Michigan builds serious things. Its contractors deserve serious bids.
Speak with an Estimator NowJoshua Farley, CEO and President, Redline Electric.
Industrial retrofit is its own kind of estimating, and Michigan is full of it. Plants retool, lines get rebuilt, and the auto industry's shift toward new vehicle and battery production keeps pushing heavy electrical and mechanical scope into buildings that were never drawn for it. Retrofit drawings are where estimates go to die: existing conditions, phased schedules, and scope that only makes sense to someone who has counted this kind of work before. Add a healthy commercial base in Grand Rapids and steady institutional work statewide, and Michigan contractors have plenty to bid and not nearly enough hours to bid it right. That gap is exactly what we close.
Tell us a little about your project. An estimator will get back to you fast.
No estimate is ever shared with another contractor. Every project is on a first come first serve basis.
Astra Estimating prepares complete, ready-to-submit bids for Michigan contractors in all four core trades.
Metro Detroit is the industrial heart, plant retrofits, automotive and battery-related construction, healthcare systems and the commercial work that rides alongside them. Grand Rapids has built one of the steadiest commercial and healthcare markets in the Midwest, with a manufacturing base of its own on the west side. Lansing anchors public and institutional work, and Ann Arbor adds university-driven projects with specs to match. Battery and semiconductor plant announcements keep landing across the state, and each one drags a supply chain of supporting industrial construction behind it. From the Motor City to the lakeshore, Michigan bidding rewards contractors whose numbers respect how complicated this work really is.
Metro Detroit
West Michigan
Astra prepares estimates for contractors across Michigan. Metro Detroit: Detroit, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Dearborn. West Michigan: Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo.
We also estimate for contractors in Troy, Westland, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Rochester Hills, Pontiac, Novi, Royal Oak, Dearborn Heights, Taylor, Saginaw, Battle Creek, Wyoming, Kentwood, Midland, Muskegon, and every other community across Michigan.
Michigan licenses the skilled trades through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, LARA, with electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors carrying state licenses under the state's skilled trades regulation. That statewide structure means a Michigan trade bid travels: the license behind it is the same in Detroit as in Marquette. Public work adds a fact every estimator here has to respect: Michigan brought prevailing wage back for state construction projects, so public bids carry wage rates that have to be priced from line one, not adjusted after award. Winter adds its own line items too, from temporary heat to weather protection, and a Michigan bid that skips them is quietly subsidizing the season. And on industrial work, the real rulebook is the existing building: our retrofit estimates price the demolition, the phasing and the existing-conditions reality, because in Michigan that is where the money hides.
A plant retool outside Detroit, a medical office in Grand Rapids, municipal utility packages statewide: all three project types, all four trades.
Michigan work runs heavy, and the packages flex to carry it. Assist Take-Off gives you detailed material counts from your plans, ready for your pricing. Modified Complete lets you pick exactly the services you need from the Complete package list. Astra Complete is the full package: a detailed estimate with our team representing your company to the GC to give you the best chance of winning. Plant retrofit bids with existing-conditions headaches are where Astra Complete proves itself. Straightforward commercial counts are Assist Take-Off all day.
Where you select exactly the services you need from the Complete package list.
For contractors who only need certain tasks or portions of the estimate completed. Detailed material counts from your plans, ready for your pricing.
Full-package with a detailed estimate and us representing your company to the GC. From complete bids and detailed material counts to executing a high-level proposal that gives you the best chance of winning.
“The service was excellent. I was awarded the first job I have to Astra. They are kind, professional, and thorough. I am very happy with the service”
Judd Stephenson
LCS Electric
“We could not be happier with the decision to use your services. Our relationship over the past four plus years has continued to grow and I would recommend using Astra for your estimating. Astra is a part of our team and it has been a great experience for our company.“
Joe Nardini
Owner of Gilligan & Nardini Electrical Contractors
“Mark I could not be happier with you and your team. Since I started using your services my bid wins have doubled and I have won 2 out of 7 bids so far which have totaled $412,000.00 in revenue. It is difficult when bidding to general contractors on the open bid market, however your team makes it so easy because of their knowledge, professionalism and how helpful they always are. You guys are Johnny on the spot with whatever I need and can’t thank you enough. My last project I won will be the Best Job I have had all year long and will make some really good money on it. I wear all the hats in my business and using your estimating services removes several of those very heavy hats. I am more than satisfied and wished I would have tried you sooner.”
