Extract text from Construction estimates (PRESTO)
To convert PRESTO Estimates to another format, you need RIB Presto or other Spreadsheet software.
To convert other file formats to the "Project Budget Spreadsheet" file type, you need software like RIB Presto or a similar tool.
The .presto file extension is a proprietary spreadsheet and database format used exclusively by RIB Presto, a leading construction cost estimation and project management software developed by RIB Software. These files store detailed construction budgets, bills of quantities (BOQ), resource allocations, and timeline data for complex building projects.
The main disadvantage of the .presto format is its closed, proprietary nature. Users who receive these files often face a roadblock because opening them requires an expensive, active commercial license for RIB Presto. The format is not supported by standard web browsers or generic spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Files can also become quite large depending on the project scope, making them difficult to review without dedicated hardware and software.
To share construction budgets with clients or contractors, you must convert .presto files to standard, accessible formats like XLSX (Excel), CSV (Comma Separated Values), or PDF. Converting to XLSX preserves tabular data and calculations, while PDF ensures the document layout remains intact for printing and formal review. Some internal Presto-specific formulas or dynamic database links may be lost during conversion.
Because .presto is a closed, proprietary format, it is notoriously difficult to open or convert outside of its native ecosystem. Standard online converters fail to process the complex internal relational database structure. Often, only the original RIB Presto software can properly read or export the full cost estimation data. However, convert.guru serves as a pragmatic workaround. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible. convert.guru can inspect the file and show raw text or internal content. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or partial conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PRESTO file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted BC3 and PZH files.
If you want to convert PRESTO file to CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT, DB or SQL, you can use RIB Presto or similar software from the "Construction Cost Estimation Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to PRESTO, try RIB Presto or another comparable tool in the "Construction Cost Estimation Data" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our PRESTO converter.