What do labor cost estimating services include?
Labor cost estimating services convert quantities into labor hours by trade, then price those hours at crew rates that include base wage, fringe benefits and burden. KNR shows the productivity factor, journeyman-to-apprentice ratio and source behind each rate, delivered in an Excel workbook and PDF summary.
Our Professional Labor Cost Estimating Services
A labor number on a bid sheet is only as good as the crew rate, the production rate and the hours behind it. Our labor cost estimating services build that chain line by line: the unit, the measurement rule, the labor hours, the burden, and the arithmetic that ties them together. Each line carries a cost code from your work breakdown structure so the estimate reconciles to your accounting.
We separate self-performed labor from subcontracted scope, because the two are priced differently. Self-performed work gets a crew rate built from base wage, fringe benefits, payroll taxes and insurance, while subcontracted scope follows the quoted number with its inclusions and exclusions logged. The workbook and PDF summary show both, with marked-up drawing pages behind the quantities, and the same crew-rate logic carries into electrical estimates support when the scope includes power, lighting and low-voltage systems. The same burden build-up also feeds plumbing estimates support, where fixture counts and pipe runs set the hours.
Quantity takeoff by division
Quantities come first, because labor hours are a function of what gets installed. We measure from the drawings by CSI MasterFormat division and record the unit for every line: square feet of wall area, linear feet of pipe, cubic yards of concrete, each count of fixtures and devices. The material takeoff feeds a related material takeoff when you need pricing on the goods as well as the hours. Every quantity carries the page reference and the measurement rule used, so a reviewer can re-measure any line and land on the same figure.
Burdened crew rate build-up
Each work item gets a labor hours per unit figure, a crew rate, and an overtime factor where the schedule demands it. The crew rate stacks the base wage rate, fringe benefits, payroll taxes and insurance into a fully burdened hourly cost, then divides by the crew size to produce a per-man-hour rate. Productivity factors adjust the published or historical production rate for height, access, weather exposure and site conditions, and the adjustment is written down rather than buried. For prevailing wage work, the wage determination and the journeyman to apprentice ratio drive the rate instead of the open-shop figure.
Bid package workbook and assumptions log
The deliverable is a workbook you can drop into a bid package: cost code, description, quantity, unit, labor hours, crew rate, extended labor cost, and material and equipment columns where they apply. An assumptions log records the wage source, the productivity basis and anything excluded, such as permits, temporary power or owner-furnished material. When the bid date moves, the log tells you which inputs to refresh, and our professional hard bid and bid day support covers the last-minute scope checks and addenda. You can send your plans and we will quote the fee after reviewing the drawing set and the scope.
What Is Included in Our Labor Cost Estimates?
Our labor cost estimating services produce a line-item breakdown rather than a lump sum, so you can see where the hours sit and challenge any figure. The estimate follows the drawing set and the specifications, and every assumption is written into a log that travels with the workbook. Where the schedule is still open, we can start from a concept set through professional preliminary and conceptual estimating and firm the hours as drawings mature; the same line-item logic applies to a full construction estimate covering all trades.
Crew rates, burden and wage basis
The labor side of the estimate is built from named components:
- Base wage rate by trade and classification, sourced from published U.S. wage data and adjusted for the project location.
- Fringe benefits, payroll taxes and insurance carried as a percentage of base wage, with the percentage shown on the sheet.
- Overtime factor and shift differential where the schedule or the owner requires extended hours.
- Journeyman to apprentice ratio and the supervision ratio, since a crew day includes a working foreman.
- Small tools allowance and consumables, stated as a percentage or a fixed line.
- Prevailing wage and certified payroll rates where Davis-Bacon or a state wage determination applies.
A subcontractor quote is carried as a single line with its scope, inclusions and exclusions summarized, so the reader can see what the number covers. The same crew rate logic carries into our broader construction estimating services when labor is priced alongside material and equipment, into electrical estimating services where journeyman and apprentice hours drive the wire and device pricing, and into plumbing estimating services where pipefitting hours and wage determinations set the crew rate.
