Independent cost estimates for owners and public agencies
Third-party cost and fee estimates for owners and agencies.
Owners and public agencies often need an independent number before they award a contract or approve a fee. An independent cost estimate (ICE) or independent fee estimate (IFE) gives you a third-party benchmark to check bids, negotiate fees and document cost reasonableness for funding reviews.
We prepare independent estimates for construction work and for design and consulting task orders, with clear backup showing how each number was built so reviewers can follow the logic.
Who it's for
Project types we support
What's included
- Independent construction cost estimates for bid comparison
- Independent fee estimates for design and consulting task orders
- Labor-hour breakdowns by discipline and task
- Cost reasonableness narrative and backup
- Comparison against contractor or consultant proposals
- Formats suitable for public funding reviews
What you receive
- Excel estimate organized by CSI division
- Quantities with waste factors
- Unit material, labor and equipment costs
- Summary sheet with cost per square foot
- Colour-coded marked-up plans (PDF)
- Written assumptions, clarifications and exclusions
Our process
Send your plans
Email PDF drawings and specs, or share a Dropbox, Google Drive or bid-portal link. Bid sets, schematic, design development, construction documents and conceptual drawings all work.
Get a fixed quote
We review the set and reply with a price, turnaround time and delivery date for your scope. You approve before any work starts.
NDA and 50% deposit
We sign an NDA so your plans stay private. Work starts on a 50% deposit by card through our secure online checkout. A W-9 is available on request.
Receive your estimate
You get quantities and material and labor pricing in Excel, organized by CSI division, plus marked-up plans. The remaining 50% is due on delivery.
Independent Cost Estimates (ICE / IFE): common questions
Can't find your answer? Call (850) 343-4090 or email info@premiumestimatings.com.
What is an independent fee estimate?
An IFE is an estimate of the fee a consultant should charge for a defined scope, prepared by a party independent of the consultant. Owners use it to negotiate fees and document that the final fee is reasonable.
Do you see the contractor's proposal first?
No. Independent estimates are prepared from the scope and drawings before we compare against any proposal, so the number stays independent.
Can your estimate support grant or federal funding documentation?
We prepare the estimate and supporting narrative in a clear, reviewable format. Tell us the funding program and any required format and we'll follow it.
What file formats do you accept?
PDF drawings are best. We also work from DWG/DXF files and from plan links on bid portals, Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. Include specifications and addenda if you have them.
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