How our estimates are built

Last updated October 23, 2026 · Prices updated Oct 2026

How an estimate is put together

• Every project type has a fixed list of line items. Quantities come from the size and options you pick, such as post count, truss count, panel area and concrete yards.
• Each line has a materials cost and a number of crew hours.
  • Labor = crew hours × a $55/hr base crew rate × your area's location multiplier.
  • Materials vary less than labor from area to area, so materials are scaled by 1 + 0.45 × (location multiplier − 1).
• Builder overhead and profit of 20% is added to every line, except stand-alone permit and inspection fees, which are passed through at cost. Lines that combine a permit with other items, such as drawings and delivery, include overhead and profit.
• Each line is rounded to whole dollars, and the total is the sum of those rounded lines.
• Each estimate includes a fair-bid range, explained below.

Where the numbers come from

Base crew rate ($55/hr). This is an internal planning allowance for a builder's all-in hourly crew cost. It is reviewed periodically. It is not a wage and is not taken from any one survey. For context, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports:

• employers in the construction industry paid an average of $51.96 per hour worked in total compensation (wages and benefits) in June 2026;
• the mean hourly wage for construction and extraction occupations was $31.42 nationally and $24.82 in Alabama in May 2025.

Material and labor unit prices.

• Standalone concrete slabs: unit rates come from published 2026 national cost guides:
  • ready-mix concrete $126 per cubic yard, plus $53 per yard on orders under 10 yards;
  • pumping $15 per yard, minimum $125;
  • edge forms $2.50 per linear foot;
  • #4 rebar $0.55 per linear foot;
  • vapor barrier $0.25 per sq ft;
  • gravel base $30 per ton.
  • Slab labor ($3.40 per sq ft for a 4-inch slab and $4.65 per sq ft for a 6-inch slab) was set inside a published $3–$5 per sq ft labor range.
  • The slab grading line ($0.35 per sq ft) is an internal planning allowance.
• All other projects (pole barns, barndominiums, garages, metal roofs, decks, fences and home projects): materials prices and crew hours are internal planning allowances, reviewed periodically.
• Pole barn and barndominium takeoffs: panel coverage, purlin and girt spacing and fastener patterns follow published panel installation guides and post-frame building guides.
• Material prices can change quickly. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price indexes (preliminary) rose between September 2025 and September 2026, by about 28% for steel mill products and about 14% for softwood lumber. Check current prices in the quotes you get.

Location multipliers.

• How the Alabama metro values were set:
  • Labor: each metro's mean hourly wage for construction and extraction occupations, compared with the U.S. mean (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
  • Materials: goods prices from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, 2024. BEA shows the same goods value for every Alabama metro, so materials do not differ between Alabama metros.
  • Labor and materials are weighted by their shares of our own estimates, about 38% labor and 62% materials.
  • The metros are set relative to the Alabama statewide value of 0.91.
• The Alabama statewide value and the values for other states are internal planning allowances, reviewed periodically. They have not been derived from public data.

Permit and inspection lines. Stand-alone permit and inspection lines (concrete slabs, metal roofs, decks and electrical panel upgrades) are figured from the estimated contract value of the job and carry no overhead and profit. In Huntsville they use the City of Huntsville published permit fee schedule, and in Mobile the City of Mobile published fee schedule. Other Alabama areas use a planning allowance based on Huntsville and Mobile published schedules. Areas outside Alabama use an internal planning allowance. Lines that combine a permit with other items, such as stamped drawings, delivery, hardware or haul-off, are internal planning allowances. Re-inspection, plan-review and other agency fees are not included. Permit fees are set by your city or county, and many are based on the value of the work. Whether you need a permit, and what it costs, depends on where you build. Check with your local building department.

Wind

• Reference wind speeds used for pricing (Risk Category II):

• Other areas have no reference figure on file and use a 115 mph pricing default. Exception: older statewide pricing tiers for FL, LA, TX, MS, SC, NC and HI, which are internal planning allowances.
• How wind affects price: at 130 mph or more, wind-sensitive materials get a high-wind allowance: ×1.04 at 130 mph and up, and ×1.08 at 140 mph and up. Those materials are posts, trusses, panels, and screws, straps and hardware. The step sizes are internal planning allowances, not measured costs.
• Important: Wind figures are reference values for pricing only, not design values. Your building's design wind speed depends on your exact site and building and is set by your local building department. Confirm it with your local building department or an engineer.

Fair-bid range

A fair bid from a local builder should land about 15% below to 20% above the estimate. Quotes for the same building can vary widely, so get 3 quotes on the same spec. If one is outside this range, ask what it includes or leaves out.

• Why the range is this wide:
  • The range is a product judgment, not a measured statistic.
  • It runs higher above the estimate than below because quotes can include scope this estimate leaves out, such as site work, upgrades or travel.
• Example: a 30x40 pole barn, Alabama statewide. The estimate is $39,537 and the fair-bid range is $33,606 – $47,444.
• The range appears on:
  • guide pages;
  • the calculator;
  • the spec-pack PDF and Excel file;
  • the full-takeoff pack.

What's not included

• Site work that is not a line item in your estimate, such as clearing, major grading, fill or drainage.
• Utility connections, septic and wells.
• Driveways.
• Also not included for pole barns and barndominiums:
  • electrical, lighting, plumbing and HVAC;
  • insulation or liner, unless you choose the insulated option;
  • gutters, downspouts, windows (pole barns), and interior walls or finishes;
  • tree clearing, demolition and retaining walls;
  • soil testing, and any engineering beyond the stamped-plan allowance;
  • post-hole concrete.
• Barndominium estimates cover a dried-in shell. Interior finish, utilities and site work are not included.

What estimates are not

Estimates are planning figures for budgeting and comparing bids. They are not quotes, engineering, code reviews or design values. Permit requirements, wind and snow design values, and engineering needs are set by your local building department. Confirm them with your local building department or an engineer.

Limits

Estimates only. All prices, quantities and specifications are planning estimates based on typical 2026 costs and are provided as a general guide only. Actual prices vary by location, site conditions, design, materials, contractor and market changes. QuoteAndBid makes no guarantee or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness of any estimate for any purpose. Get written quotes from licensed local contractors before you build or buy. Full disclaimer