Labor hours and quantities by trade
Every line ties a measured quantity to a production rate: labor hours per unit multiplied by the quantity, with the unit stated. We work by CSI MasterFormat division, so Division 03 concrete, Division 05 metals, Division 09 finishes and the rest each carry their own hours and crew. The man-hour total per trade rolls up to a crew-day count, which is the number your superintendent will actually schedule against. Where a quantity is provisional, it is flagged, and the hours are recalculated when the final dimension arrives.
Materials, labor, equipment and cost breakdowns
The workbook splits each cost code into material, labor, equipment and subcontract columns, then extends them into a total. General conditions and Division 01 requirements sit in their own section, separate from the trade work, so the reader can see supervision, temporary facilities and cleanup as distinct costs. Indirect costs, escalation and contingency are shown as separate lines with their basis stated, not folded into the unit rates. The result reads like a construction estimate example you can audit line by line.
Who Needs Our Labor Cost Estimating Services?
Labor is the part of a bid that moves fastest when a crew rate or a production rate is wrong, and it is the part most often left undocumented. Outsourced construction labor estimating gives you a second set of hours to check your own against, with the productivity factor and the man-hour math written out. The estimate class is stated up front, from a rough AACE Class 4 screening to a Class 2 number built from a full drawing set. Teams that also carry renovation work pair these hours with our remodeling and renovation estimates support, where existing conditions change the production rate.
Specialty trade subcontractors
Trade contractors carrying self-performed labor use our labor cost estimating services to price a bid package before the quote goes out. The workbook gives them hours by work item, a crew rate they can compare against their payroll, and a burden percentage they can check against their accountant's figure. Electrical, framing, plumbing and drywall contractors each get hours in their own units, and the trade-specific pages cover the measurement conventions: electrical estimating services, framing estimating services, plumbing estimating services and drywall estimating and takeoff.
General contractors and home builders
A general contractor needs the labor side of every self-performed division and a clean scope sheet for each subcontractor quote. We deliver both, with the general conditions and supervision carried separately from the trade hours. Home builders use the same structure for repeat plans, where the labor hours per unit can be checked against the last house built. A construction estimate built this way supports the bid decision rather than replacing it.
Developers, architects and suppliers
Developers and architects use the labor breakdown to test a budget before drawings are complete, and to see which trade drives the cost. Suppliers use it to understand the installation hours attached to the material they are quoting. For early-stage work we produce preliminary and conceptual estimating with the estimate class and the range stated, so nobody mistakes a screening number for a bid. That same discipline carries into our labor cost estimating services on later phases, where the assumptions log records every rate change.
Types of Labor Cost Projects We Estimate
Our labor cost estimating services cover the full range of building types, and the labor treatment changes with each. Residential work turns on repetition and crew day counts, commercial work on trade sequencing and general conditions, and industrial work on crew mix and shift coverage. In every case the labor burden, contingency and escalation lines are stated separately from the base hours, and the hours themselves trace back to a professional quantity takeoff services pass over the drawings.
Residential projects
Single-family and multifamily work is priced from labor hours per unit, with framing, rough-in and finishes measured by floor area and by fixture count. Repetition matters: the same plan built twenty times carries a different production rate than a one-off custom house. Framing hours in particular swing with wall height, plate count and roof geometry, which is why framing estimating services start from a member-by-member count rather than a square-foot allowance. Renovation scope, where existing conditions drive the hours, is covered under remodeling and renovation estimating.
Commercial buildings
Office, retail, hospitality and institutional projects are priced by division with general conditions carried in Division 01. Trade sequencing, swing space and after-hours work all change the crew rate through shift differential and overtime factor lines. The bid package structure follows the way the project is actually bought, trade by trade.
Industrial and infrastructure projects
Process, utility and heavy civil work carries larger crews, longer shifts and a wider range of classifications. Certified payroll and prevailing wage requirements are common, so the wage determination and the journeyman to apprentice ratio drive the rate rather than the open-shop average. Contingency and escalation are stated with their basis, because material volatility on steel and copper moves the installed cost during a long schedule. A construction estimating services package covers the full scope when labor and material need to sit in one workbook, and our labor cost estimating services follow the same cost code structure so the two reconcile line for line.
