Florida · Remote estimating from your documents
Construction Estimating Services in Florida
F&K Estimatings prepares quantity takeoffs and priced estimates for contractors and developers bidding Florida projects, working remotely from your drawings and specifications. Florida estimates depend heavily on the building code edition, High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements and the product approvals the envelope uses, so we record those as explicit assumptions.
F&K works remotely from your project documents and does not have an office in Florida.
What changes an estimate in Florida
In Florida the envelope and structure are shaped by the building code and product approvals more than by local labor rules. These are the items we confirm on every Florida set.
| Requirement | What it means for the estimate | Scope affected |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Building Code: Ninth Edition from December 31, 2026Miami-Dade County – product approval notices | The Ninth Edition (2026) of the Florida Building Code becomes effective on December 31, 2026. Projects permitted around that date may fall under the current edition or the Ninth, and the edition changes roofing requirements and test protocols in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. | Code-driven items in structure, envelope and roofing |
| Miami-Dade Notices of Acceptance (NOA)Miami-Dade Product Control – example NOA | Miami-Dade County’s Product Control Section issues Notices of Acceptance for products designed to comply with the Florida Building Code, including the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. A copy of the NOA must be available for inspection at the job site at the request of the building official. | Which window, door, shutter and roofing products can be priced |
South Florida openings, block construction and existing buildings
South Florida has requirements and building programs that are estimated differently from new construction elsewhere in the state.
-
Openings priced to their approvals
We check the specified design pressures against the window and door schedule and price assemblies with approvals suited to the location, including the anchorage and bucks the approval documents require. Where the schedule and the approvals do not match, we raise it as an RFI.
-
CMU walls, grouted cells and tie beams
Block construction is quantified by wall type, with grout volume calculated for the vertical cells, bond beams and lintels the structural drawings require and the reinforcing steel in those cells counted separately.
-
Miami-Dade building recertification
Miami-Dade County requires a recertification inspection when a building reaches 30 years of age and every 10 years after that (Code of Miami-Dade County s. 8-11(f)). Repair scopes that follow recertification reports are priced from the engineer’s repair drawings. Miami-Dade – building recertification
Services for Florida projects
- Quantity takeoff — measured quantities for your own pricing
- Construction estimating — a priced estimate for a bid
- Multi-family estimating — garden and podium apartment projects
- Residential estimating — single-family homes and remodels
- Commercial estimating — GC bids for commercial buildings
Trades most affected
- Masonry estimating — CMU walls, bond beams, lintels, grouted cells and vertical reinforcing
- Concrete estimating — tie beams, columns and slabs in block-and-concrete construction
- Doors & windows estimating — impact-rated openings and their product approvals
- Roofing estimating — HVHZ and statewide roofing requirements and the 2026 code change
- HVAC estimating — dehumidification and outdoor air equipment where specified
What to send for a Florida estimate
- Current drawings (all disciplines you want included) and the project manual / specifications
- Addenda issued so far, and the bid date
- Trades to include and any exclusions
- Whether you need quantities only or quantities with pricing
- The Florida Building Code edition the permit is under, if the drawings do not state it
- Product approval numbers or NOAs for openings and roofing, if already selected
- Structural details for grouted cells, bond beams and tie columns
- For recertification or milestone repairs: the engineer’s inspection and repair report
How the estimate is prepared
- 1. Document review. Drawings, specifications and addenda are checked for missing sheets, scale and revision before work starts.
- 2. Scope definition. Trades, inclusions, exclusions and the deliverable (quantities only, or priced) are agreed in the written quote.
- 3. Digital takeoff. Quantities are measured on screen in PlanSwift and Bluebeam Revu, each item on its own colored markup layer.
- 4. Pricing (priced estimates). Labor, material and equipment use RSMeans-based cost data for the project ZIP code, or your own rates and supplier quotes.
- 5. Review and delivery. The estimate is checked for missed scope and double counting, then delivered as PDF markups and an Excel workbook by CSI division.
Fees and turnaround
Typical ranges set by F&K; the written quote for your project states the actual fee and delivery date. You receive a written quote with the fee and delivery date, usually the same business day.
| Scope | Typical fee | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Single-trade material takeoff | $150 – $350 | 24–48 hours |
| Residential construction estimate | $250 – $450 | 2–3 business days |
| Commercial preconstruction package | $450 – $1,200 | 2–4 business days |
| Industrial & heavy civil takeoff | $1,000 – $3,500+ | 3–5 business days |
| Dedicated estimator retainer | $1,800 – $3,000 / month | Priority queue |
An estimate reflects the documents and assumptions provided; it is not a guarantee of final construction cost.
Florida estimating questions
What construction estimating services are available for Florida projects?
F&K provides quantity takeoffs, priced estimates, residential, multifamily and commercial estimates and trade takeoffs such as masonry, concrete, openings and roofing for Florida projects, prepared remotely from your documents.
Which Florida Building Code edition do you price to?
The edition the permit is under. The Ninth Edition (2026) becomes effective December 31, 2026, so for projects permitted around that date we confirm the edition before pricing roofing and envelope items.
Do you price impact windows with their product approvals?
Yes. We price the openings the schedule calls for and check that each assembly has an approval suited to the location — in Miami-Dade, typically a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, which must be available at the job site on request.
How do you estimate CMU grout in Florida block construction?
We count block by wall type, then calculate grout volume for the vertical cells, bond beams and lintels the structural drawings require, together with the reinforcing steel in those cells.
How much does a Florida estimate cost and how long does it take?
Typical fees start at $150–$350 for a single-trade takeoff (usually 24–48 hours); residential estimates are typically $250–$450 in 2–3 business days. The written quote states the fee and delivery date.
Sources
Checked September 2026. Requirements change; confirm the edition and rules that apply with the authority having jurisdiction for your project.
Send your Florida drawings for a written quote
Include the county, the bid date and the trades. We reply with the fee and delivery date.
Request a Florida estimateOr email fandkestimations@gmail.com · call +1 (317) 751-5969