Best Online Construction Estimating Classes

What is Construction Estimating?

A crucial step to any construction project, construction estimating is the process of calculating and assessing all the anticipated costs involved in a construction project during its pre-construction phase, including direct material costs, labor, equipment rentals, overhead expenses, and a profit margin. Construction estimation is used to determine the overall project budget and feasibility before work begins. Professional construction estimators perform this essential step in the preconstruction process, which helps ensure that owners and contractors are able to complete a construction project profitably.

Accurate estimating is essential for the success of any construction project. Both owners and contractors rely on cost estimates to move a project from ideation to completion. Without an initial understanding of a project’s costs, owners cannot determine whether a project is feasible within the allotted budget. Contractors also depend on accurate estimates in order to create bids that are competitive and profitable. A contractor that underestimates the cost of a project could be forced to cut into their own profit margin to cover project costs.

A professional responsible for preparing accurate construction estimates, often requiring a strong understanding of construction practices, materials, labor rates, and local regulations. This article will help you decide if becoming a Construction Estimate is best for you and how to choose the right training course. 

Best Online Construction Estimating Classes

Construction Estimator Course

Learn Construction Estimating

• Nationally accredited
• Create your own portfolio
• Free student software
• Learn at your convenience
• Authorized Autodesk training center

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Taught by a professional construction estimator, this VDCI course starts at the very beginning. You will learn about the types of estimates and how an estimate is organized, including the components and sub-components of an estimate. You will also learn the purposes for construction estimating, the estimating tools used, and the skills required for construction estimating.

This course also covers quantity takeoffs, how to determine prices based on estimated quantities, cost estimate proposals, and what is included and excluded when creating an estimate.

Blueprint Reading Fundamentals Bundle

Whether you’re new to the field or looking to enhance your knowledge, this bundle from VDCI will provide the foundational skills to interpret blueprints for both residential and commercial construction projects. You’ll learn how to read construction documents for residential and commercial projects, including hotels, retail spaces, and parking structures. You’ll also gain an in-depth understanding of how architectural and engineering drawings are conveyed through construction documents so you can assess a variety of blueprint sets and evaluate the standard practices used across different projects.

AutoCAD Fundamentals Course Bundle 

This two-course bundle from VDCI includes an introduction to AutoCAD which will get you acquainted with the interface and essential commands, drawing and plotting, and help you establish a strong foundation. You’ll then progress to drafting CAD construction documents for a Habitat for Humanity initiative, enhancing your skills in creating floor plans, roof plans, and more. You’ll also explore advanced functions like block creation and external file referencing to optimize workflow.

The Intermediate AutoCAD course takes your knowledge further, teaching you to navigate complex applications and master file referencing, user coordinate systems, and dynamic viewing. You’ll also learn advanced AutoCAD commands and industry-standard drafting conventions to refine your expertise, preparing for intricate design projects.

What Can You Do with Construction Estimating Training?

Estimators collect and analyze data to estimate the money, materials, labor and time that a project requires, in addition to its associated overhead expenses. Once you’re trained in construction estimation, you could work at construction sites and collaborate with contractors, engineers, architects and clients. Your skills can be used to make recommendations for how project managers can reduce costs and to maintain detailed records of both the estimated and actual costs throughout the entire project life cycle. 

With construction estimating skills you can also do things like define the scope of a project, determine what information is necessary, contact suppliers, estimate costs, analyze and review bids, send estimates to customers, and maintain relationships with subcontractors and vendors.

Communicating with trade partners about cost estimates and projected actual costs of projects. All of this is true even on personal building projects, whether that’s woodworking or building an addition on your home.

What Will I Learn in a Construction Estimating Class?

In a construction estimating course, you will learn the fundamentals of calculating project costs. This will involve studying how to read blueprints, perform quantity takeoffs, price materials and labor, factor in overhead and profit margins, understand different types of estimates, and utilize specialized software to create accurate bids for construction projects, all while developing skills to effectively manage project costs throughout the construction process. 

