Estimate earthwork by the yard and by the hour
Drop the manual spreadsheet. OneEstimate builds earthwork estimates with cut and fill volume takeoff, assemblies by machine and hourly productivity, and equipment and fuel prices you can update in one click.
Create your first estimate freeStart plan from $19/mo · No credit card · Runs in your browser
Earthwork estimating has its own headaches
It all lives in the volume, machine productivity and hourly cost. Here is what OneEstimate fixes.
Working out cut and fill volumes by hand
Pulling excavation, fill and swell volumes is slow and risky. With per-volume assemblies and on-screen takeoff the quantities build themselves.
Costing equipment by the hour
Excavator, loader, truck and compactor all have different productivity and hourly costs. With assemblies per machine you bid each at its real rate.
Forgetting haul and disposal
Hauling, distances and dump fees often get left out and eat your margin. With haul line items included you bid the whole job.
Bids that don’t look professional
A branded PDF with a per-item breakdown and total volume wins more work than a thrown-together spreadsheet.
See OneEstimate in action
The same software thousands of builders use, with a workflow built for your trade.
Assemblies by volume and machine hour
Excavation, fill, compaction, hauling and grading — with equipment hourly cost, fuel, operator and productivity, and fully editable.
On-screen takeoff from plans
Upload the plan or profile as a PDF or image, calibrate the scale once, and measure cut and fill areas and volumes. Every yard feeds its line item.
Equipment & fuel prices you control
Machine hourly cost, diesel and freight: update the price in your database and every estimate uses the new value.
Built for earthwork
Everything an excavation contractor needs to bid fast and win the job.
AI that identifies line items
Describe the scope ("2,000 cy excavation for slab and foundations") and the AI proposes line items and quantities so you don’t start from scratch.
Editable machine productivity
Set yards per hour per machine and material swell; the estimate reflects your real site conditions.
Export branded PDF & Excel
Send a professional proposal with your logo in one click, or export to Excel if the client asks.
From plan to proposal in 4 steps
The same workflow contractors use after dropping the spreadsheet.
1. Upload the plan
Load the plan or grading profile as a PDF or image and calibrate the scale once.
2. Measure volumes
Compute cut, fill and grading areas and volumes on the drawing.
3. Build the estimate
Volumes drop into per-machine assemblies; adjust hourly productivity, swell and fuel cost.
4. Send the proposal
Export a professional branded PDF with a per-item breakdown. Ready to win.
A bidding day: earthwork contractor with OneEstimate
An earthwork package comes in to bid. In OneEstimate the contractor measures cut and fill volumes, and the platform computes the net volume to move. Each line item carries its assembly of equipment, machine hours and hauling. When it’s done, cubic yards and cost are ready for the bid.
- Cut, fill and net volumes measured from the plan.
- Reusable assemblies for excavation, compacted fill and haul-off.
- Adjust machine-hour rate or hauling and the estimate recalculates.
Illustrative walkthrough of the platform workflow.
Earthwork line items ready out of the box
You start from a base built for earthwork, not from scratch.
Excavation & cut
- Mass excavation
- Trench excavation
- Cut & grading
- Stripping / clearing
- Shoring
Fill & compaction
- Structural fill
- Borrow material
- Compaction by lifts
- Base & sub-base
- Density control
Haul & equipment
- Loading
- Haul to disposal
- Machine hourly cost
- Fuel
- Final grading
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate earthwork fast and calculate the volumes?
How do I calculate cut and fill volume (cubic yards) from a plan?
Is OneEstimate an affordable alternative for earthwork estimating?
Can I estimate only earthwork?
Can I cost equipment by the hour?
Can I take off cut and fill volumes on the plan?
How much does it cost?
Do I need to install anything?
What contractors say
Professionals who estimate faster and win more bids with OneEstimate.
I measure cut and fill volumes and OneEstimate gives me the net cubic yards. Each line item carries the equipment and machine hours, so I bid at real cost.
I adjust the machine-hour rate or hauling and the estimate recalculates itself. Taking off excavation and fill from the plan is straightforward.
Solutions by trade
Estimate your next earthwork job today
Create your first earthwork estimate free, with per-volume, per-machine-hour assemblies you control.
Start freeStart plan from $19/mo · No credit card · Runs in your browser