construction estimating software
since 1989
The Beginning
Early in 1989 two cousins Ed Kirkish, a contractor, and John Kirkish, a software designer, began work designing a computer estimating program (now Turbo Estimator) which would avoid the pitfalls of other estimating programs.
Ed wanted a program that he could use in his business, that any employee could learn quickly, and that would keep him organized.
He was dissatisfied with existing programs because
they took precious time to learn
they were defeating in the number of details and codes one had to remember, and
using the programs required almost as much thought as doing the estimate itself.
In short Ed wanted a program that he didn't have to think about using.
He contacted his cousin John who had just completed a research project at the University of California, and asked him to look into the situation...
"I wanted a program I could use in my business. One that my wife & I could learn quickly, and would keep us organized.
I tried all sorts of programs and found that Turbo is the perfect blend of practical application & computer design."
Matt Morgan (remodeler)
John found that existing programs were divided into two types -- spreadsheets and written programs.
The Problem with spreadsheets
Modifying a spreadsheet for your own purposes takes a lot of time that you're not billing for.
Spreadsheets cannot be as fast as written programs.
Learn in 1 Hour
No Codes to Memorize
Fast, Relational Database -- Over 1,000 Items included
Pop-Up Calculator
Free Technical Support
Free Full-Working Demo
Existing Written Programs
While more powerful than spreadsheets, written programs had drawbacks, too:
The prices were too high.
Many had confusing & awkward restrictions:
One didn't allow new items in the middle of the database.
Another limited custom items to five per room.
Several were inflexible, forcing the user to follow one theory of estimating or another.
They use too much space:
The files take up huge amounts of memory slowing down the computer.
This also makes them frustrating to use.
It's easy to get lost:
Since they are old fashioned and poorly designed it's easy to get lost.
Are Clumsy To Use:
No one should ever have to back out of an estimate to update the database.
Since all too often only a fraction of the database can be seen, scanning to find the item is out of the question -- the proper code for the item has to be remembered.
Too much time is wasted looking up & typing codes.
Let's face it... A computer should be handling these details for you!
"I got tired of having to enter the same dimensions over & over.
It not only took a lot of time but increased the chances of error.
We designed this program so that frequently-used dimensions should only have to be entered once!"
Ed Kirkish (contractor)