Measure the plan, calculate cut and fill, and price dirt work from your own equipment, labor, and trucking rates. One tool from takeoff to the bid you send.
01
Excavation estimating software measures earthwork quantities from site plans and prices them with your equipment, labor, trucking, and material rates. KonBid combines digital takeoff, cut and fill calculating, and a custom cost database, so excavation contractors go from PDF plans to a proposal-ready bid without spreadsheets or a separate earthwork program.
Most excavation bids still pass through three tools: a PDF viewer to measure, a calculator or earthwork program to get volumes, and a spreadsheet to price it. Every handoff is a chance to drop a decimal or miss a revision. KonBid keeps the takeoff, the dirt math, and the estimate in one place, so the number you measured is the number you price.
02
KonBid compares existing and proposed grades on your site plan to calculate cut, fill, and net dirt volumes. Those quantities push straight into the estimate, so mass excavation, foundation digs, and pond work are priced from the same numbers you measured instead of being retyped or rounded at bid time.
Calibrate the scale once, outline the work area, and set grades. KonBid returns cut, fill, and net volumes you can balance before you price. Area volumes cover the simpler jobs: measure the footprint, set a depth, and the cubic yards land in your takeoff list.
New to the math? Read cut and fill calculation explained, then see how the digital takeoff software handles it.
03
Excavation margins live in equipment hours and trucking, so generic cost books rarely fit. KonBid lets you build a cost database with your machines, operators, trucks, and disposal costs, then group them into assemblies and crews with production rates so labor and equipment durations calculate from the quantities automatically.
Set up an assembly once, such as excavator, operator, two trucks, and a laborer, with the production rate your crew actually hits. Drop it onto a cut quantity and KonBid works out hours and cost. Markups by category keep overhead and profit visible, and the summary shows direct cost, markup, and bid price before you send anything. For a deeper walkthrough, read how to price excavation work or tour the construction estimating software.
04
Once the excavation estimate is priced, KonBid generates a branded PDF proposal from the same numbers, tracks the bid from open to won in your pipeline, and builds change orders from the original bid when the scope moves, such as extra rock, unsuitable soils, or added haul-off.
Revision history sits with each change order, so nobody is digging through email to remember what was approved. Templates let you start the next driveway, foundation, or site package from a bid that already worked.
05
This short walkthrough shows the same workflow excavation contractors use every day in KonBid: upload plans, measure quantities, and send them to a live estimate that prices from your own cost database. Watch it, then try the same steps on your own job with the free trial.
Measure areas on a plan and turn them into volumes with the KonBid area tool. More walkthroughs live in KonBid Guides.
FAQ
Quick answers for excavation contractors: KonBid costs a flat $79 per month for your whole company, includes a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and covers digital takeoff, your own cost database, assemblies, proposals, and change orders without per-seat fees or add-on modules.
Yes. KonBid calculates cut, fill, and net volumes by comparing existing and proposed grades on your site plan. You can also measure an area and set a depth for simpler digs. The resulting cubic yards push straight into the estimate for pricing.
Yes. KonBid is built for owner-operators and small estimating teams as much as larger shops. The flat company price means a two-person excavation company pays the same $79 per month as a larger crew, and there is no implementation project to start.
Yes. Add your trucks, disposal fees, and import material to your cost database, then include them in excavation assemblies. When the cut or fill quantity changes, the trucking cost recalculates with it.
KonBid is a flat $79 per month for your entire company, with no per-seat fees. Every estimator, project manager, and owner in your shop can log in on the same plan, and takeoffs, cut and fill, and proposal exports are all included instead of sold as add-on modules.
Yes. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial with full access to every feature and no credit card required. Upload a real set of excavation plans, build the estimate from your own rates, and decide with your own numbers instead of a sales demo.
Yes. The KonBid cost database is fully customizable, so you enter your own material, labor, and equipment rates and group them into assemblies once. If you have a large rate sheet in Excel, email [email protected] and the team will help you get it set up.
Yes. KonBid runs on a SOC 2 Type II certified database. Data is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.3) and protected with Row Level Security, with regular backups. Your estimates stay yours and can be exported anytime.
Related
14-day trial · No credit card
KonBid is a flat $79 per month for your whole company, with no per-seat fees and no sales call. Start a 14-day free trial with full access to digital takeoffs, the custom cost database, assemblies, and proposal exports, then build your first real bid in minutes.
