About Us

Our company at a glance:

  • Australian owned company with offices in Australia, the UK and Spain
  • Leader in developing and supporting enterprise class estimating software
  • In use by over 2,500 users in 11 countries, over 180 sites
  • Used in many industries including asphalt, civil, construction, government, landscaping, manufacturing, mining, rail, road, utilities and water
  • Founded in 1996 by its current Director, Robert MacDonald, to deliver on the market need for a powerful estimating system that was easy to use
  • Privately owned, family run business
  • Regarded throughout the globe as leaders in infrastructure estimating processes
  • Part of the MacDonald Group of companies.

Our mission is to help organisations improve their estimating, and the integration of estimating with related business processes; for private enterprise this helps improve your profit and market share; public authorities can deliver more accurate budgets and streamline project delivery.

Our story so far

Founded in 1996 by Robert MacDonald, Benchmark Estimating Software fast filled a need in the Australian Civil Contracting market for a simple software estimating system. Many systems were on the market at the time but they were difficult to use. With Rob MacDonald’s vast experience in Civil Construction, many Civil and Road Contractors, along with Government Works Units, took to Benchmark Estimating Software with instant results.

In the late 1990′s and early 2000′s Benchmark Estimating Software was selected by several major road, civil and government organisations as their standard estimating system due to its simplicity, power and flexibility. Benchmark Estimating then expanded into new markets, successfully becoming the standard estimating system amongst the major commercial Landscaping companies in Australia.

Benchmark Estimating set up an office in the United Kingdom in 2006; a move which proved to be very successful with major government and contracting organisations implementing our software. Along the way, Benchmark Estimating Software has demonstrated its amazing versatility as a software system with use also in the manufacturing, building maintenance, construction, telecommunications, rail and water industries.

In 2010 Benchmark Estimating released Version 7 of our software after nearly 10 person years of effort. Version 7 of Benchmark Estimating Software is based on the Microsoft .NET Framework and can use various databases including the award-winning Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle database systems. The software’s unique features and simplicity, together with it’s leading edge underlying technology, offer clients a highly sophisticated estimating solution which delivers a superior competitive advantage.

Benchmark Estimating Software is now used by over 2,500 users. The services we provide to our clients include technical support, training, implementation and software customisations. Our support services are widely regarded by our clients as setting the ‘benchmark’ in the industry. We have also developed and deliver a Professional Estimating Workshop to teach people how to estimate.

Benchmark Estimating has two sister companies Benchmark Estimating in the United Kingdom and MacDonald International in Australia. Benchmark Estimating UK sell and support Benchmark Estimating Software in Europe and also provide specialist Estimating Consulting services. MacDonald International provides specialist Estimating Consulting services throughout Australia and New Zealand.  Across the group the companies employ over 50 people.

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