Estimating Software 2021 UPDATE

[MGest]

Hi Guys!

I know these conversations have taken place numerous times over the years, but nothing fairly recently. As the industry is ever developing and changing, I'm sure the estimating software companies have improved their products as well. We're a small contracting company doing multi-residential (approx. 12 storey, 150 unit projects), storage and medical facilities. I've used turbobid and planswift previously, but looking for something a bit more comprehensive and easier to use. customer service and ease of use are big factors. We're considering Conest or Accubid. Can anyone offer their experience with these (or other) programs?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Strathead]

All estimating programs give you what you put in to them. If you expect them to come out of the box and create the perfect, you will be sorely disappointed. What you have to do is evaluate on how you do your estimates and whether the program has the features you need. Then you still need to modify the database for what you do. Also, most estimating software has different levels of service, so it isn't easy to say Accubid, or another are good.

One thing I will tell you is, with the projects you are mentioning, one feature I would look for is "typical takeoff" Accubid has the ability to take off a typical apartment, or room, then tell the program there are 10 of them on the 1st floor building 1, 6 on the second floor building 3, etc. and when you are extending and evaluating, the math is all done internally, you go back and add a switch to the unit, and the program will add the switch for all the units in the correct breakout. For the record, Accubid is the top selling program, and is very good. I understand Conest has some pretty cool features also, like you set up in the beginning, the grade of receptacles and the type of conduit fittings and the height of the ceilings and it modifies your takeoffs appropriately. All of the programs will let you do a trial. Myself, I just worked with McCormick and it wasn't for me.

 

[cdslotz]

I second this^^^^ Doing the kind of work you do, you need the ability to do "typical" takeoffs so you can takeoff one unit and copy/paste or multiply the number of units. Comes in real handy on hotels, hospitals, apartments. Accubid is very good. I am more versed in ConEst which is great too

 

[brantmacga]

I use Intellibid, and it’s not great for multi-family / hotels.

If there’s a way to easily multiply counts by number of rooms, I haven’t found it. Whenever I do a multi family take-off, I have to manual multiply each assembly by the number of like rooms, and it’s not an easy task.

Other than that, I’m happy with it. From what I’ve read about Accubid, I’d probably like that more, but I don’t want to start over with a new program.

I’m going to try and spend some time in the next couple of days and see if I can find this multiply feature mentioned for Accubid. I’ll call tech support and ask them about it also. If you can give me through the weekend I’ll report back what I find.

Recently switched to the cloud version of Intellibid and would never go back to a local based version. Previously I had to use Team Viewer to login remotely to the office server if I was working from home or the field, and even with gigabit internet speed at the office it was much slower than the cloud version. The one downside to this is that because I use a Mac, the cloud software can’t map my drives to save my proposals and other print offs locally. I had to install Dropbox on the cloud VM computer and create a single folder to sync, and sync them back to my Mac Dropbox, then drag the file to the right folder on my machine. You are limited in HDD space on the virtual machine, and syncing my entire Dropbox would eat through all that space in a hurry. Conest does not recommend installing Dropbox at all. If you use Windows PC this isn’t an issue.


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[Strathead]

I use Intellibid, and it’s not great for multi-family / hotels.

If there’s a way to easily multiply counts by number of rooms, I haven’t found it. Whenever I do a multi family take-off, I have to manual multiply each assembly by the number of like rooms, and it’s not an easy task.

Other than that, I’m happy with it. From what I’ve read about Accubid, I’d probably like that more, but I don’t want to start over with a new program.

I’m going to try and spend some time in the next couple of days and see if I can find this multiply feature mentioned for Accubid. I’ll call tech support and ask them about it also. If you can give me through the weekend I’ll report back what I find.

Recently switched to the cloud version of Intellibid and would never go back to a local based version. Previously I had to use Team Viewer to login remotely to the office server if I was working from home or the field, and even with gigabit internet speed at the office it was much slower than the cloud version. The one downside to this is that because I use a Mac, the cloud software can’t map my drives to save my proposals and other print offs locally. I had to install Dropbox on the cloud VM computer and create a single folder to sync, and sync them back to my Mac Dropbox, then drag the file to the right folder on my machine. You are limited in HDD space on the virtual machine, and syncing my entire Dropbox would eat through all that space in a hurry. Conest does not recommend installing Dropbox at all. If you use Windows PC this isn’t an issue.


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Accubid has a matrix. You set up a "typical" room, TYPE A, TYPE B, TYPE B HANDICAP, ETC. You take off everything included in that room assembly. At any point, you set up a matrix, you tell the program, for example a really complex one, building 1 floor 1, floor 2, etc. building 2 floor 1, etc. Then you tell it you have 6 TYPE A, 4 TYPE B, etc for every typical room on every floor in every building. You are done. If you later do a breakout of only building 1 then only the takeoffs from building one appear. If you get a change that adds a USB receptacle and a door bell to Type B handicap, you just modify the typical takeoff and all the math takes care of itself.

