Construction Estimating Software in Berlin

The verdict in three sentences

A construction cost planning office answering 120 tenders a year benefits from owning its estimating software once its cost library becomes a strategic asset. Importing IFC BIM models and a curated base of 15,000 work items lets the team estimate about 35% faster than with manual take-offs on PDF drawings. As a 2026 order of magnitude, such software costs 50,000 to 95,000 EUR on the German market, against market licences of roughly 2,500 to 3,500 EUR per seat per year.

Why a Berlin cost planner invests in its own tool

The managing director of a Berlin office with 10 estimators faces two constraints. First, tender deadlines often leave 2 to 3 weeks to produce a full bill of quantities (Leistungsverzeichnis) in GAEB format, with cost groups under DIN 276. Second, the firm's value lies in its reference prices, refined project after project, but scattered across personal spreadsheets that leave with each estimator.

Market tools handle take-off and documents well, but they impose their library structure, charge per seat and make exporting data to internal systems awkward.

Features and budget

The core covers IFC import with quantity extraction by object class (walls, slabs, openings), linking each quantity to a library item, unit price breakdown (labour, materials, plant, overheads) and output of bills of quantities in GAEB and cost estimates by DIN 276 cost group. Next come price indexation using Destatis construction price indices, bid comparison during tender evaluation, and capture of actual prices.

Kolonell's custom application grid is public: simple from 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR), medium from 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), complex from 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR). An estimating tool with IFC import falls in the complex band. Maintenance at 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR). See our web applications offer.

Pitfalls to avoid

IFC import is never perfect: architects' models are often incomplete or poorly classified. The software must flag unrecognised objects rather than drop them, and allow manual supplementary take-off. Second pitfall: spreadsheet migration. A 15,000-item library contains duplicates and inconsistent units, and cleaning it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks of joint work with estimators. Finally, plan exports in the formats clients expect (GAEB DA XML, Excel, signed PDF) so tender submissions are never blocked. Hosting in Germany or the EU also simplifies GDPR questions raised by public clients.

How to phase the project

A Berlin office should start with the cost library and estimating, because that is where its know-how lives. Once estimators trust the prices, IFC import is added and tested on three or four live tenders before becoming the default. Bid comparison comes last, when enough projects have been priced in the new tool to make variances meaningful. Each phase ends with a measured review of hours per tender.

Mini case study

Lena, managing director of a cost planning office in Berlin, handles 120 tenders a year at 38 hours each, or 4,560 hours. Estimating 35% faster saves 1,596 hours a year. At an internal cost of 65 EUR per hour, that is 103,740 EUR per year. She also drops 10 licences at 3,000 EUR, saving 30,000 EUR. Total: 133,740 EUR per year for an 85,000 EUR project, paid back in under 8 months. The time freed lets her bid on 30 more tenders without hiring.

FAQ

Which BIM formats are supported?

The open IFC 2x3 and IFC 4 formats cover most models received. Extracting quantities from a 20,000-object model usually takes under 2 minutes.

Can we migrate our existing cost libraries?

Yes, from Excel or exports of other tools. Migrating 15,000 items costs roughly 6,000 to 12,000 EUR, cleaning included.

Does it produce GAEB files?

Yes, GAEB DA XML exports for bills of quantities and bid imports are part of the core. A 600-item bill exports in seconds.

How soon can we use it?

The library and estimating are usable after 12 to 16 weeks. IFC import comes in a second phase, around 18 to 20 weeks.

Who owns the cost library?

The firm, entirely. Source code and data are handed over, protecting an asset built over 10 or 15 years of projects.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your tender volume, model formats and the state of your cost libraries, and we will define a phased scope. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.