Our Labor Cost Estimating Process
A labor cost estimate for construction bid work is only as good as the order in which it is built. We work from the drawings outward: quantities first, then hours, then rates, then markup, so any reviewer can trace a dollar figure back to a dimension on a sheet. Our labor cost estimating services follow the same sequence on every package, and each step produces a checkable artifact rather than a verbal assumption. The result is a construction cost estimate you can defend line by line, and the same structure lets budget estimates support early decisions before a bid set exists.
Submit drawings and specifications
Send the bid set, the specification sections that govern installation, and any addenda. We also ask for the schedule, the wage determination if the job is publicly funded, and the subcontractor quotes you already hold so quoted scopes are not double-counted. A scope sheet listing what you expect each trade to carry keeps exclusions visible from the start.
Plan review and digital takeoff
An estimator reviews the sheets for missing detail, conflicting dimensions and scope gaps, then performs an on-screen quantity takeoff by CSI MasterFormat division. Counts and lengths carry a measurement rule recorded on the sheet, so a wall length is measured to the same convention on every floor. Where a prevailing wage applies, the classification is noted at takeoff so hours are later priced against the correct wage determination. Device counts and feeder lengths are handed to the same crew-rate logic used in our electrical estimates, and fixture counts follow the same convention as our plumbing estimates, so pipe and fitting hours are priced on the same basis as the other trades.
Cost calculation, quality checks and delivery
Hours are multiplied by crew unit rate, burden is added, and escalation is applied to the midpoint of the construction period rather than to the bid date. A second estimator checks quantities against a sample of sheets, verifies division totals against the recap, and confirms that general conditions and supervision are carried once. The completed labor cost estimate arrives as an Excel workbook with a PDF summary and marked-up drawings, and the assumptions log travels with it. To start, send your plans through our quote request page.
Sample Labor Cost Estimate and Deliverables
The example below is illustrative and uses round numbers so the arithmetic can be followed by hand. It covers a crew rate and labor hour takeoff for a small commercial tenant fit-out of 2,400 square feet, non-prevailing wage, straight time, with a 1.35 burden factor. Base wages are illustrative, not current market rates. Each line carries a production rate in labor hours per unit, a trade, and a CSI MasterFormat division, so a reviewer can re-derive any extended cost from the quantity and the hours. The burden factor covers payroll taxes, insurance and fringe; it is applied to base wage only, never to the extended material allowance. If you want to see the same structure applied to a full bid, the walkthrough on how to estimate a construction bid shows where labor hours enter the sheet before markup.
| Item | Qty | Unit | Unit cost range | Extended range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal stud partitions, journeyman carpenter (0.05 hr/SF) | 2,400 | SF | $1.77 – $2.36 | $4,248 – $5,664 |
| Drywall hang and finish (0.03 hr/SF) | 2,400 | SF | $1.06 – $1.42 | $2,544 – $3,408 |
| Electrical rough-in and trim (0.08 hr/SF) | 2,400 | SF | $3.28 – $4.37 | $7,872 – $10,488 |
| Plumbing fixture rough-in and set (0.04 hr/SF) | 2,400 | SF | $1.66 – $2.21 | $3,984 – $5,304 |
| Supervision, 10% of trade labor | 1 | LS | $1,865 – $2,486 | $1,865 – $2,486 |
| Small tools allowance, 3% of trade labor | 1 | LS | $559 – $746 | $559 – $746 |
| Total labor and burden | — | — | — | $21,072 – $28,096 |
Itemized cost estimate
The itemized tab lists labor hours, base wage, burden, extended cost and the material allowance for each line. Markup for supervision, small tools allowance and contingency is shown as separate rows rather than blended into the unit rate. The same file supports a bid package submission because the exclusions and qualifications are stated in the assumptions log. Hours are entered as quantity times production rate, so a change to the 0.05 hr/SF partition rate flows through the extended cost without re-keying the row.
Crew rate build-up and burden
A second tab builds each crew rate from the base wage, the journeyman-to-apprentice ratio, and the burden factor, then adds overtime and shift differential as separate multipliers. Supervision is carried at a 10% ratio of trade labor rather than folded into the crew rate, which keeps the general conditions line visible at bid review. On a certified payroll job, the same tab swaps the base wage for the applicable wage determination and flags the Davis-Bacon classification for each worker.
