A Surprisingly Low-Cost Estimating Tool for Small Contractors | The Dirt #54
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- In this episode of The Dirt, host Bryan Furnace demonstrates software he stumbled across that has been a big help to his small residential construction business.
He and his business partner were estimating a job for sitework on a residential lot and needed software to calculate the material quantities being excavated. They also didn’t have much money to spend. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, he came across a product that only cost $300. It was simple, easy to use and more than paid for itself on the first job, a single residential lot.
The software creates 3-D images of the site and the finished grade and does all the calculations for material removal and balance. The numbers can then be plugged in on the bid sheet.
Just on one lot, it saved on trucking and excavation costs, fuel and time. It also works on commercial projects as well.
Though not as intricate as the more costly job management software, this product might be all a smaller contractor needs, without breaking the bank. Furnace calls it “game-changing.”
To learn more, watch this episode of The Dirt.
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Another excellent video, I just downloaded a trial for another estimating software, saw this recommended in some groups as well and seems to be much more excavation focused which is what I'm after! Appreciate all the quality content and how to videos!
Thank you for bringing this to my attention
Thank you bro! God Bless you and your company
What laser did you use to shoot in the site before using the software
Just use Insite Elevation, very very versatile and it's only like 3k a year
What does it do that this does not?
Does takeoffs, much better UI, can make you surface files to align with CADs to import to your data collector or even drone.
Get you a 3D view, plan and profiles, assemblies for pipe install and boxes. Can input stations for roadwork. Etc.
Can input compaction and expansion factors on soils and boring logs making your stuff WAY more accurate.
Plus, the demo he's showing doesn't reflect what most plans are like. Most plans are ASS with vectors that don't make sense.
But anyways, the software this dude presents is booty and cheap with a UI from 2002.
Cannot see comments but what is website of the software please?
Search for Kublasoftware.
Kubla cubed
Why not use plott? I have a plott measuring wheel and it can measure irregular shapes and calculate cu yardage etc. It can store the data it can do about everything you need.pu
Happiness is both ways possible,make the others who are sad happy, their ha
I really wish someone would make a cloud version of something like this. We only have Apple computers, but it seems Kubla and BlueBeam require Windows. Perhaps I need to buy a PC just for these types of software... but I'll probably just keep using my custom made spreadsheets for my estimates. Kubla seems great at a great price, bummer for me.
We are working on a cross platform solution, unfortunately it will take some years. There is a program called Parallels that can emulate Windows that a lot of our customers use.
Count how many times he says 'software'.
It's an old *software* jedi mind trick. You'll never *software* forget about this video *software*
How do you estimate your costs?
We have it broken down to how much dirt each machine can move in a day and base it off that. Thats the short answer