Construction Estimation Extraction
Validate one completed project before hiring another estimator.
Find out whether quantity takeoffs can be completed with less estimator effort before changing a working process.
20-minute discussion.
No drawings required.
No obligation.
Adelaide-based · Human-reviewed results · No subscription
A request opens your email app; meeting times are confirmed separately.
Historical Back-Test At A Glance
- Input
- One completed project
- One trade
- Approved reference BOQ
- Process
- Scope discussion
- Controlled comparison
- Estimator review
- Findings workshop
- Deliverables
- Draft BOQ
- Line-by-line comparison
- Review report
- Recommendation
- Timeframe
- Target: 10 business days
- Investment
- AUD $2,500 + GST if applicable
Target begins after payment, complete inputs, written scope approval and data approval. Existing limits apply: 40 relevant PDF drawing pages and 150 reference BOQ lines maximum.
ETHINX Solutions
Helping organisations reduce high-cost manual workflows.
Our current offer is Construction Estimation Extraction: a bounded, evidence-led comparison for Estimating Managers, Construction Directors and Commercial Managers.
If preparing quantities, checking them or managing revisions is limiting tender capacity, validate one completed project before changing a working process. Your estimating team retains final approval.
What the comparison does
Quantities you can trace.
Differences you can review.
Selected PDF drawings and agreed measurement rules are used to prepare a draft Bill of Quantities. Each line is set alongside the approved historical takeoff for a documented review.
A traceable working format
Every line remains reviewable.
Stable item identifiers and drawing, page and revision references make the draft reviewable. Dimensions, scale uncertainty and drawing conflicts are flagged for reviewer attention; they are not silently inferred.
- Draft BOQ supplied in XLSX or CSV format
- Source drawing register and agreed rules included
- Original and corrected quantities kept separate
| ID | Description | Unit | Draft qty. | Drawing / ref. | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC-014 | Internal lining—type as scheduled | m² | 184.6 | A-203 / P.04 / R2 | Matched |
| PC-015 | Ceiling setout—selected area | m² | 96.0 | A-221 / P.02 / R2 | Review rule |
| PC-016 | Bulkhead lining—allowance | m² | — | A-221 / P.02 / R2 | Scale flagged |
The back-test record
A comparison pack—not just a quantity list.
Designed to answer whether this trade justifies further validation.
- 01
Draft BOQ and source trail
A draft XLSX or CSV Bill of Quantities with stable item ID, description, unit, quantity and drawing/page/revision references; plus a source drawing register.
- 02
Rules, assumptions and exceptions
The agreed measurement rules, assumptions and exceptions are recorded. Unclear dimensions, scale and conflicts are flagged rather than guessed.
- 03
Line-by-line reconciliation
Comparison against the approved historical takeoff: matched, missing, extra, duplicate and disputed items; original and corrected quantities kept separately; and reviewer disposition.
- 04
Effort and decision report
A human-effort assessment covering preparation, review, correction, rework, administration and fallback—with client and ETHINX hours shown separately—and a proceed, narrow or stop recommendation.
- 05
Review meeting and factual corrections
A 60-minute review meeting, then one consolidated factual-correction round if submitted within five business days of delivery under the signed offer.
The bounded first engagement
One trade.
One fixed scope.
A decision backed by evidence.
01 / Entry criteria
One representative historical job, tightly defined.
- One completed representative project
- One trade only
- Maximum 40 relevant PDF drawing pages total
- Maximum 150 reference BOQ lines total
- Exact revision match between drawings and the approved reference BOQ
- Approved reference BOQ in XLSX or CSV, with units, descriptions and measurement rules
- A named estimating reviewer and client rights to share the material
02 / Controlled handling
Scope and data approval come before drawings.
- Metadata first; confidentiality and handling agreed before drawing transfer
- Target delivery: 10 business days after payment, complete inputs, written scope and data approval
- Includes the deliverables, 60-minute review and one timely consolidated factual-correction round
- The outcome may be a paid report that recommends stopping
- There is no obligation to buy a pilot
Four deliberate steps
A clear route from discussion to decision.
- 1
Scope
Use a 20-minute discussion to check estimator workload, the selected trade, historical reference and reviewer.
- 2
Controlled inputs
Agree scope, terms and handling. Pay the invoice and share approved, revision-matched inputs.
- 3
Comparison & human review
Review the draft against the approved reference, including exceptions and effort.
- 4
Decision
Proceed, narrow the scope or stop, based on the documented historical evidence.
Careful by design
Human-reviewed.
Not ready to tender by default.
Every final in-scope quantity requires client review and approval before tender use. Draft results are a comparison, not a certified quantity surveying service or a substitute for professional judgement. Uncertain dimensions, scale or drawing conflicts are raised for review; rates, pricing, design, engineering, site verification, procurement and live integrations are outside scope.
