What are contractors using for bidding software?

Question

Calling all contractors, what software or cloud based systems are you using for bidding jobs? What software are you using (if separate from bidding) to manage jobs (calendars, plans and files uploads, gant charts, CRM, etc.)?

I am looking to scale our GC business and we are in need of a great system to save time doing bids, managing work orders and organizing weekly/daily/monthly timeframes.

Aaron McGinnis · Answer

Will -

This is a topic near and dear to my heart.

For years I used Excel, with spreadsheets of ever-increasing size and complexity. About 5 years ago I bought into a program called Planswift and spent about 2 years modifying and customizing it until it did what I wanted. Unfortunately, it's not really in any condition that i could hand it off to someone and let them run it. More like the custom car that you have to pump the gas 3 times, hit the brake, pump the gas again, then turn the key to get it to turn over. Also, it's a 12 year old program that will likely not be updated ever again.

I'm evaluating moving over to a program called Square, which is being run by expats from Planswift. It has a lot more potential for scalability, but I'll have to start over on building assemblies, inputting parts, and generating useful reports for ordering and quotation presentation. I found them a few years ago at the build show and met with them again this year; the program has really come a long way and is looking like it could finally be a viable alternative. To wit - 84 Lumber recently switched from Planswift to Square.

Other programs that are commonly used are Timberline, RS Means, and Xactimate. These programs are extremely expensive to implement are commonly aren't see outside of insurance claims and industrial/commercial applications (Think skyscrapers for Timberline)

The problem with all forms of on-screen estimating is -

1: Setting up the program so that it is accurate to your business and the way you do things (Assemblies, parts, labor)

2: Getting reports that are useful (For ordering and quotation)

3: Getting pricing information inputted

4: Actually having a system easy enough to use that someone doesn't have to spend 4 years learning it

It's so very easy to underestimate the difficulty in setting up a system. When you really think about how many parts are used in a typical house, it's mind-boggling. Depending on what you control, it can really be a challenge to get things set up for accuracy. Out of the box, most on-screen estimating programs are basically just measuring tools. You have to customize them in order to make them do something useful.

For project management we run Buildertrend. Been using it for about 10 years now and am so thoroughly tied in at the hip that I couldn't imagine not using it.

Aaron McGinnis · Answer

Square is expressly for on screen take off; so any time you're doing a quantity survey from plans it's going to be helpful. Since this thread got started, Square was purchased by Buildertrend and is now Buildertrend Takeoff. I'm not sure if it is available as a stand-alone product anymore.

Aaron McGinnis · Answer

Daniel -

Yes, I switched to Square about a year and a half ago. Planswift is a dead platform from a technology standpoint, and it didn't make sense to continue to develop it.So far, Square has a few issues and I have to do some work-arounds to get past some interface and data management issues, but I would not go back to Planswift. Migration took a lot of effort, and I had to learn some new work flows, but ultimately the switch over was completely worth it. Basically, if you get a really big take off that is multi-stage, data management becomes really hard in Square... so I end up doing multiple iterations of the same job, one for trim, doors, and windows, another for lumber, another for siding, etc. That being said, the reporting is so much cleaner and easier out of the box vs. planswift that it made me weep a little when I first used it. You do have to be very rigorous about how you set up your assemblies and parts to make it work, though. Much like planswift (and any advanced program), there is a learning curve and you must be fastidious in the way you set things up.One of the biggest issues I had with Planswift was that it was simply structurally obsolete. No [native] data sharing, a code base based on Cobol and Visual Basic (I wish I was kidding), and zero interest in the platform from the company that owns it. Every time windows updated, I lived in fear that Planswift would finally stop being forward compatible. The clock is ticking on that entire code base. Ironically, a lot of the good developers from Planswift went to Square. It really is the spiritual successor...

Trenton Miller · Answer

I couldn't agree with you more!  I as well have used ever so complex spreadsheets for bidding projects.  However, I would like to applaud your comment regarding your software being like a custom car.  Out of the box estimating/bidding software is basically useless until you have tailored it to fit YOUR business.  I could not agree with you more.

As far as other software goes I prefer to use Google products for pretty much everything else.  I use calendar for not only scheduling timelines with customers, but also scheduling my employees with job sites and punch lists daily that automatically syncs to each of their phones.  I use forms to track employee hours.  Each employee selects his or her name and the hours populate in a weekly report.  I also use drive for keeping all job documents in one place.  Managers, customers, and employees have access to these documents.  This eliminated information being stuck in 'someones' inbox.

Again, I have put a great deal of time and effort into setting up these 'systems' within a 'system' you could say.

Shafi Noss · Answer

Would you say the software is useful for jobs that require architecturals like builds or square footage changes? I am doing CFO/CIO work with some GCs in different states and trying to figure out what kind of software might be useful for enhancing the business, but the work is mostly restoration.

For example I was looking at Fieldwire but it seemed to be centered around blueprints.

Daniel Alfandre · Answer

Great insights, thank you Aaron!

Daniel Alfandre · Answer

@Aaron McGinnis Thanks for your insights on take-off software.  Did you end up switching over to Square?  If so, do you think it's better than Planswift?

Will Barnard · Answer

Thanks for the feedback everybody. I just recently got Buildertrend and I like it but it will take some time learning to navigate it and set up our stuff into it. It does have an estimating portion but I have not gotten that far to see if it is viable for our estimating.

I also have a detailed excel spreadsheet with cost codes we use but I wanted something better and quicker (if that even exists).

I welcome any other feedback or suggestions.

Thanks for your detailed response @Aaron McGinnis

Patrick Jackson · Answer

@Will Barnard I use https://getrpms.com. Has everything I need to manage my jobs.

What are contractors using for bidding software?

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