How Abergeldie built the estimate and budget for a $176.6M highway upgrade in Methvin
On the Medlow Bath Upgrade, Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure used Methvin's First Principles estimating and digital takeoff to build the project's cost structure, then exported the resulting budget straight into Procore for financial management and correspondence, cutting estimating hours, rework and reporting time along the way.
A defined handover from estimate to project delivery
The Medlow Bath Upgrade delivers approximately 1.2 kilometres of improvements to the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains, widening the road to a four-lane divided carriageway alongside new intersections, drainage, retaining walls and utility works.
Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure was appointed by Transport for NSW to deliver the roadworks, in an environment where the highway had to stay operational, construction ran beside an active rail corridor and station, and the works sat close to heritage-listed structures.
Abergeldie used Methvin to develop the project estimate and establish the underlying budget, then exported that budget into Procore, which handled the project's ongoing financial management, correspondence and administration. Methvin for estimating and budget development, Procore for what came after.
Project Profile · Medlow Bath
Medlow Bath Upgrade
Great Western Highway improvements through the Blue Mountains, a compact 1.2 km footprint with a large number of traffic, rail, heritage and community interfaces.
A small footprint, a large number of interfaces
At roughly 1.2 kilometres, the physical scope looks modest, the number of interfaces the estimate had to account for did not.
Live traffic and rail
Heritage and environment
Night works and community interfaces
An estimate spread across too many places
A dedicated environment for building the estimate
Methvin gave the estimating team a structured way to build the project's cost base and carry it forward into a budget, without replacing downstream systems.
First Principles Estimating
- Activities broken into labour, plant, materials and production rates
- Assumptions adjustable as design information changes
- Cost base built into the underlying rate, not a lump sum
- Estimate configuration established before cost development
Digital Takeoff
- Drawings, measurements and estimate items connected
- Quantities developed inside the estimating workflow
- No manual transfer between disconnected files
- Rework reduced as project information developed
Structured Cost Data
- Estimate becomes the basis for the project budget
- Budget exported from Methvin into Procore
- No second recreation of the approved budget
- Procore used for financial management and correspondence
What changed in the estimating workflow
| Area | Before | Medlow Bath Digital Workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Estimating | Separate Estimating information maintained separately | Structured Structured estimating in Methvin |
| Quantities | Manual Manual transfer of quantities and costs | Digital Digital estimating and takeoff |
| Budget | Split Estimate and project budget maintained separately | Exported Methvin estimate exported to Procore |
| Rework | Repeated Rework required when estimates changed | 25% less Reduction in estimate rework |
| Reporting | Heavy Reporting required significant manual effort | 30% faster Reduction in reporting time |
| Effort | Manual Estimating required significant manual effort | 66 hrs Estimating hours saved |
| Downstream | Separate Downstream financial information maintained separately | Procore Used for financial management |
Estimating doesn't end when the tender is won
The estimate was developed in Methvin, the budget was established from that estimate, and Procore took over financial management, correspondence and contract administration.
- ✓Estimate developed and refined in Methvin as project information changed
- ✓Budget established from the estimate, not recreated separately
- ✓Budget exported directly from Methvin into Procore
- ✓Procore used downstream for financial management, correspondence and contract administration
Measurable improvements across the estimating workflow
Two concurrent Methvin users supported the estimating and budgeting process behind a $176.6M Transport for NSW contract.
What the Medlow Bath workflow demonstrates
Estimating should connect to project delivery
The estimate shouldn't become a standalone document once a project is awarded, it holds the commercial assumptions that underpin the budget. Connecting it to the downstream project environment creates a stronger transition from tendering to construction.
Specialist platforms can work together
Methvin handled specialist estimating and budget development; Procore handled downstream financial management, correspondence and administration. Each platform performed the role it was built for.
Reducing rework frees up estimating capacity
A 25% cut in estimate rework means less time correcting or recreating information, and more time available for analysing the project and improving commercial decisions.
Reporting efficiency improves project control
Cutting reporting time by 30% isn't just about speed, it means decision-makers get better information sooner.
Common questions about this workflow
Why use Methvin for estimating and Procore for financial management, rather than one platform?
Each platform performs the part of the project lifecycle it's built for. Methvin's strength is First Principles estimating and budget development, Procore's is downstream financial management and correspondence.
What happens to the estimate once the budget is exported?
The approved budget moves into Procore for ongoing management, so the project team isn't recreating it manually in a second system.
How does Digital Takeoff reduce estimating rework?
By connecting drawings, measurements and estimate items directly, quantities are developed inside the estimating workflow instead of being transferred manually between disconnected files.
Does a small estimating team limit the impact on a large project?
On Medlow Bath, two concurrent Methvin users supported the estimating and budgeting process behind a $176.6M project, the value of specialist estimating technology isn't determined by headcount.
How does First Principles estimating handle changing project information?
Labour, plant, materials and production rates are built into the underlying rate, so assumptions can be adjusted individually as design information develops.
Can Methvin integrate with project management platforms other than Procore?
Methvin is built to export structured budget and cost data downstream, get in touch to discuss your specific project management stack.
Key Takeaways
Build your next estimate on a structured foundation
See how First Principles estimating and Digital Takeoff can reduce rework and hand a clean budget to your project delivery platform.