John McNulty
McNulty Electric, Inc.
“I've used Astra estimating on a few projects, and they've been great. Great communication, easy to work with, and they'll give you a thorough and accurate estimate. Will definitely be using them again.”
Benjamin Cooper
Cooper Electric
“Mark has done a great job estimating our projects. If you are in a jam or need help with your estimating, then give them a call. We continue to use them because they bring us results.”
Kevin Skelton
President of KPS Plumbing Company
“Astra Estimating has been an incredible partner for our electrical company. We rely on them for larger projects that require detailed counts and accurate quoting, and they always deliver. Their team is extremely helpful, easy to work with, and consistently prompt with communication. They offer insight, solutions, and suggestions that genuinely help us approach each project more efficiently. Highly recommend Astra Estimating to any contractor looking for dependable, high-quality estimating support.”
Jeff Fino
Fino Electric
“Provided accurate HVAC estimation. We tested them on several projects and they were well within range of our own. I would highly recommend using them in future projects.”
Andrew Radder
“Astra has been a great help to our company. They can turn around projects fast and the estimates are very detailed and accurate. I would recommend Astra to any contractor who is looking for a professional estimating service. We continue to use Astra on an as needed basis and have been extremely pleased with their work. Try them out and I am sure you will find that it is well worth it.”
Lou Tadiello
Two Seasons Heating & Cooling
“Astra helped us get a project for over 8 Million dollars. I would definitely recommend them!”
Robert Nickerson
N&T Mechanical Contractors
“Prompt, thorough, and a great asset and extension of our team.”
Joshua Farley
Redline Electric
“Very knowledgeable in electrical estimating & easy to work with. Great partner providing great results. Very detailed and great communication throughout the estimating process.”
T.
Astra client since 2017
“From the very first job, we have always made money with the jobs that you have estimated for us.”
“At the beginning I was skeptical. I didn't think it would work... I can honestly say, from the very first job, we have always made money with the jobs that you have estimated for us... When we were trying to bid jobs in-house, we were probably twenty to one. So winning one in four makes it well worthwhile... I can take what would have been twenty, thirty, forty hours and turn it into a two to three hour review and submit a bid... There is no way I could hire a mechanical estimator, a plumbing estimator, and an HVAC or electrical estimator and be able to afford it at the stage we are right now... There is no way that we could be where we are today without what you guys have done. And now I would not be without it.”
Art Graves
Clearwater Construction (Livonia, Michigan)
“Mark, I have never in my life made so much money on a single job like the one you and your team estimated and won for my company. I will make over $1,000,000 by the end of this project… I have been using Mark and his team of estimators for over seven years now and I would recommend them to any company that is in need of an estimator. If you want measurable results that will help your company grow and win more bids effectively while also staying profitable, then I would highly recommend using them for any of your estimating needs. Give Mark and his team of estimators a try, you will be overjoyed with the results!”
Dirk Walton
Owner of Kal Electric
“I have used Astra for more than a decade from small projects to large with success. They do a great job in communicating with us thru the take off and bid process. There take offs have been as accurate as our own staff and they are accessible beyond the bidding stage to support any needs we have during the project. It is nice to have support beyond our own expertise that can bring options for success as their combined staff covers many years of experience and variety's of work .”
Dirk Walton
Owner of Kal Electric
“Astra Estimating is a great company for your electrical estimating needs! We have used them on several projects. They are prompt, communicate well, and offer support from start to the winning bid!! I Definitely recommend them!”
Arlin Nightingale
Lectra Tech
“Astra has been a great resource. They are very efficient and have quick turnaround time for us.”
