Estimating Edge Issues Guide on Tariffs' Impact - Accurate Estimating is the Contractor's Best Defense

BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / Estimating Edge, creator of The EDGE® construction takeoff and estimating platform and a member of the Foundation Software business portfolio, has released a timely new resource titled "Combating Construction Tariffs With Accurate Estimating." The guide addresses how escalating material tariffs are squeezing margins and project timelines - and shows how smarter estimating workflows can help contractors stay ahead.

As tariffs hit materials like steel, fasteners and coatings, the ripple effect through supply chains and budgets is real. Recent analysis from Chmura Economics & Analytics suggests that current effective tariff rates could add $41.7 billion in costs to the U.S. construction industry.

With margins already tight in many trades, this means even minor estimating inaccuracies can lead to big losses.

The new resource explains how contractors can adopt precise, data-driven estimating practices to mitigate these risks. Key approaches include:

• Leveraging trade-specific databases and live price feeds to reflect real-world costs

• Automating bidding workflows to reduce duplicate entry and speed timelines

• Building contingency plans (for example, 5-10% cost buffers) and modeling tariff-impacted scenarios in advance

• Tracking actual versus planned costs in real time to detect margin erosion before it becomes a loss

"The estimating process is no longer just about what you know today - it's about what you can anticipate tomorrow," said Dave Chapman, Sales Director at Estimating Edge. "With tariffs creating unpredictable pricing swings, contractors who rely on outdated methods risk being under-bid, over-exposed and late to the field."

For contractors using The EDGE, the guide focuses on how to put its estimating tools into practice, with examples that show estimators how to react when material prices or tariffs shift. Instead of reworking every quote from scratch, they can lean on consistent workflows that keep bids moving while still protecting margin in tariff-heavy markets.

The complete resource is available now at https://estimatingedge.com/combating-construction-tariffs-with-accurate-estimating/.

SOURCE: Estimating Edge