While most of the skills you learn will be technical or related to logistics, you will also need to master some soft skills. Effective communication will be key when it comes to negotiating prices and explaining budgets and timelines to clients. Additionally, collaboration will also be important as you’ll work closely with engineers, architects, project managers, and material providers. Building and fostering ongoing positive relationships with vendors and business partners will lead to a lucrative and long standing career.

What Kinds of Training Options are Available to Learn Construction Estimating?

There are four main ways to learn construction estimating: live in-person classes, live online courses, on-demand classes, and free resources. Each one has been outlined below so that you can consider the pros and cons. 

In-Person Classes

In-person classes are held on location at scheduled times and offer face-to-face interaction with your fellow students and your expert instructor. If you encounter any challenging material, you can ask questions in real time instead of spending unnecessary time figuring it out on your own. You are also able to work with other students, allowing you to practice teamwork skills and build relationships. This collaborative environment is available for both full-time and part-time classes and provides structure and accountability, two things that can help you succeed.

Live Online Classes

Live virtual courses are considered the middle ground between on-demand and in-person classes. You’ll attend scheduled class times from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you choose) to learn from an expert instructor. Live online classes offer instant feedback from your teacher and interactions with other students, creating the opportunity for a deeper understanding of the coursework. These classes are ideal for students that thrive in a structured learning environment but perhaps don’t live near any in-person offerings. Or, if you simply prefer online learning, then a live virtual class could be for you. 

Self-Directed 

Self-directed courses are a flexible online option for those with complicated schedules. You can attend from anywhere you choose and complete each lesson on your own time, so you can speed through easy sections and spend more time on challenging ones. But, like a live online class, you’ll still have additional support and guidance from instructors or mentors, albeit with slightly more of a delay.

On-Demand Classes

On-demand classes offer the most flexibility of any class option but don’t win any awards for speed. They do have quite a few benefits for busy professionals, though. Not only can you learn from wherever you want, you can also learn whenever you want. There are no due dates or scheduled class times, so you can take your time on challenging topics or skip over ones you’ve already mastered. 

These classes are ideal for learners with complicated schedules who need to squeeze their studying in around their work and other obligations. You’ll need to be an independent and self-motivated student to succeed in an on-demand class.

Choosing the Right Training Method for You

While each of these training options have positive attributes, they also all have disadvantages. If you rely on the accountability of live online or in-person class schedules, you may struggle to stay focused in a self-directed or on-demand course. 

When it comes to online classes, these can vary widely in cost, from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on the length and depth of the program. Financial assistance is sometimes available for these courses, and you can typically set up a payment plan to help make these courses more accessible, but you’ll want to seriously consider cost when making your decision. Finally, it’s very easy to lose momentum or fall behind in a self-directed or on-demand class since you won’t have any outside accountability, so these courses tend to take longer than a structured live course.

How Hard is it to Learn Construction Estimating?

Construction estimating can be challenging to learn because it requires a blend of math, project management, and industry knowledge. You’ll also have to master interpreting blueprints and learn to understand material costs, which can frequently change due to inflation and supply chain issues. While basic concepts can be grasped relatively quickly, becoming proficient in detailed estimating requires practice and real-world experience.

What are the most challenging parts of learning Construction Estimating?

The hardest part of learning construction estimating is accounting for all the possible variables. In addition to the aforementioned changes to material costs, you’ll also need to stay on top of your work crew's productivity. Factors like weather, fatigue, and team dynamics can make it hard to estimate how long tasks will take, so learning to keep a pulse on what’s happening in your local industry will be extremely important, and can take some time to master. 

How Long Does it Take to Learn Construction Estimating?

If you’re only looking to learn the basics, you can master those in a matter of a few months. It can take a year or more to become completely proficient, as this level of expertise will require real-world experience. If you’re working towards a certificate, this can take a few months to two years, depending on the program and its level of difficulty. 

Other factors can affect how quickly you learn as well. You’ll want to choose the class style that works best for you, whether that’s live online, in-person, or on-demand virtually. Classes are also offered in an accelerated full-time format, which can help you learn more quickly, or in a slower-paced part-time fashion.

Can I Learn Construction Estimating Free Online?

