Construction Software Companies & Consultants in Chandler, AZ

McCormick Systems is a software company based in Chandler, Arizona, that builds estimating and takeoff tools for the electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades. Its users are specialty contractors and professional estimators across the United States and Canada, and the products are meant to help them move from a set of drawings to a finished bid.

The firm does not market a one-size-fits-all estimating package. Its system is shaped around the materials, assemblies and labor that MEP businesses work with on a daily basis.

Software and Capabilities

The main product keeps the whole preconstruction workflow in one place, running from digital takeoff to the final proposal. Estimators measure, count and price on a single screen, working directly from PDF plans without buying a separate takeoff program. One customer quoted by the company says on-screen takeoff in the Pro version lets him avoid reprographic costs and finish takeoff far faster.

Electrical estimators get an auto-count feature and a patented tool called Auto Home Run. The electrical database covers work ranging from homes to large industrial sites and from low-voltage to high-voltage systems. Labor can be priced with the company's own units or with three levels of NECA units.

Plumbing estimators price fixtures, pipe, fittings and labor from a catalog designed around plumbing workflows. Mechanical users can bid boilers, fire sprinklers, fire suppression and closed-circuit systems, use pre-built assemblies with automatic quantity calculations, and add MCAA or PHCC units to keep bids consistent.

The company says its trade databases hold more than 100,000 plumbing and mechanical SKUs, and it also offers a higher-tier product called Design Estimating Pro.

• Electrical, plumbing and mechanical estimating
• Transmission and distribution and automated building systems
• Service contracting
• Bid proposals, material lists and budget forecasts generated from takeoff data

Support, Training and Collaboration

McCormick products are reached over the internet, so no costly hardware is required, and the multi-user design lets teams in different locations share project information. Client services are handled in-house, and the company reports average response times of under ten minutes. Customers can learn through videos, webinars, beginner and advanced colleges, personalized training, a blog and events. These include the CONVERGE user conference, where attendees can network with other users and meet the staff.

Prospective customers can get to know the sales group before calling. It includes two regional sales managers, a client sales representative and an inside sales liaison, and Paul Wheaton is the company president.

History and Ownership

The company was founded in 1979 to speed up bidding. Commercial estimators of that era relied on bulky mainframes that slowed them down, and McCormick offered a customizable, trade-focused and scalable alternative that ran on smaller desktop computers. Foundation Software, a construction software and services provider, acquired the business in 2021. The company says this allows it to bring more efficiency to back-office tasks and to give customers dependable data throughout each job.

Foundation also makes products for job cost accounting, expense and pay management, payroll, mobile time tracking, safety, project management, human resources and roofing and interior trades estimating. McCormick additionally publishes comparison pages for ConEst, FastPipe, QuoteSoft and Procore. For people considering a career there, the Chandler office has listed a client services support position, and the company describes a hybrid schedule and a people-first culture.