Expert Estimation

First-principles cost estimating and budgeting software for construction and engineering

Project Management Construction Software pronamics.com.au

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Founded

1987

Starting Price

$130 AUD

About Expert Estimation

Expert Estimation is first-principles cost estimating, budgeting and tendering software from Australian vendor Pronamics, used by civil, mining, infrastructure, mechanical and electrical contractors to build detailed bottom-up estimates from resources, formulas and templates. It is a Windows desktop application (a Server and Shell component installed on your own machines or network) sold on a monthly subscription or perpetual licence rather than a browser-based SaaS app. Three licence levels — Excelerate, Express and Genesis — scale from spreadsheet replacement through to matrices, cost coding, WBS, cashflow forecasting and takeoff.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Genuine first-principles estimating — resources, formulas and build-ups are exposed and auditable rather than hidden behind fixed unit rates, which suits civil, mining and infrastructure tendering
Vendor publishes real subscription prices per edition (AUD ex GST) instead of hiding everything behind a sales call, which is unusual in construction estimating software
24/7/365 Australian-based phone and online support is repeatedly singled out by long-term users as better than category norms
Deep template and library reuse means standard build-ups carry across tenders, cutting repeat work on similar projects
Clear three-tier upgrade path, so a small contractor can start on Excelerate and move up to Genesis without changing vendors
Perpetual licence option exists alongside subscription, which matters for organisations that cannot carry recurring software spend
Long track record — Pronamics has shipped this product since 1987 and cites 9,000+ users across 500+ companies in 20+ countries

Cons

Windows-only desktop software — requires Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2019/2022/2025, .NET Framework 4.8, 4+ CPU cores and 8GB RAM (16GB recommended), with a Server and Shell component to install; there is no Mac, Linux, browser or mobile version
Not a cloud SaaS — you host the database yourself (default C:\ProgramData\Pronamics), so IT has to handle deployment, backups and multi-user server setup
Steep learning curve reported by reviewers, especially for matrices, cost coding and larger estimates; advanced features can overwhelm without formal training
Interface is described by users as clunky and dated at first, with nonstandard keyboard shortcuts compared with modern web apps
Pricing is per licence and lands well above generic estimating tools — Genesis at $450 AUD/month is a real commitment for a one- or two-person outfit
Perpetual licence pricing is only available on application, so budgeting for an outright purchase requires a sales conversation
Strongest fit is Australian and Commonwealth-style civil and engineering tendering; teams doing US residential or trade takeoff may find the model heavier than they need

Key Features

First-principles cost build-up

Build estimates bottom-up from base and group resources with a dedicated formula column and live formula review, so every step of a calculation is visible and reusable.

Overhead cost schedule

A dedicated overhead schedule apportions indirect costs and profit across the priced items in an estimate so hidden costs are recovered rather than absorbed.

Margin and spread management

Set margins independently by resource type across direct costs, overheads, risk and opportunities, preadjustments and provisional sums, then spread values across the bill.

Library and template projects

Maintain a reusable resource database and template projects so standard build-ups, rates and structures carry from one tender to the next instead of being retyped.

Matrices for repeatable work schedules

Genesis matrices automate repeating work schedules with variables, letting you apply bulk value changes and replace error-prone third-party spreadsheets.

Cost codes and multi-level WBS

Create complex code sets and multi-level work breakdown structures to analyse and report forecast cost across a project for client and internal stakeholders.

Cashflow forecasting

Generate cashflow forecasts with a graphical scheduling tool, or import schedules from Primavera or Microsoft Project via CSV, using customisable calendars and payment lags.

Takeoff calculations

Create takeoff calculations whose results can be referenced and reused inside more advanced formulae, keeping quantities standardised across the estimate.

Quotation comparison and subcontractor analysis

Compare supplier and subcontractor quotations side by side and run subcontractor, resource flow and metrics analysis to spot discrepancies before submitting a tender.

Multi-user centralised database

Higher editions support multiple concurrent estimators against a centralised database with integrated project and server security, multi-currency and revision control.

Configurable reporting and export

Produce readable, configurable reports and export estimate data, including links to spreadsheets for teams that still need Excel outputs downstream.

24/7 Australian-based support and training

Round-the-clock phone and online support from the Australian team, plus an online knowledge base, video tutorials, instructor-led training calendar and self-paced courses.

Pricing

Excelerate

$130 AUD/month

Per licence, ex GST, on a 12-month subscription
For teams moving off paper or spreadsheets
Direct and overhead project costs
Cost estimates with base and group resources
Complex formulae and custom units of measure
Library and template projects
Margin/markup allocation and spreading
Configurable reporting and exporting
Comprehensive Australian-based Support Hub
Video tutorials and online knowledge base

Best For

Civil and infrastructure tender pricing

Civil contractors price roads, bridges and earthworks tenders from first principles, building rates up from plant, labour and materials so every submitted number can be defended line by line during client scrutiny.

Mining and resources cost estimation

Mining and resources estimators model complex, repeating work schedules with matrices and variables, applying bulk rate changes across an estimate when fuel, labour or haulage assumptions shift.

Replacing high-risk estimating spreadsheets

Teams still tendering out of Excel move to Excelerate to get structured overhead recovery, revision control and reliable formulas, removing the broken-link and copy-paste errors that spreadsheets accumulate.

Cashflow forecasting for project approval

Project managers link estimate data to a schedule — built in Genesis or imported from Primavera or Microsoft Project — to produce cashflow forecasts with payment lags for finance and board approval.

Subcontractor and supplier quote comparison

Estimators load competing subcontractor and supplier quotations into the quotation comparison tool to normalise scope and pick the best price before locking the tender.

Cost coding and WBS reporting for large contracts

Contractors on government or multinational work apply multi-level WBS and cost code structures so forecast cost can be reported in the breakdown the client contractually requires.