RSMeans Data Online review
Bottom line
RSMeans Data Online is a cloud construction cost database that supplies localized, quarterly-updated unit costs for estimates and budgets. Its clearest strength is the breadth of the cost data, with more than 92,000 line items and adjustments for over 970 North American locations. Buyers should watch the tier pricing, since predictive forecasting only appears in the $5,973 Complete Plus tier, and the separate add-ons add cost. It suits estimators and contractors who produce frequent budget and bid numbers.
What is RSMeans Data Online?
RSMeans Data Online is a cloud-based construction cost estimating application built on the RSMeans cost database, which Gordian offers. It addresses the problem of producing budget numbers and detailed estimates without spending hours assembling unit costs by hand. The database contains more than 92,000 unit line items, and costs can be referenced at the unit, assembly, or square foot level.
Day to day, users search by keyword or CSI MasterFormat and pin frequently used items. Each line item shows material, labor, equipment, and productivity costs, and users can adjust quantities, then add, edit, and share price proposals. Costs can be localized to more than 970 locations across North America, and all cost elements receive automatic quarterly updates. The application runs in the cloud and can be accessed 24/7 on a desktop or mobile device.
Owners, architects, cost engineers, contractors, and others use the product to project and control costs for new construction and renovation work. Three tiers are priced annually: Core at $396 per year, Complete at $1,019 per year, and Complete Plus at $5,973 per year. A free trial is available, and Data Insights Cost Trends, eTakeoff, and Flash AI Estimating are sold as separate products.
What sets it apart is its depth of cost history and forecasting. The Complete Plus tier uses machine learning to project costs up to three years ahead, and Flash AI Estimating can analyze uploaded construction documents to generate early-stage estimates from the same data. eTakeoff connects to the platform for digital takeoffs from plans, so measured quantities flow into priced estimates in one workflow. The cost data traces back to Robert Snow Means's cost books from the early 1940s.
Who it's for
- Cost estimators and cost engineers
- General contractors preparing bids
- Owners and architects setting project budgets
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who need a free plan
- Teams that need forecasting without paying for the top tier
Typical uses
- Preparing budget numbers for new construction and renovation
- Building unit, assembly, and square foot estimates
- Creating and sharing price proposals
- Forecasting costs up to three years out
- Taking digital quantities from plans into priced estimates
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RSMeans Data Online alternatives and comparisons
RSMeans Data Online is the only construction estimating product we list so far. Browse the category as more are added.