Handymen involved in building or renovating decks and railings uphold simplicity as their core philosophy. However, standard design software solutions’ complex features and learning curves often impede them from the desired simplicity and ease of operations. This puts handymen in a tough spot where attaining the trifecta of service excellence—precision, speed, and efficiency—becomes difficult. They need an intuitive platform that boasts swift learning curve and seamless integration with their dynamic, always-on-the-go approach.

This is where Construction Estimating Center (CEC) brings value to SME builders and handymen.

With the business ethos, “we’re builders of handy apps for handy people,” it is poised to fill this critical gap in the construction industry through its robust, purpose-built estimating applications.

Designed to empower builders with the digital edge, the powerful, web-based applications help bring the ‘napkin design concepts’ to life. The Virtual Constructor and EstimCAD application duo excels at streamlining the deck and railing design and construction processes.

Virtual Constructor tool is designed to support users in planning projects, getting estimations, and viewing preliminary plans. Whether it’s a patio, shed, garage, cottage, house, or roof, builders can easily estimate their projects using a 2D or 3D plan. The application comes with a wide range of (virtual) material sizes and types, allowing experimentation with different design scenarios. This aspect lets users precisely determine the budgets, project feasibility, and requirements.

“Our first product, Virtual Constructor, was built for the local retail markets to provide an online platform that can assess and qualify construction projects. But as the demand for versatility and accuracy grew, we opted to develop another solution that generates more detailed information for manufacturing railings and decks,” says Martin Crepeau, chief revenue officer at CEC.

EstimCAD is a second-generation solution that offers greater versatility and accuracy in project design and estimation. It enables the builders to draw accurate custom deck plans and estimate structures, stairs, and aluminum or glass railings. At the same time, the platform’s enhanced precision allows for designing projects with higher flexibility. By accommodating numerous shapes and angles, it eliminates the need to use only right angles, allowing users to include unconventional elements like swimming pools in their designs.

CEC’s application duo benefits the entire vertical, including consumers, retailers, manufacturers, and general or specialized contractors. Manufacturers, mainly those involved in custom-made deck railings, can access the precise design information from its applications with accuracy down to the sixteenth of an inch. This data can be seamlessly integrated into their ERP system, streamlining the production processes. The platforms ultimately function as the bridge between builders and manufacturers.

The solutions also benefit retailers as the 3D models developed have detailed descriptions of the materials, making selling or buying pre-made kits seamless for the handymen and sellers. All these features empower builders to be more professional with customers.

Embracing a culture of ongoing development and innovation, CEC is now gearing up to offer its multi-faceted beneficial solutions in consumer and pro versions. The consumer version ensures compliance with the construction regulations, while the pro version provides enhanced control for experienced builders to meet diverse construction requirements. These capabilities set Virtual Constructor and EstimCAD a notch above its competition.

Behind the solutions’ success is a diverse team with cross-functional expertise across domains like web development, construction contracting, and manufacturing. Their shared passion for delivering intuitive solutions and a genuine dedication to resolving builders’ challenges continue to drive the CEC engine. The combination of industry expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a drive for innovation makes CEC a trusted partner for handymen in achieving service excellence.