Nick Berni
Gulu Electrical Contractors
“Mark, we contacted you and your team because we could not handle all the bids internally in-house. Since we started working with you we have bid 4 projects and currently working on the 5th. We have won 2, lost 1 and still we are in the running for 4th project. The very first project you bid for us we won and it totaled over $1,250,000 of new revenue for our company. The second project we bid with you and your team we won and it totaled $600,000 in new revenue. Currently your services have generated over $1,850,000 of new revenue for our company and the project we are still in the running for will be over $2,300,000. I have to say we could not be happier with you and your team of professionals, you have met and sometimes go far beyond any of our expectations. I highly recommend using your services to anyone needing help with estimating or getting out more bids.”
Gary Gulu
Owner of Gulu Electrical Contractors
“Reccommended.”
Joseph Brown
Procharged Electric LLC
“Very accurate and on time, estimator call and go over everything and easy to get a hold of about job when in progress Thanks”
Pete McAllister
McAllister Electrical Services
“Some of the best estimators I've ever had the pleasure to work with, I have an 80 to 90% win right and all the projects they have been for me have come in under budget. Great people.”
Byron Westerfield
Westerfield Electric
“Astra is very easy to deal with and is always in constant communication with their customer. They have definitely helped us out with the bigger projects so we can get done the smaller ones and get more bids out of the office. Definitely recommend them.”
Kevin Shrader
Shrader Electric
“We have bid three projects to date and have won all three totaling over $675,087.00 in revenue for my company. I have nothing but great things to say about you and your services. Your team is always professional, always fair and a great addition to my company as a second look on my projects to help me gauge where my bids should be. I highly recommend your services and I have more jobs I will be sending your way to help me bid.”
Joe Dowd
Dowd's Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning Inc
“Before I started using your Estimating Services our win verses loss averages were not very good. We would only win about 1 in every 20 commercial project estimates in the competitive open bid market. We are now at a 56% win average from using Astra Estimating Services which is far better than the disappointing 5% we were previously getting from estimating on our own. We have been using your company for a little over a year now and we do not estimate a lot of bids simply because we don’t need to. Since we started using your company, we have won 5 jobs and only lost 9 plus we are still waiting to hear on 3 additional projects which we believe we have a good shot at winning. With the 5 projects Astra has already won, the results totaled $819,781.41 and we could not be happier with our decision to use your estimating services. If anyone is on the fence about using Astra Estimating Services, please have them personally call me so I can tell them first hand your estimating services works and it will be one of the best decisions they could make for their company.”
Rich Girard
Owner of Girard Electric
Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC contractor. $1.15M+ won in three years.
Tell us a little about your project. An estimator will get back to you fast.
No estimate is ever shared with another contractor. Every project is on a first come first serve basis.
Speak with an Estimator (330) 633-7300
Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? Estimating is only 20 percent of winning a bid in the competitive open bid market. Most contractors, and most estimating firms, focus all their energy on that 20 percent. We built our whole service around the other 80: choosing the right jobs, building relationships with the GCs, tracking results, and negotiating the win. You pay for the estimating. The rest comes with it, because it is how we keep you winning, and winning is how we keep you as a customer.
1 We quote you the amount of hours to complete the estimate based on the project and services you selected.
2 After reviewing and approving the hours quoted to complete the estimate, we start the estimating process.
3 You can accept and we will then start the estimate or you can also pass on the project and choose a different one.
The first question everyone asks is what we cost per hour. We challenge that question, because the real measurement is not what an estimator costs per hour. It is what it costs you to win a job. A cheap estimator who wins you one job in fifteen is the most expensive estimator you can hire.
Here is how it works: you send the project, we quote you the hours to complete the estimate, and nothing starts until you approve. You never pay for overage hours unless we give you the reason, like a mid-bid addendum, and you approve them.
Any fool can win you an estimate. You can win jobs all day long and lose money on every one of them. Our job is winning you work, making sure you make money on the work we win you, and making it affordable. And we make it affordable because our win rates are what make it affordable: it is not what an estimator costs per hour, it is what it costs you to win a job.
