Columbus, OH
NEW ADDITIONS ESTIMATING.

## Addition Contractors in Columbus Work on Tight Margins and Tight Timelines Columbus is one of the fastest-growing metros in the Midwest. Franklin County issued over 10,000 residential permits in 2023, and the demand for home additions — sunrooms, second stories, mudroom bumps, accessory dwelling units — has followed population growth into neighborhoods like Clintonville, Westerville, and the Short North edge blocks. That growth is good for your pipeline. It also means more competition on every bid. An addition contractor who can turn a scoped, priced proposal the same day as the walkthrough wins the job before the other three guys even call back. Estimate.Pro gets you there in a median of 8 minutes from site walkthrough to a sendable bid. ## What Makes Addition Estimating Different in Columbus Additions are not remodels and they are not new construction. They sit in between, and that hybrid nature creates estimating complexity that generic spreadsheets do not handle well. In Columbus, that complexity includes: **Ohio Residential Code (ORC) compliance.** Any addition over 200 sq ft triggers a full building permit through the Columbus Division of Building and Zoning Services. Your estimate has to carry permit fees, inspection line items, and engineer-of-record costs when the addition touches the existing foundation or load-bearing walls. **Frost depth.** Franklin County's required frost depth is 36 inches. Foundation work for an addition — whether a continuous footing, helical piers, or a stem wall — costs more here than in warmer southern markets. Your material and labor takeoff has to reflect that before you hand a number to a homeowner. **MEP tie-ins.** Tying a new addition into an existing Columbus home's HVAC system often requires a Manual J recalculation to satisfy the Ohio Mechanical Code. Estimate.Pro flags Manual J as a line item in the HVAC scope so it does not fall off the bid. **Franklin County zoning setbacks.** Rear and side setbacks in Columbus single-family zones commonly run 5–25 feet depending on the district. A variance adds cost and schedule. Your estimate should carry a contingency line when the addition footprint approaches the setback boundary. ## How Estimate.Pro Handles the Scope Start with a walkthrough on your phone. On supported devices, ONNX-assisted live AR measurement captures room dimensions and flags structural elements in real time. On any device, photo measurements give you working estimates you can refine before the bid goes out. The AI scope-of-work engine builds the addition's line items from what you captured — foundation, framing, sheathing, exterior cladding, roofing tie-in, insulation to Ohio Energy Code R-value minimums, drywall, electrical rough and finish, plumbing tie-in if applicable, and final finishes. You review, edit, and approve. Nothing ships without your sign-off. Material costs live in your saved workspace. You set the pricing to match what your Franklin County lumber yard and Columbus-area suppliers actually charge. The estimate reflects your real numbers, not national averages that do not survive a trip to 84 Lumber on Westerville Road. ## Sending the Bid and Getting Paid Estimate.Pro's Free tier carries a 3% Stripe Connect fee on payments collected through the platform. Pro at $39 per seat per month and Elite at $79 per seat per month drop that to 0%. Elite also adds invoice export and full Stripe Connect workflows — useful when you are managing draws across a multi-phase addition project. Crew is a flat $399 per month for companies running multiple estimators on concurrent Columbus projects. There is no credit card required to start. The Free tier is free indefinitely. You can run your first addition estimate today and send it to a homeowner in Bexley or Dublin before lunch. ## The Bottom Line for Columbus Addition Contractors Columbus homeowners are spending money on their houses. The permit data backs that up. Your job is to be the contractor who shows up with a professional, detailed, accurate number fast enough to close before the homeowner starts second-guessing or shopping around. Estimate.Pro is built for that job. Walkthrough, scope, price, send — 8 minutes median from start to a bid the homeowner can actually sign.