RSMeans Data
North American construction cost database from Gordian, with localized unit, assembly and square foot costs.
Overview
RSMeans Data is Gordian's construction cost database, delivered through RSMeans Data Online, that gives owners, designers and contractors localized material, labor and equipment costs for estimating and budgeting.
Best for: Owners, designers and contractors that need trusted third-party cost data for budgets and estimates.
What RSMeans Data does
RSMeans Data Online lets users search localized material, labor and equipment costs by keyword or CSI MasterFormat, with price breakdowns that include productivity. Estimates can be built from unit costs, assemblies or square foot models, adjusted to more than 970 North American locations, with cost elements updated quarterly. Higher tiers add work breakdown structures, advanced reporting, folders and permissions, renovation models, predictive cost data up to three years ahead and life cycle costing.
The data works with eTakeoff Dimension for digital takeoff and Flash AI Estimating for early-stage estimates, and it is also available in other estimating tools such as Sage Estimating. RSMeans Data Online is cloud-based and accessible on desktop and mobile devices.
RSMeans is published by Gordian, founded in 1990 and based in Greenville, South Carolina, which Fortive acquired in 2018. Core starts at $408 per year, Complete at $1,049 and Complete Plus at $5,973 per named user, with custom multi-user pricing and a free trial.
- Construction cost database
- Unit cost estimating
- Assembly costs
- Square foot models
- Location factors
- Quarterly updates
- Predictive cost data
- Life cycle costing
- Estimate export
- Takeoff integration
Key features
- 01
Cost search
Localized material, labor and equipment costs by keyword or CSI MasterFormat
- 02
Unit, assembly and square foot estimates
From early budgets to detailed pricing
- 03
Location factors
970+ North American locations, updated quarterly
- 04
Work breakdown structures and advanced reporting
On higher tiers
- 05
Renovation models
Pricing for renovation work
- 06
Predictive cost data
Up to three years ahead
- 07
Life cycle costing
Long-term cost of ownership
- 08
Takeoff and AI estimating
ETakeoff Dimension and Flash AI Estimating
- 09
Data in other tools
E.g. Sage Estimating
Company details
- Company
- Gordian
- Founded
- 1990
- Headquarters
- Greenville, United States
- Ownership
- Acquired · Fortive
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Offline mode
- No
- Support
- Phone, Help center, FAQ, Training and seminars
- Website
- rsmeans.com
Who it is for
- Company size
- Small, Mid-size, Enterprise
- Project type
- Commercial, Public sector, Facilities, Residential, Renovation
- Roles
- Cost estimators, Owners, Architects, Facility managers, Contractors
Third-party reviews
Sources checked 2026-11-08
- Capterra4.2 / 5304 reviewsOpens Capterra in a new tab
- Software Advice4.2 / 5304 reviewsOpens Software Advice in a new tab
Reviewers like
- Industry-standard, regularly updated data
- Location-adjusted costs
- Unit, assembly and square foot estimates
- Easy saving and Excel export
Reviewers flag
- Gaps for specialized and remodeling work
- Some costs seem low
- Hard to match RSMeans terminology
- Limited report formatting
Summary written by our editors from public reviews. Ratings link to the original source.
Pricing
Model
Per user / year
Starts at
$408
per named user per year (Core); multi-user pricing on request
Free trial
Yes
Free plan
No
Alternatives
- SE
Sage Estimating
Desktop construction estimating software from Sage, formerly Timberline, with cost databases and takeoff integration.
- DE
DESTINI Estimator
Preconstruction estimating for commercial contractors, with linked 2D/3D takeoff, cost history and bid leveling.
- 1
1build
Live construction cost data API for materials, labor and equipment in every US county, from the team behind Handoff.
09 · Sources & notes
Compiled from the vendor’s website and public review platforms. Last reviewed 2026-11-08.