Software and Pricing Data We Use
Pricing a labor cost estimate means separating three inputs: the quantity, the hours per unit, and the hourly cost of the crew. Software handles the first two consistently; the third comes from public wage and price data adjusted to the project. The chart below tracks the Producer Price Index series for the materials in this scope, and the wage table below shows the current BLS figures we start from. If you are still deciding how the numbers fit together on the bid side, our walkthrough of how to bid construction jobs shows where the labor line sits against material and general conditions.
Takeoff and estimating software
Takeoff runs on PDF and on-screen measurement tools that export quantities with a recorded measurement rule. Estimating runs in spreadsheet workbooks with cost code and work breakdown structure columns, linked to a cost database that carries production rates by trade. Material takeoff lines and labor lines stay on separate tabs so a price change in one does not silently move the other; where a client needs the quantities broken out further, our material takeoff support carries the same measurement rules into a standalone package. Construction labor productivity factors estimating depends on this separation: the factor is applied to the quantity, not to the material price.
Regional material and labor pricing method
We begin with national average unit costs, then adjust for location using published wage data, for prevailing wage where a wage determination applies, and for project conditions such as shift work, occupied space or restricted access. Trade classifications follow the scope sheet so a journeyman rate is not applied to helper work, and the same discipline carries into plumbing estimates where fixture counts and pipe runs drive the hours. The chart below shows how material prices have moved; we use that direction to set escalation on the material side of labor and material estimating services. Wage figures in the table below are national medians and are adjusted per market rather than used as-is.
Material price movement, Oct 2023 to Sep 2026
| Occupation | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers | $18.57 | $22.66 | $28.72 |
| Carpenters | $23.32 | $29.12 | $36.94 |
| Electricians | $23.76 | $30.38 | $40.36 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | $24.13 | $30.67 | $40.92 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $22.60 | $27.41 | $32.15 |
| First-line supervisors, construction trades | $30.48 | $38.42 | $48.78 |
| Cost estimators | $29.40 | $37.86 | $48.97 |
Base wages before payroll taxes, insurance and benefits. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national, all industries.
Why Contractors Choose Our Estimating Services
The reasons here are about method, not reputation. A labor estimate is defensible when every hour can be traced to a quantity, every rate to a published source, and every exclusion to a written assumption. That is the standard we hold each sheet to before it leaves the office, and it is the same structure you can see in a sample estimate of building construction.
Trade-specific expertise
Hours are priced by trade rather than blended into a single composite rate, because a labor burden and prevailing wage estimate behaves differently for a carpenter than for an electrician. We apply an apprentice ratio where the wage determination or the contractor's staffing plan calls for one, and we keep supervision as a separate line. Divisions follow CSI MasterFormat so the recap aligns with the bid form the owner issued. Trade pages such as our electrical estimating services and plumbing estimating services describe how those scopes are broken down, and our professional framing estimating services show the same treatment for wood and light-gauge framing, while professional remodeling and renovation estimating covers phased occupied-space work where crew days are split across small scopes.
Quality control and clear assumptions
Each estimate ships with an assumptions log that states the measurement rules, the wage source, the burden factor and the escalation basis. A second estimator checks a sample of quantities against the drawings and verifies that division totals reconcile to the recap. Where the drawings are silent, we state the allowance in the log rather than burying it in a unit rate. The same discipline carries into our bid estimating services, where the recap has to survive a comparison against subcontractor quotes.
Turnaround, communication and revisions
Delivery dates are agreed in writing after we review the drawing set, since scope and sheet count drive the effort. Revisions are handled against the same workbook, with changed lines flagged so you can see what moved between issues. Questions during the estimate go to one estimator who owns the file, which keeps the assumptions log consistent from first pass to final.
Labor Cost Estimating Services Pricing
The fee is quoted per project after we review the drawings, specifications and bid form; we do not publish a rate card because a 40-sheet tenant fit-out and a 300-sheet school carry very different takeoff effort. Send the set through request a quote and the quote states the scope of sheets, the trades covered and the deliverables. Nothing is billed before you approve that scope.
