Prestige Home Renovations is a remodeling company based out of Colorado. Owner/operator Kevin has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, and primarily used Excel for estimating and vendor management, before finding Bolster to organize and streamline processes.
Remodeling - General Contracting
11-50
Recovered $1,000 in lost margin per job from estimating accuracy
Kevin, owner of Prestige Home Renovations, didn’t raise prices, didn’t cut labor and didn’t switch suppliers.
Yet he recovered over $1,000 in lost margin on nearly every job.
The difference came from fixing the estimating process that quietly leaked money on construction projects year after year.
For more than two decades, Kevin relied on a deeply customized Excel sheet to handle construction estimating. It worked—until it didn’t. As project scope increased, costs grew, and estimates became more detailed, the spreadsheet introduced risk instead of control.
By switching to construction estimating software built specifically for remodeling contractors, Kevin eliminated human error, reduced extra costs, created clear estimates for clients and crews, and protected project costs before work begins.
“It was just cumbersome and left a lot of room for mistakes, human error. Whereas this takes a lot of that human error out.”
This is the story of how that happened—and why it matters for contractors across the construction industry.
Most construction professionals don’t lose money because they undercharge intentionally.
They lose money because estimates break down.
The construction estimating process is where expected costs are defined, labor costs are assumed, materials are scoped, and profit is either protected—or quietly given away. Excel lacks advanced features such as bid management, which can help streamline project workflows and improve bidding accuracy.
For Kevin, the losses didn’t show up as obvious mistakes. They appeared as:
Each issue seemed small. Together, they added up to roughly $1,000 per job. Across dozens of projects, that became a serious business problem.
Kevin didn’t use a basic excel sheet. He used a complex, custom-built estimating system that evolved over more than 25 years.
It included:
At first, it felt efficient. Over time, it became fragile.
“I’ve worked out of an Excel spreadsheet for 25 plus years and very customized, tried to automate it. And there are just too many kinks in it.”
Excel wasn’t built specifically for construction estimating. Specialized solutions like Sage Estimating are designed specifically for construction companies to handle these complexities and generate detailed cost and labor estimates.
“Nothing was automated… We try to automate some of the stuff… It was just cumbersome and left a lot of room for mistakes, human error.”
It doesn’t understand:
As Kevin added more detail, the system became harder to trust. A single missed update could throw off project data across an entire estimate.
Kevin wasn’t mis-typing numbers. He was dealing with structural problems in the estimation process.
Examples included:
Each mistake felt minor. Each one affected cost.
On larger remodeling projects—basements, kitchens, baths—those small issues compounded.
Kevin described it clearly:
“You forget to change something in one spot, even though you changed it somewhere else. And suddenly you’ve lost about a thousand dollars.”
That loss wasn’t visible until the job was underway. By then, it was too late.
Creating estimates wasn’t just risky, it was exhausting.
High-detail estimates required long nights, repeated checks, and constant manual validation. Kevin described building estimates late at night, fighting fatigue, and still needing to push proposals out the door.
That environment increases errors. Fatigue plus spreadsheets equals lost margin.
“I literally would give away a kitchen sink at midnight as I’m building an estimate and dozing at the computer…”
In theory, Kevin’s excel sheet could do everything.
In practice, it depended entirely on him staying sharp.
That’s not a scalable or safe system for construction companies.
Kevin evaluated multiple construction software options.
Many felt disconnected from how remodeling contractors actually think.
Others lacked:
Some felt built for accounting software first, estimating second.
Others were too generic for custom work.
When Kevin saw Bolster (formerly CostCertified), his reaction was immediate.
“When I saw this, I’m like, this is my brain. This really works.”
The layout, structure, and logic matched how he already thought about construction estimating, just without the risk.
Bolster provided:
But unlike Excel, everything was linked to the same data.
No silent breakage.
This wasn’t generic software.
It was built specifically for:
The system understands construction estimating at a structural level.
Instead of creating estimates line by line every time, Kevin began using assemblies.
Assemblies include:
All tied together.
“The usability of it with those assemblies and items that you can save and then save bigger assemblies for actual projects, that’s primo.”
With assemblies:
This alone reduced errors dramatically.
Instead of typing square footage in multiple places, Kevin now enters it once.
That quantity takeoff feeds:
No duplication. No mismatch.
“The tools where you can link it to… countertop square feet. And everything is linked back to that.”
This approach supports:
And it happens faster.
Kevin can now see margin across the entire estimate. Not buried in formulas, Not hidden in tabs - Visible.
Kevin now has a clear view of his profit margins across all projects. This visibility allows him to make informed decisions and adjust strategies to ensure profitability.
He can adjust margin:
Quickly, Confidently and without breaking anything.
The same data drives:
No re-entry. No translation.
