About
Qostara is a construction cost estimating firm that grew from a two-person desk in San Francisco into a distributed team serving general contractors, specialty trades, and owners across the United States.
Our story
Amelia Rowe founded Qostara in 2008 after a decade as a chief estimator at a mid-market general contractor. She saw smaller firms competing against nationals with a fraction of the preconstruction depth — and built Qostara to close that gap.
Today we are a team of twenty-five-plus estimators, quantity surveyors, and client success leads. We take fewer jobs than the big outsourcing shops so every takeoff survives a peer review and a superintendent's scrutiny on site.
Whether you are bidding a tilt-up warehouse or pricing a design-build healthcare pursuit, you get a named estimator who knows your standards — not a rotating queue.
At a glance
2,008
Year founded
18+
Years in practice
500+
Active clients
25+
Estimators on staff
Purpose
Two commitments that shape how we scope work, staff accounts, and review deliverables before they leave the desk.
Mission
We turn drawings into precise quantity takeoffs and cost models — CSI-formatted, source-referenced, and reviewed by a second estimator before delivery. Accuracy is the product, not a marketing line.
Vision
We believe growing contractors and specialty trades deserve the same estimating rigour as the nationals — without the overhead of a full in-house department or the opacity of a black-box outsourcing shop.
Values
These principles show up in every scope review, every peer check, and every conversation with your team.
We take fewer jobs so every takeoff can survive a peer review. Accuracy is the product.
If a superintendent cannot find the source of a quantity, the estimate is not finished.
You always know who is working the set and how the numbers were built.
Digitised takeoff platforms, live cost libraries — applied by people who have swung hammers.
Team
Senior estimators lead every account. You always know who is on your set and how to reach them.
Founder & Principal Estimator
Former GC chief estimator. Built Qostara to give mid-market contractors the same preconstruction depth as the nationals.
Director of Quantity Surveying
Leads the QS practice across design-build and IPD pursuits. Eighteen years in healthcare and labs.
Head of MEP Estimating
Specialises in complex mechanical and electrical systems for data centers and research campuses.
Client Success Lead
Keeps every active bid on schedule and makes sure addenda never fall through the cracks.
Timeline
We expanded deliberately — adding capacity only when quality could scale with it.
2008
Amelia Rowe opens a two-person estimating desk serving Bay Area general contractors.
2013
Remote delivery model lets Qostara support projects across the continental U.S.
2018
Dedicated mechanical and electrical team opens, doubling capacity for complex sets.
2022
Progressive estimating service launches for IPD and design-build clients.
2026
A distributed team serving 500+ contractors, owners, and specialty trades.
By the numbers
Aggregated across active accounts that have bid with Qostara for at least one year.
10,000+
Projects
98%
Accuracy
500+
Happy clients
25+
Estimators
Ready when you are
Upload your drawings and we will scope a free preliminary review within one business day — no commitment required.