Most contractors price overhead as a percentage of the job. Ten percent for overhead, ten percent for profit, done. Here is the problem: overhead is not consumed by contract dollars. It is consumed by TIME. Your trucks, your insurance, your office, your software: they cost the same for every hour your crew works, whether the contract is big or small. Watch what that does to two real-world bids.
A Worked Example
Illustrative numbers, not a rate quote.
| Line item | Job A ($50,000 project) | Job B ($200,000 project) |
|---|---|---|
| Job total | $50,000 | $200,000 |
| Who supplies material + fixture and gear package | Owner | You |
| Labor hours | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Overhead by the 10% method | $5,000 | $20,000 |
| Real overhead at $10 per hour × 1,000 hrs | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Result by the percentage method | Short $5,000 — your 'profit' was overhead. You won a loser. | Overpriced by $10,000 — you likely lose the bid. |
| Result by the hourly rate | Priced right — you know this job can't carry your cost, so you pass or price it honestly. | WIN: add $8,000 profit on top of your 10% and STILL come in $2,000 under the percentage bidders. |
The Percentage Method: wins the wrong jobs and loses money on them.
The Hourly Rate: wins the right jobs with the profit still in them.
Labor is where all the risk is. Materials get quoted; labor gets estimated. That is why we recommend pricing overhead as an hourly rate, not a percentage: it stays consistent across every project size, and it lets you see instantly whether a job can carry your real cost of doing business.
It matters more than most contractors realize, because the overhead a market will bear changes with the project type.
Restaurants, retail, and national chains are brutally competitive: low market overhead, low average labor rates, and full of bidders who do not know their numbers.
Medical office buildings, office buildings, and hospitals allow for higher overhead and higher average labor rates with thinner competition.
Once we run your numbers analysis, we can tell you which types of projects your company can actually win AND make money on, and steer your bidding there. If you have options, go after the jobs where you are competitive, profitable, and likely to win. That is the whole game.
Want to know what your real overhead rate is? That conversation is free.
No estimate is ever shared with another contractor. Every project is on a first come first serve basis.
Industrial bidding makes the ladder vivid. Win one plant job in fifteen or twenty bids and every award carries expensive, engineering-heavy losses on its back. Our customers climb to one in five. Some hit two in five, and suddenly the same bidding effort keeps your crews inside working plants all year. Michigan work is too heavy to win by accident. The ladder is climbed one complete, professional estimate at a time.
Industry Standard
Before Astra: most contractors win 1 in 15 to 1 in 20 bids. That is a 5 to 7 percent win rate.
1 in 5 = 20%
our customers typically get here quickly
2 in 5 = 40%
where we push next
3 in 5 = 60%
where bid tracking and relationships take you
Winning 1 in 5 instead of 1 in 20 does not just mean more work. It means every dollar you spend bidding buys four times the revenue.
Yes, and it is some of our favorite work. Retrofit scope rewards careful counting and punishes guesswork, which is the whole argument for professional estimating.
Yes. State project bids are built on the prevailing wage rates from the first line, so the labor number holds up after award.
We estimate to LARA-licensed trade scope. Your license defines what your company carries, and the bid is built to match it.
Yes. Phasing changes labor, logistics and general conditions cost, and a bid that ignores it is wrong on day one.
Most run 24 to 48 hours depending on complexity and the first come first serve queue. Big industrial packages get an honest hours quote up front.
Michigan work is heavy, complicated and worth winning. We have helped contractors win thousands of jobs across America, and the complicated ones are where we earn it.
CONTACT US
For immediate help call:
(330)-633-7300
No estimate is ever shared with another contractor. Every project is on a first come first serve basis.
Ten minutes on the phone. Real answers about your bids. Pick your time below and we call you.
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We are a professional estimating services company located in Tallmadge, Ohio. Over the past 25+ years we have worked with large and small Electric, Plumbing and HVAC Contractors Nationwide.
We are not your average estimating company. The clients we work with understand implementing successful strategies do not happen over night. Long term solutions require time, professional instruction and a client open to discovering new solutions that get real results.
CONTACT US
For immediate help call:
(330)-633-7300
No estimate is ever shared with another contractor.
Every project is on a first come first serve basis.