This integration ensures that every team member is on the same page, reducing the risk of miscommunication and errors. By having a unified system, project managers can make real-time adjustments, ensuring that projects stay on track and within budget.
When a client changes something:
That alone eliminated most margin loss.
By integrating estimating and project management, Kevin's team can now make real-time adjustments, ensuring projects stay on track and within budget. This seamless connection between estimating and project management tools has transformed their workflow, reducing errors and enhancing efficiency.
Kevin’s clients expect detail.
Bolster allows him to deliver detailed estimates without clutter or confusion.
Clients see:
Crews see:
This streamlined approach ensures that both clients and crews have a clear understanding of the project scope, reducing the likelihood of errors and miscommunication.
“What I hand off to the client is also what I hand off to my crew… And so everybody’s on the same page then.”
Clear estimates prevent:
That protects cost.
Kevin no longer competes on vague pricing. He competes on clarity.
Professional estimates feel safer, even when they’re higher.
With Bolster, Kevin transformed his approach to estimating, gaining precision and efficiency that set him apart in the competitive construction industry.
Project teams receive the same structure the client approved.
That alignment reduces:
Before construction begins.
Integrating estimating with project management is a game-changer for construction projects. When construction companies use estimating software that connects seamlessly with project management tools, they unlock a new level of efficiency and control. Accurate estimates become the backbone of every project, allowing project teams to create realistic schedules, allocate resources wisely, and set achievable budgets. This integration means that every decision is backed by reliable data, helping teams reduce errors and make informed decisions from the very start. By bringing estimating and project management together, construction professionals can streamline their processes, keep projects on track, and deliver better results for clients and stakeholders.
Accurate estimates are essential for effective scheduling and coordination in construction projects. With the right estimating software, construction professionals gain a clear picture of project costs, labor costs, and material costs before work begins. This clarity allows project managers to easily create estimates, build detailed schedules, and allocate resources where they’re needed most. Seamless integration between estimating and project management tools ensures that everyone is working from the same set of data, reducing confusion and keeping projects moving forward. By using software designed for construction, teams can collaborate more effectively, minimize delays, and ensure that every phase of the project is executed with precision.
One of the biggest benefits of integrating estimating with project management is the ability to reduce surprises once construction is underway. Detailed estimates created with estimating software give construction companies and project teams a clear roadmap, making it easier to spot potential issues before they become costly problems. By tracking changes and updating estimates in real time, teams can proactively address challenges, control costs, and avoid unexpected delays. This data-driven approach to construction estimating empowers teams to optimize their processes, reduce waste, and deliver projects that stay on budget and on schedule.
Keeping construction projects on track and within budget is a top priority for every construction company. By leveraging estimating software that integrates with project management, teams can create accurate estimates, monitor costs, and identify opportunities for improvement throughout the project lifecycle. This integration enables project teams and project owners to make informed decisions, optimize resources, and reduce errors at every stage. With everyone working from the same accurate data, communication improves and collaboration becomes seamless. The result is a streamlined process that helps construction companies deliver successful projects—on time, on budget, and to the highest standards.
With templates and assemblies, Kevin builds estimates faster.
He’s not starting from scratch.
He’s adjusting known systems.
This is time saving without shortcuts.
The detail remains.
The risk disappears.
Kevin can now:
Without sacrificing quality.
Because the system is cloud based:
No version confusion.
Bolster integrates with:
Without duplicate entry.
“We’re going to eliminate a lot of duplication in our process… get rid of duplication, get rid of repetitive stuff that just sucks up time.”
The reliance on spreadsheets in the construction industry is widespread, but it comes with significant risks. Many companies face challenges similar to Kevin's, where outdated systems lead to inefficiencies and financial losses.
Without accurate estimates:
Accurate estimating is crucial for maintaining profitability and ensuring project success. By using specialized software, construction companies can streamline their processes, reduce errors, and make informed decisions that protect their bottom line.
“After looking at… about three different programs, this is the best one that I came across.”
The system supports:
Using the same cost data throughout.
With reliable data, Kevin makes informed decisions:
Instead of guessing.
This isn’t about:
It’s about reducing errors and protecting margin.
After evaluating multiple estimating software options, Kevin was clear.
This one fit how he thinks.
If your estimating system depends on:
It will eventually cost you, profit Isn’t Just What You Charge - It’s what you keep. Kevin didn’t raise prices. He stopped leaking margin.
Construction estimating software won’t make you a better builder. But it will protect the profit you’ve already earned.
For Kevin, that meant stopping spreadsheets from quietly giving away $1,000 on every job.
“If I can pick this up, I mean, it’s gonna work great for other contractors.”
Hear from other contractors who have experienced success using Bolster.
"If you're willing to invest in your business and work with Bolster, you're going to exceed your expectations of what you can achieve. If you put in the work, you'll see a return on investment quickly."