Native CAD/BIM files and scan-heavy inputs are not assumed to fit; they require a separate fit check. Materials are handled only after confidentiality and handling arrangements are agreed. Contact details are used only to reply to your enquiry. Please do not send project drawings through this page.
Who This Is For
Suitable for
- Estimating Managers
- Construction Directors
- Commercial Managers
- Builders managing recurring quantity takeoff workloads
Best fit
- Organisations reviewing tender capacity
- Teams experiencing estimator bottlenecks
- Firms considering additional estimating headcount
Not intended for
- Fully outsourced estimating
- Live tender submissions
- Engineering design verification
Practical questions
Practical answers. No promised shortcuts.
Still uncertain whether your historical material is a fit? Start with a scope discussion; no drawings are needed for that conversation.
Discuss the fitDoes this replace our current estimating process?
No. The historical back-test is a controlled comparison alongside an approved reference takeoff. Any later pilot keeps the existing takeoff process in place. Outputs remain draft and are not for tender use until every final line has been approved by the client reviewer.
Do you guarantee accuracy or time savings?
No. The purpose of the paid back-test is to measure a defined scope against an approved historical reference and document where it matched, differed, needed correction or should not proceed. No accuracy, turnaround or labour-saving outcome is guaranteed.
What makes a suitable historical back-test scope?
It is one completed representative project, one trade, with no more than 40 relevant PDF drawing pages and 150 reference BOQ lines in total. The exact approved drawing revision must match the reference BOQ. Clear units, descriptions and measurement rules are required.
What reference material is required?
Start with the project type, trade, drawing revision, approximate page and line counts, and reviewer availability—not confidential files. After scope and handling are approved, provide the aligned approved reference BOQ in XLSX/CSV, matching drawings and measurement rules. You must have rights to share the materials.
Can we use a completed project rather than as-built records?
Yes. The comparison is against the approved historical takeoff and matching drawing revision, not an as-built verification exercise. It does not verify design, engineering, site conditions or procurement.
How much reviewer time is involved?
Your reviewer confirms scope and rules, checks the quantity comparison and joins the 60-minute findings meeting. Line-review and correction time are additional and agreed during scoping; the meeting is not the entire review commitment. Client and ETHINX hours are assessed separately.
How is the historical back-test invoiced?
The price is AUD $2,500, with GST added only where applicable. ETHINX issues a manual invoice after scope approval. The target delivery is 10 business days from payment, complete inputs, written scope approval and data approval; it is not a timer from an enquiry.
Is there a pilot after the historical back-test?
Only where the historical evidence is positive or explicitly qualified, and only on the same validated trade. A separate four-week shadow-mode pilot may cover up to three live tender packages, combined maximum 120 relevant PDF pages and 450 draft BOQ lines, with one agreed revision per package. It is separately scoped and priced; there is no obligation to proceed.
Only after evidence
A later shadow-mode pilot, if the back-test supports it.
Where historical evidence is positive or explicitly qualified, a separate pilot may be considered for the same validated trade. It is deliberately not the first commitment.
Four weeksUp to 3 live tender packages; combined maximum 120 relevant PDF pages and 450 draft BOQ lines; one agreed revision per package.
AUD $6,500GST added where applicable. AUD $3,250 before commencement; AUD $3,250 on delivery of the final report, due within seven calendar days of invoice.
Conditional creditAUD $1,250 credit if a qualifying same-trade, same-scope pilot is accepted within 30 calendar days of back-test report delivery. Deposit stays AUD $3,250; credited final invoice is AUD $2,000.
Your existing takeoff process continues. All pilot output is marked DRAFT — NOT FOR TENDER USE until every final line has been approved. Duplicated trial work is validation cost, not an immediate payroll saving.
20-minute discussion.
No drawings required.
No obligation.
About ETHINX Solutions
ETHINX Solutions helps organisations reduce high-cost manual workflows through evidence-led validation projects.
Founded by Troy Napier in Adelaide, ETHINX focuses on practical workflow improvement before software replacement or process change.
Every engagement begins with evidence, not assumptions.
Start with scope, not drawings
Have a completed
project in mind?
Arrange a 20-minute fit discussion with Troy Napier, ETHINX Solutions, Adelaide. Or prepare an enquiry below. Please do not send confidential project files at this stage.
20-minute discussion.
No drawings required.
No obligation.
- Contact details are used only to reply.
- Metadata first; handling is agreed before drawing transfer.
- A manual invoice follows only after scope approval.
No project files are required for the initial discussion.
The first conversation is simply to determine whether a completed project is suitable for historical comparison.