You could take advantage of free resources like Noble Desktop’s YouTube channel, making the most of the insights, tools, and short tutorials made available by industry experts. Coursera also boasts hundreds of various training sessions and videos lasting from just a few minutes to a few days. While free resources are financially helpful, this method can take the most time. You’ll be responsible for sourcing all your learning materials and ensuring that you’ve covered all the important subjects of construction, and this process can take a substantial amount of time. Additionally, like on-demand courses, it’s easy to lose motivation and fall behind with free resources.

What Should I Learn Alongside Construction Estimating?

To complement your construction estimating skills, you could invest in deeply learning project management fundamentals. It would also be beneficial to study building codes and regulations, as those will directly impact the materials and vendors needed for your projects. Detailed blueprint reading, construction methods and materials knowledge, and proficiency with estimating software are also helpful (even essential). Finally, an understanding of contracts and legal aspects related to construction projects will serve you well, should you run into any issues on your future projects.

Industries that Use Construction Estimating

Because every industry requires physical spaces for storage, offices, retail stores, and more, construction estimating is used in every sector you can imagine. There are a handful of industries where it is most commonly used, like retail, healthcare and hospitals, manufacturing, and hospitality, but these are only a handful of the applicable fields. 

Medical buildings account for over 40% of all healthcare construction and, as of 2023, at least 300 urgent care facilities—many of them multi building complexes, some with structured parking—were added in the United States, bringing the number of standalone medical operations to well over 6,000 total.

Retail is no different with early 2024 construction starts surging. February 2024 boasted a staggering 164 percent year-over-year increase—or nearly 3 million square feet. March and May of that same year also posted significant growth at 80.6 percent (1.9 million square feet) and 139.4 percent (2.6 million square feet), respectively.

Manufacturing also boasts staggering construction results. In just the first month of 2025, manufacturing construction spending was $235.91 billion, an 11.28% increase from the previous year. The surge in manufacturing construction spending is driven by construction for computer, electronic, and electrical manufacturing, and by the the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and CHIPS Act that have provided funding and tax incentives for manufacturing construction.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the U.S. hotel construction pipeline reached 6,378 projects, a new record. The upper midscale and upscale chains account for 60% of all projects in the pipeline and the early planning stage of projects has seen unprecedented growth, with projects up 15% and room counts increasing by 19% year-over-year.

Construction Estimating Job Titles and Salaries

There are many jobs you could pursue in the construction industry. The most relevant one you’ll see is Construction Estimator. As the name implies, a construction estimator is the professional responsible for forecasting the cost of a construction project. You can expect to make around $83,000 as a Construction Estimator. 

You could become a Construction Project Manager, also known as a PM, and be the main point of contact with the client. You would oversee all phases of the project from start to finish and collaborate with the different stakeholders to ensure everything works as it should. Your main responsibilities would include project planning, budgeting, scheduling and risk management, quality assurance, and performance tracking, among other things. The average salary for a Construction Project Manager is $95,000. 

You could also become a General Contractor (GC) and oversee subcontractor management, materials, and equipment. A GC is often confused with a PM but the roles differ in many aspects. While a PM is hired directly by the client before the project even begins, a GC is hired only for construction and has more responsibility over the finished construction work as they are being paid just for that. General Contractors make around $30 per hour or about $62,000 per year.

A Construction Engineer is a crucial part of the design team. They ensure that the design meets safety and building regulations and requirements. They oversee that the project is built according to the drawings and specifications, and they can help solve issues that arise during the construction process that might need technical solutions. This job requires industry knowledge and experience, technical proficiency to use professional construction engineering software, and problem-solving. Construction Engineer salaries can range from $85,000-$127,00 in the U.S.

Construction Estimating Corporate Training

If you’re looking to offer in-person or online training to your office or team, VDCI can help. They offer a variety of corporate training programs, including in construction estimating. You can order vouchers in bulk at a discount, choose which courses are available to employees, and even let your employees choose their own schedule. Plus, you can choose to have your training hosted at a location of your choosing, live online, or at our Manhattan office. 

With a top-notch customizable curriculum and instructors who are experts in their industries, VDCI’s corporate training is designed to cater to your business or organization’s needs. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, you can reach out to Noble Desktop at partnerships@vdci.edu.