A residential construction estimation process that includes the steps of: inputting conceptual level data, selecting design characteristics, calculating a virtual geometry, selecting assemblies of construction components based on the calculated virtual geometry, selecting component options based on the selected assemblies of construction components, identifying a cost of each of the selected component options, and calculating a cost of the residence, wherein the cost is dynamically linked to each of the selected and inputted information of the preceding steps, such that the cost of the residence can be dynamically modeled at a detailed component level.