# Looking for Retaining Wall Estimating software..



## Little (Jul 22, 2006)

I've been doing all my wall take-offs by hand and could really benefit from a take-off program for doing so. Anyone use one to do any large commercial retaining walls?


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## AtlRemodeling (Jan 23, 2008)

Unless things have changed recently, most of the block companies have a downloadable software on their websites (ie Allan Block, Keystone, Cornerstone, Versa, etc). Please keep in mind every one of these software programs that I used will not design a wall over a certain height (normally 12-15'). They will still give you face area but not grid lengths.

After doing a tremendous amount of these walls, I could usually hit the grid lengths +/- 6" of the engineers final designs but for tall walls you will always need a design from an engineer familiar with SRW design.


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## wheeler (Feb 8, 2009)

perspectives on software from the peanut gallery -- it never lies and never tells the truth. so go the way of the stubby pencil is my recommendation, and never look back.

estimating programs that spit-out line-items from a small amounts of information use work packages. i have an estimating department loaded to the gills with all sorts of very smart people. my chief estimator does his retaining walls in excel with work-packages that he created for various categories of walls. examples of categories are segmental below 8' tall, segmental between 8' and 12' tall, cast in place stem wall with key below 5' tall, w/out key, etc. you name the wall, its height and length and we can spit out a detailed line-item estimate of labor hours, material, equipment and subs. he applies specific rates, some checks against the plan, and there you have it we have a detailed estimate.

observations. our work packages duplicate on multi-discipline jobs and never pickup on reality, with much emphasis on who is actually building the wall. the process of remembering past mistakes is cumbersome and tricky, and its interesting how software can magnify a mistake ten-fold in a microsecond. software cannot imagine what we might encounter on the job we happen to be bidding, and on our design / build jobs possibly suckering us down a very wrong path with a deceptively attractive price tag.

i check every single one of our estimates with a stubby pencil and if i had more time, that's exactly how i'd produce them.


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