BlueStake Solutions, LLC · Ridgeville, SC
BLUE is underground utility estimating software built by pipelayers, not programmers. Bid faster, win more, and protect your margin on every job.
Beta testing coming soon. Full release to follow.
“Most estimating software was written by people who’ve never lowered a stick of pipe. BLUE was built the other way around.”
— David Self, Founder · 30 years as a PM and estimator
How a bid actually starts
A real bid begins the moment the ITB packet hits your inbox. BLUE picks it up there — and carries it all the way through to the final pay request.
Drop in the bid item numbers and descriptions from the spec book. BLUE seeds the rest of the workbook from this one entry point — type a bid item here and it shows up everywhere else it’s needed.
Build the estimate — quantities, production rates, materials, adders. Material # auto-fills description, unit, and unit cost from your Materials Database. Production rates pull from your historical numbers, not somebody else’s.
Final rolled-up bid with global and per-item GPM, gross profit dollars, extended amounts, and unit price. The number you submit to the GC — with the math behind it intact.
Everything an estimator actually needs
BLUE replaces the spaghetti pile of spreadsheets, vendor PDFs, and sticky notes most underground contractors run on today. Every sheet is wired to every other sheet so a change in one place updates everywhere it matters.
All material items with unit costs by work type. Type a Material # anywhere in the workbook and the description, unit, and unit cost with tax populate themselves. The Materials Entry Helper makes adding a new pipe size, fitting, or restraint a 30-second job.
Production rates linking labor, equipment, and output. Build a rate for “8″ sewer 8-10′ depth, open cut” once and use it everywhere. Production Rates Entry Helper for fast additions.
The build screen. Quantities, production, adders, GPM — all wired back to the rates and materials databases.
Bond, escalation, contingency, overhead, net profit. One screen controls the levers that turn direct cost into a winning bid.
Earthwork calc with depth zones, excavation volume, bedding, and backfill. OSHA-aware sloping classifications keep your crew and your bid honest.
Add unlimited extra materials per bid item — restraints, fittings, specialty couplings. They flow through to Bid Summary automatically, fractional quantities and all.
After award
BLUE follows the project past the bid table — into scheduling, billing, change orders, and field production. One workbook, one project, cradle to close-out.
Line-item SOV that drives pay request generation directly from the bid.
AIA G702/G703-style application for payment, populated from the SOV.
Auto-generated project schedule with manual override.
Pricing
BLUE is in final testing right now. Subscriptions open shortly — early adopters who request a demo will be first in line.
Bronze
$49/mo
Solo estimator
Coming soon
Most popular
Silver
$149/mo
Small contractor
Coming soon
Gold
$299/mo
Full operation
Coming soon
About BlueStake Solutions
BlueStake Solutions, LLC was founded in 2026 by David Self after thirty years estimating, project-managing, and supervising underground utility construction across the Southeast. BLUE is the workbook David wished he’d had on every project he ever bid — a single source of truth that respects the way real bids actually come together.
We’re based in Ridgeville, South Carolina, and we’re starting with the Southeastern US contractor community. If you’ve ever lost a Friday to broken vendor links and stale production rates — BLUE is for you.
Request a demo · Get on the beta list
BLUE is in final testing right now — a small private beta opens shortly. Tell us about your operation and we’ll line up a personal walkthrough on a real bid you’re working on. Beta testers go first in line, with full access at no cost during the testing period.