Labor pricing on the sheet is built from a base wage rate per trade, a burden percentage, an overtime share and a crew size, then checked against the wage data in the table below. On public work the same line reads from the wage determination in the specifications, which is why a certified payroll labor rate estimate can differ from a private-job estimate for identical work. Our construction cost estimates keep that wage build-up visible line by line, so a reviewer can trace any crew rate back to its base wage, burden and hours.
| Trade | Median hourly wage | Typical use on the estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers | $22.66 | General conditions, cleanup, material handling |
| Carpenters | $29.12 | Framing, blocking, rough carpentry |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $27.41 | Slabs, footings, finished concrete |
| Electricians | $30.38 | Division 26 rough-in and trim |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | $30.67 | Division 22 piping and fixtures |
| First-line supervisors, construction trades | $38.42 | Supervision ratio and crew-day build-up |
| Cost estimators | $37.86 | Estimating labor carried in general conditions |
How quotes are calculated
We count the sheets and trades in the set, note alternates, addenda and any Division 01 requirements that change supervision or general conditions, then price the hours of takeoff and review. A single-trade package with a clean architectural set sits at the low end; a multi-trade hard bid with three alternates and prevailing wage classifications sits at the high end. The calculator below returns a loaded rate from base wage, burden %, share of hours at overtime, crew size and hours, so you can test your own assumptions before you compare them with our sheet.
What affects price and delivery time
Addenda issued late in the bid window, drawings without dimensions, and specifications that reference a wage determination without stating the classification all add review time. Alternates priced separately, unit-price schedules and a required breakdown by cost code also add work. We confirm the schedule in the quote rather than promising a turnaround before the plans are seen. The chart below shows how the hours split across trades on a typical package, which is the driver of both fee and review time.
Loaded labor rate calculator
- Loaded rate
- $31/hr
- Blended with overtime
- $32/hr
- Labor hours
- 320
- Crew labor cost
- $10,279
Burden covers payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, insurance and benefits; it varies by state, trade and company. Overtime is priced at time and a half.
Labor Cost Estimating Services Across the US
Wage levels move by market, and that is the first regional input we adjust: a carpenter hour in one metro does not carry the same base rate as the same hour three states away. We serve all states from one team, so the method does not change with geography, only the wage, burden and fringe benefits inputs behind each line.
Public work adds a second layer. Where Davis-Bacon or a state equivalent applies, the wage determination in the specifications sets the base rate and fringe for each classification, and the journeyman to apprentice ratio caps how many hours can be priced at the lower rate. On private work we price from the contractor's own crew rates and add burden for taxes, insurance and small tools. The same wage and burden logic carries into trade-specific packages, such as drywall estimating and takeoff, where board count and finish level drive the hours.
Where a client needs the regional wage and burden inputs settled before design is complete, we build them into professional budget estimating services so the crew rates carry forward unchanged into the bid.
| Regional input | Where it enters | What changes on the sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Local wage level | Base wage rate per trade | Loaded crew rate and unit rate |
| Prevailing wage coverage | Wage determination classification | Base rate, fringe benefits, ratio limits |
| Overtime and shift practice | Overtime factor, shift differential | Blended rate across the crew day |
| Climate and season | Production rate | Labor hours per unit for exterior work |
| Code edition adopted locally | Division 01 and trade scope | Inspection, testing and supervision hours |
| Material delivery distance | General conditions | Handling and hoisting hours |
| Union or open shop | Crew composition | Journeyman and apprentice mix |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you estimate labor and material costs?
Yes. Our labor and material estimating services put both sides of the bid on one sheet: material quantities from the takeoff and labor hours from production rates, priced with published wage data. Each line carries a CSI MasterFormat division and cost code so you can see where the money sits. Material-only or labor-only extracts are available when a subcontractor already covers one side.
Can you use my estimate template?
Send the template with the drawings and we confirm whether the estimate can be delivered in it. We work in Excel workbooks and PDF summaries by default, so most client formats map cleanly onto our cost code structure. If your template carries formulas or bid-level rollups we cannot reproduce, we tell you before plan review starts rather than after delivery.
Do you sign NDAs?
Clients can request an NDA before sending drawings, and the terms are agreed before plan review begins. We do not publish a standard NDA policy, so send your document with the plan set and we confirm execution. Nothing is uploaded or circulated outside the estimating team assigned to your project.
What is included in your labor cost estimating services?
