparison, priced gaps, adjusted totals, 1-page summary, vendor questions | 5 business days |
| Bid Review, 4 quotes | $550 | Same, with a 4th quote | 5 business days |
| Framing-Only Takeoff, up to 3,000 finished sq ft | $150 | Framing lumber, sheathing, headers and beams, structural hardware, in an Excel workbook. Numbered wall list (sheeted vs unsheeted) and wall-number PDF. Every line shows its plan source and a confidence flag. Questions list. | 2-3 business days |
| Framing-Only Takeoff, 3,001-4,000 sq ft | $225 | Same | 2-3 business days |
| Framing-Only Takeoff, 4,001-5,000 sq ft | $300 | Same | 2-3 business days |
| Framing-Only Takeoff, over 5,000 sq ft, duplex and up, multifamily, light commercial | from $500 | Same, per building | Quoted per job |
| Full Material Takeoff, up to 3,000 finished sq ft | $500 launch: $400, first 3 orders | Every building material, foundation to shingles, in an Excel workbook. Every line shows its plan sheet, detail or schedule, the dimension or count used, and a confidence flag. Wall-number PDF. Questions list. | 2-3 business days |
| Full Material Takeoff, 3,001-4,000 sq ft | $650 | Same | 2-3 business days |
| Full Material Takeoff, 4,001-5,000 sq ft | $800 | Same | 2-3 business days |
| Full Material Takeoff, over 5,000 sq ft, duplex and up, multifamily, light commercial | from $1,200 | Same, per building | Quoted per job |
| Rush (takeoffs up to 5,000 sq ft) | +30% | Delivered within 1 business day. Only if my schedule allows; I confirm before approving your order. | 1 business day |
Bidding a lot of jobs? Ask about a corporate account. Builders who send regular work get volume pricing. Email me to set it up (hello@secondlookbids.com).
Quote Check · $150
Send up to 3 quotes and the plans PDF. I compare them and send a one-page written summary covering:
- The biggest scope gaps between the quotes
- Deposit, payment terms, price hold and lead time
- What to ask each vendor
Delivered by email in 2 business days. No workbook, no revisions. If you upgrade to a Bid Review within 7 days, the $150 counts toward the $450.
Bid Review · $450 / $550
- Every quote entered as written in my bid comparison workbook
- Each scope line marked Included, Excluded or Unclear, by trade. A lumber or panel package: sheathing, headers, beams and posts, hardware, fasteners, blocking. Roofing: underlayment, ice and water, drip edge, flashing, vents, ridge cap. Concrete: rebar, chairs, vapor barrier, anchor bolts. Siding and windows: wrap, trim, corners, flashing tape, jamb extensions. Plus engineering, delivery and revisions.
- My own local cost estimate added for every excluded or unclear building-material item. Engineering, revisions and other non-material items are flagged, not estimated.
- Terms compared: deposit, payment, price hold, lead time, drawing revisions
- Delivery compared using each vendor's stated terms. Anything not stated is flagged as unclear.
- Adjusted total, a unit cost where it fits ($ per wall LF, per square, per yard) and rank for each quote
- 1-page summary and a written list of questions for each vendor
- Quantity spot-check against the plans on the biggest line of each quote. If vendors are more than 10% apart, I flag it.
One free update if a vendor revises within 14 days and the plans haven't changed. After that, $200 per updated quote.
Takeoffs · Framing-Only from $150 · Full Material from $500
Both back in 2-3 business days from approved, complete files, or within 1 business day for +30% if my schedule allows. Larger and multifamily quoted.
- Every building material, foundation to shingles (Excel): excavation and fill materials, concrete and rebar, framing, sheathing, windows and doors, roofing, siding and trim, soffit and fascia, insulation, drywall, gutters, decks and porches
- A source on every line: plan sheet, detail or schedule tag, the dimension or count used, and a High / Med / Low confidence flag. You can check any number in seconds.
- Questions list: anything not on your plans or spec sheet is marked Low and asked, not guessed
- Wall-number PDF: every wall tagged on your plan sheets. Red = sheeted, blue = unsheeted, green = party/fire walls.
Framing-Only Takeoff ($150 / $225 / $300 / from $500): the same sourced workbook, limited to framing lumber, sheathing, headers and beams, and hardware, plus the wall-number PDF. Upgrade to the full takeoff within 7 days and the framing fee is credited.
Materials only. No labor, no equipment. My own errors reported within 30 days are fixed free. One minor plan revision (under 10% of any trade's quantities) within 30 days included. Bigger revisions are quoted.
I check every line myself before it goes out. You're paying for a framer's read of the plans.
Not included, on any tier
- Labor of any kind, and construction equipment (excavators, cranes, lifts, pumps, bracing equipment). I estimate building materials only.
- Structural engineering, code or plan review, shear or load design
- Truss design or truss counts (roof or floor). Those come from your truss supplier. I note truss type and spacing.
- Material pricing as a quote
- Any guarantee of a vendor's price or schedule
- Site visits
- Contacting or negotiating with vendors for you
- Contract or legal review of quote terms
- Plumbing, electrical and HVAC. Interior finishes not on your spec sheet (flooring, cabinets, counters, paint, fixtures).
- CAD or BIM files. PDF only.
Payment
You're never charged when you submit files. I check them first. Once they're complete and approved, I email you an invoice (card or bank transfer, through Stripe). Work starts when it's paid.
Full refund if you cancel before I start. After that, I fix my own errors free, and if I can't fix one, or I'm more than 5 business days late without your OK, you get your money back. Refund terms.