5D Cost Estimating and BIM

Connect Cost Data To Design for Smart Field Execution and Management

Sound Familiar?

Tedious and time-consuming manual data entry
Your quote was inaccurate due to an error in your data entry
Your quote was inaccurate because you missed something
Finding it hard to track design changes, update budgets, or create live breakdowns
Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with how much time you're spending on estimates

5D Estimating and BIM

Sigma Estimates helps you overcome these issues with some of our most popular features.

Create informational transparency using cost and planning accuracy

Connect and utilise data with 2D and 3D design

Create and deliver data for planning and field execution - 5D estimating data

Build up and share cost and assemble knowledge from historical projects

Extend functionality to related relevant workflows and processes with the Open API

Want to try Sigma in your organisation?

Level up your 5D Estimating with Sigma.

How does Sigma's 5D Estimating Work?

Automated Takeoff Data

Sigma’s 5D Estimating can access data contained in the 2D digital plans or the 3D model. This means the normal time-consuming and error-prone duties are largely eliminated from the Estimators workload.

System Calculations

The reduction in manual processes such as measuring or counting everything in a set of plans or models will inevitably reduce the level of errors. And you can imagine that it can drastically increase the overall accuracy.

Re-Use Historical Data

With our quick and easy 2D quantity takeoff and 3D Model takeoff, you can easily access historical cost data and easily get a structured overview of all model assemblies that are ready-to-estimate ready-to-share or both.

Connect your Data across systems Store and Upload

You have the ability to connect estimate data across your systems. With a click of a button, your estimate will be placed in the BIM 360 cloud to use for project planning, cost management and more. Plus, you control what information is accessible based on role or project *

Pass 5D Estimating Data to the Field to Manage Costs

Your 5D estimating data can be passed to cost management tools to let field management compare actual vs. budgeted data. Plus, in a single click your estimate can be transformed into a CSI budget and added to your BIM 360 Cost Management.*

Get the Project Built Right with Construction Insight

Your Project Managers now have complete insight into the project with 5D estimating information that’s visualized in a 3D model for project field execution. By sharing a simple link, you can give your field personnel a complete understanding of not only how to build, but also the costs, materials and specifications. *

(*) Autodesk BIM 360 subscription may be required

Connect to 5D Estimating with Sigma

Sigma keeps you truly connected by giving you access to 5D Estimating information that allows you to pass project information from the (2D) plans / (3D) modeling and 4D schedule of the overall construction project. Sigma solved this challenging process of nonlinear components in the Construction ecosystem and associated phases by developing the 5D Estimating Solution, built to destroy the Silo System so that you can connect Sigma Estimating to your Project Management for 5D estimating data. That is a truly connected Construction Team.

Why Choose Sigma?

Sigma is the estimating tool you have always wanted

Estimate construction projects in the same logical way you would build them. Estimates for each building section are created separately, and the project is automatically summarised on the built-in Summary sheet, giving you an overview of the entire project, without you having to write as much as a single formula. Sigma takes the difficulty out of setting up estimates and pricing proposals. Instead of spending hours writing formulas that link through lots of tabs in a conventional spreadsheet, you can compile estimates of each building section separately, and automatically get a summary from the built-in Summary sheet.

Start with the structure quickly

You start your estimate by specifying the building structure, for example by entering the dimensions of a floor, roofing section or wall etc. Sigma gives you an overview, so you can check you have included all the parts required, and then material quantities can be pulled in from the drawings in the CAD program.

Add the detail of your estimates easily

You can then begin to add the pricing details and material quantities for each section, working in the same methodical way as you would if you were building it. This logical workflow gives you confidence that nothing is missing, and saves you hours of work.

Review your estimates on the Summary sheet

As you complete price and quantity details for individual building sections, the total price of the construction project is automatically summarised on the Summary sheet. From here you can drill back down into the pricing details for each section if you wish.

Easily make last-minute adjustments

The Summary sheet summarises material quantities, cost prices, profit margins and more. With all this information presented in one place, it is easy to give targeted discounts or adjust the project’s total amount to match a competitor’s price. This is all done without triggering an avalanche of manual recalculations because Sigma automatically updates all the numbers, right down to the individual building sections.

Provide everyone with the details they need

When the estimate is finalised, and the price agreed, you can save, print, attach and send the pricing summary, details, material supply requirements, notes, and other required documents all with the click of a button. This gives everyone on the project the information they need in the format they need it in.

Reuse existing estimates or build your own database

When you have finished and saved an estimate, you can reuse these estimates for new construction projects by importing building sections from an existing project into a new one. You do not need to update any formulas because Sigma does it for you – the only thing you need to change is the pricing and quantity.

In this way, you will gradually build your own database of estimates for building parts that you regularly use. Then you have them ready for the next construction project you need to estimate in Sigma.

Try Sigma for free

Download a free trial of our general contractors estimating software and find out for yourself. You will see how easy estimating can be, and once you have tried it you will wonder how you managed without it!

With Sigma, we realised a better alternative to provide accurate estimates, create our own customised templates, and enable users across our local companies to save time and money using cost estimation software

Using Sigma we were are able to easily create more accurate estimates and integrate it with Revit and a cost database while saving time on the entire cost estimation process.

Sigma is a fast, flexible and precise tool in contrast to, for example, a spreadsheet. It is possible to reuse actual data from previous projects, and there is a direct link to the standard local cost databases.