Each estimate carries labor hours by trade, crew composition, base wage rate, fringe and burden, overtime and shift factors where they apply, supervision ratio, and a small tools allowance. We show the quantity takeoff behind every hour count, the productivity factor used, and the public data source for the wage. An assumptions log travels with the workbook so reviewers can trace each number.
Do you provide labor-only estimates for construction projects?
Yes. A labor-only estimate strips material, equipment and subcontractor lines and prices the self-performed work: labor hours per unit by trade, crew rate build-up, burden, and general conditions labor under Division 01. Contractors use it to test whether a subcontractor quote is thin on installation time. The same assumptions log and productivity factors apply as in a full estimate.
Can you estimate labor costs for residential and commercial construction?
Yes, both. Residential work leans on framing, mechanical rough-in and finish trades priced from unit counts, while commercial work adds general conditions labor, supervision ratio and prevailing wage exposure on public jobs. The measurement rules differ, so we confirm the drawing scale and unit basis before the takeoff starts. Mixed-use projects are split by building type and priced separately.
Which trades do your labor estimating services cover?
We cover the self-performed trades across the 50-division MasterFormat: concrete, masonry, structural and light-gauge framing, drywall, finishes, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, sitework and utilities. Crew rates are built per trade from published wage data plus burden. For trade-specific depth, see our electrical and framing estimating pages.
Do your labor estimates include crew sizes, labor hours, and productivity assumptions?
Yes. Every line states the crew composition, the labor hours per unit, the production rate behind those hours, and the crew day used to convert hours into duration. Productivity factors are adjusted for access, height, weather exposure and site congestion where the drawings show them. The assumptions log names each adjustment so a reviewer can accept or challenge it.
Can you prepare labor estimates from drawings, specifications, or a scope of work?
Yes. Full plan sets give the most reliable takeoff, specifications settle material and installation requirements, and a written scope of work supports a preliminary or budget-level estimate. A scope-only estimate carries a wider contingency and a clearly labeled AACE estimate class. We tell you which class the inputs support before pricing begins.
How do you account for local wage rates, overtime, and labor burden?
Base wage rates come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the trade and are adjusted to the project location. Burden adds fringe benefits, payroll taxes and insurance; overtime and shift differentials apply as multipliers on the base rate. On federal or state-funded work we price to the applicable wage determination and format the output for certified payroll review.
Can your labor estimates support construction bids and tender submissions?
Yes. The workbook is structured to drop into a bid package: labor hours and crew rates by cost code, general conditions labor, escalation, and a contingency line sized to the estimate class. Bid-day support is available when you need pricing checked against a late subcontractor quote. Our bid estimating page covers the wider package.
What information do you need to prepare a labor cost estimate?
Send the drawings and specifications, the project location and schedule, the trades you self-perform, any wage determination or certified payroll requirement, and your bid date. A prior estimate or subcontractor quote helps calibrate production rates. If a scope sheet exists, include it; otherwise we build one from the drawings and send it back for confirmation.
How much do professional labor cost estimating services cost?
The fee is quoted per project after we review the plans. It depends on the drawing count and sheet complexity, the number of trades and cost codes, whether prevailing wage or certified payroll applies, and whether you need a full labor and material estimate or a labor-only extract. Send the plan set and we return a scope and fee.
How quickly can you deliver a construction labor estimate?
The delivery date is set by the plan set size, the number of trades, and how quickly scope questions are answered, and it is confirmed with the quote. We do not publish a standard turnaround because a two-sheet residential remodel and a multi-building commercial package are not comparable jobs. Rush handling is agreed case by case before work starts.
Can you revise a labor estimate when drawings or project scope change?
Yes. Revisions are priced against the original assumptions log so you can see which labor hours, crew rates and productivity factors moved and why. Addenda, revised structural sheets and scope changes are handled as a tracked revision rather than a fresh estimate. Each revision keeps the same cost codes so bid comparisons stay valid.
Do you adjust labor hours for union versus open-shop crews?
Yes. Crew rate build-up differs between union and open-shop labor: union rates carry negotiated package components, while open-shop rates reflect actual wages plus burden. The journeyman-to-apprentice ratio changes the blended crew rate and is stated on the sheet. We confirm which labor basis applies before pricing so the bid estimate labor cost matches your workforce.