20 Years Strong: RIB CostX Marks Two Decades of Revolutionizing the Construction Industry

RIB Software, a global leader in construction software solutions, this year celebrates 20 years of its award-winning all-in-one takeoff, estimating, and reporting software, RIB CostX.

2 OCTOBER, 2024, BRISBANE -- RIB Software, a global leader in construction software solutions, this year celebrates 20 years of its award-winning all-in-one takeoff, estimating, and reporting software, RIB CostX. 

CostX is a unified costing platform which seamlessly connects BIM and 2D takeoff and estimating with carbon accounting. With CostX, cost estimators have an easy-to-use tool which reduces errors and improves accuracy. It enables 2D takeoffs with a single click, which increases speed. Its advanced 3D/BIM support means that customers get more accurate calculations, considerable time savings, and improved quality within their estimates.

For two decades, RIB CostX has been at the forefront of innovation in takeoff and estimation, consistently delivering the tools customers need to achieve accurate and reliable results. From pioneering digital takeoff technology to 5D BIM integration, RIB CostX has continually pushed the boundaries to empower professionals to work more efficiently.

CostX’s ability to upload models so that all estimators can see the project in 3D is invaluable for our company,” says Allison Koester, Preconstruction Technology Lead at Austin Commercial in the U.S. “New design aspects that appear in the 3D model allow us to discover design features and price them at an early stage of design, helping to optimize our budget. 

“We consider CostX part of the Austin team – they’ve been integral in our preconstruction technological transformation,” says Allison. “Costx’s outstanding customer support and product help us deliver accurate information that our customers rely on.”

Ben White, Estimating Manager at Ausco Modular in Australia, adds that CostX is faster and more accurate than other industry software. “CostX is intuitive and widely taught, making it easy to find skilled staff. It suits various business sizes and offers a familiar, user-friendly interface similar to [Microsoft] Excel. It’s effective for companies with both office-based and remote teams.”

CostX Highlights Through the Years

CostX launched in 2004 with its first customer win, Rawlinsons, based in Brisbane, Australia. Shortly after, the groundbreaking Auto-Revisioning feature was introduced, facilitating revisions tracking between drawing designs, meaning estimates can be updated without missing critical alterations. Furthermore, CostX began supporting 3D/BIM models, enabling users to leverage large repositories of data to improve the accuracy of their estimates. These early innovations helped establish CostX as a leader in the construction estimation software. 

In 2007, CostX expanded outside Australia, making its mark on the global stage. The product range was extended in 2009 with the introduction of CostXL, which seamlessly links CostX takeoff data with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. 

By February 2017, CostX reached the milestone of selling 10,000 licenses globally. Since then, it has won the Estimation and Valuation of the Year award at the Construction Computing Awards for five years in a row.

In 2018, CostX Cloud was launched to align with new ways of working, offering improved access and collaboration for globally dispersed teams while reducing reliance on internal IT infrastructure.

In 2021, CostX made significant strides toward sustainability by introducing embodied carbon measurement, allowing users to calculate the carbon impact of materials in the construction process. These innovations have strengthened CostX’s position as a leading solution for the construction industry. 

RIB understands that every business has unique challenges and requirements. That's why this year, the company has moved to subscription options to ensure customers have the right takeoff and estimation tools at their fingertips for added flexibility. These products, namely CostX Quantify, CostX Core, and CostX Complete, offer varying functionalities to suit any business’s needs, from focusing solely on takeoff (providing robust measurement and quantification features) through to delivering the full suite of CostX capabilities (offering 2D and BIM takeoff, estimating spreadsheets, robust reports, and more in one program).

Conclusion

Since the release of Version 1.0 in 2004, RIB CostX has taken customers on a journey of precision, accuracy, and efficiency. Two decades of users have improved their flexibility, reduced errors, and saved time and money through the company’s award-winning takeoff and estimating.

From Version 1.0 to Version 7.2, CostX’s journey has been guided by invaluable feedback from users. With each iteration, RIB has added features and functionalities, continuously striving to fulfil its commitment to make construction more efficient and sustainable for all.

Tony Shaw, Product Solutions Director at RIB Software says, "From its inception twenty years ago, through the nascence of BIM, the advent of sustainability, and the emergence of AI, CostX has remained at the leading edge of technological changes across the construction industry. It has been a privilege to be a part of the team that continues to look forward and strives to exceed the demands of our customers, both present and future."

For more information on RIB CostX, please visit www.rib-software.com/en/rib-costx. 

About RIB Software

Driven by transformative digital technologies and trends, RIB is committed to propelling the industry forward and making engineering and construction more efficient and sustainable.

Throughout its 60-year history, the business has expanded its global footprint to incorporate more than 550,000 users and 2,600 talents, with the vision of transforming the operation into a worldwide powerhouse and providing innovative software solutions to its core markets – while placing its people at the heart of everything it does.

Managing the entire project lifecycle, from planning and construction, to operation and maintenance, the development of RIB’s portfolio of software solutions is driven by industry expertise, best practice and a passion to remain at the cutting edge of technology.

Press Enquiries

Tracy Woodland

Marketing Director

tracy.woodland@rib-software.com

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• RIB_PR_20 Years Strong- RIB CostX Marks Two Decades of Revolutionizing the Construction Industry.pdf