 

[cdslotz]

Accubid has a matrix. You set up a "typical" room, TYPE A, TYPE B, TYPE B HANDICAP, ETC. You take off everything included in that room assembly. At any point, you set up a matrix, you tell the program, for example a really complex one, building 1 floor 1, floor 2, etc. building 2 floor 1, etc. Then you tell it you have 6 TYPE A, 4 TYPE B, etc for every typical room on every floor in every building. You are done. If you later do a breakout of only building 1 then only the takeoffs from building one appear. If you get a change that adds a USB receptacle and a door bell to Type B handicap, you just modify the typical takeoff and all the math takes care of itself.

Intellibid doesn't do that...it's more cut&paste.
That's really cool feature on Accubid

 

[brantmacga]

Intellibid doesn't do that...it's more cut&paste.
That's really cool feature on Accubid

Well I found out how to do this.... I've completely overlooked this button before. But when you are within the take-off window, right above your assembly list is a box that says "Takeoff Settings"; this is where you adjust labor factor, etc... The far right button is the assembly multiplier. So lets say in a multi-family project you have 15 of Unit A dwelling; enter "15" within the 'Mult' window. Now when you do the take-off of unit A, and lets say there are a 10 GFI receptacles, if you've entered 15 into the multiplier, you'll get a total of 150.

I'm attaching a screenshot.

 

[Strathead]

Well I found out how to do this.... I've completely overlooked this button before. But when you are within the take-off window, right above your assembly list is a box that says "Takeoff Settings"; this is where you adjust labor factor, etc... The far right button is the assembly multiplier. So lets say in a multi-family project you have 15 of Unit A dwelling; enter "15" within the 'Mult' window. Now when you do the take-off of unit A, and lets say there are a 10 GFI receptacles, if you've entered 15 into the multiplier, you'll get a total of 150.

I'm attaching a screenshot.

Question though, can you edit the unit later as in merely change the unmultiplied quantity and the extension self corrects or would you have to do a new take off an multiply again. Accubid allows the first. I feel this is far more idiot proof.

 

[brantmacga]

Question though, can you edit the unit later as in merely change the unmultiplied quantity and the extension self corrects or would you have to do a new take off an multiply again. Accubid allows the first. I feel this is far more idiot proof.

No.

From what I’m reading here about Accubid, it’s likely the better software for multi unit take offs.


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[MGest]

All estimating programs give you what you put in to them. If you expect them to come out of the box and create the perfect, you will be sorely disappointed. What you have to do is evaluate on how you do your estimates and whether the program has the features you need. Then you still need to modify the database for what you do. Also, most estimating software has different levels of service, so it isn't easy to say Accubid, or another are good.

One thing I will tell you is, with the projects you are mentioning, one feature I would look for is "typical takeoff" Accubid has the ability to take off a typical apartment, or room, then tell the program there are 10 of them on the 1st floor building 1, 6 on the second floor building 3, etc. and when you are extending and evaluating, the math is all done internally, you go back and add a switch to the unit, and the program will add the switch for all the units in the correct breakout. For the record, Accubid is the top selling program, and is very good. I understand Conest has some pretty cool features also, like you set up in the beginning, the grade of receptacles and the type of conduit fittings and the height of the ceilings and it modifies your takeoffs appropriately. All of the programs will let you do a trial. Myself, I just worked with McCormick and it wasn't for me.

"Typical takeoff" is definitely a useful feature for me. I guess it also makes a difference how dynamic and versatile the program is to be able to customize it the way I have my spreadsheets set up now. Thanks so much!

 

[MGest]

I use Intellibid, and it’s not great for multi-family / hotels.

If there’s a way to easily multiply counts by number of rooms, I haven’t found it. Whenever I do a multi family take-off, I have to manual multiply each assembly by the number of like rooms, and it’s not an easy task.

Other than that, I’m happy with it. From what I’ve read about Accubid, I’d probably like that more, but I don’t want to start over with a new program.

I’m going to try and spend some time in the next couple of days and see if I can find this multiply feature mentioned for Accubid. I’ll call tech support and ask them about it also. If you can give me through the weekend I’ll report back what I find.

Recently switched to the cloud version of Intellibid and would never go back to a local based version. Previously I had to use Team Viewer to login remotely to the office server if I was working from home or the field, and even with gigabit internet speed at the office it was much slower than the cloud version. The one downside to this is that because I use a Mac, the cloud software can’t map my drives to save my proposals and other print offs locally. I had to install Dropbox on the cloud VM computer and create a single folder to sync, and sync them back to my Mac Dropbox, then drag the file to the right folder on my machine. You are limited in HDD space on the virtual machine, and syncing my entire Dropbox would eat through all that space in a hurry. Conest does not recommend installing Dropbox at all. If you use Windows PC this isn’t an issue.


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Very good point about using the cloud version vs. local setup. Thanks so much for your help!! In any case, what are the features that you are most happy with in Intellibid?

 

[MGest]

Accubid has a matrix. You set up a "typical" room, TYPE A, TYPE B, TYPE B HANDICAP, ETC. You take off everything included in that room assembly. At any point, you set up a matrix, you tell the program, for example a really complex one, building 1 floor 1, floor 2, etc. building 2 floor 1, etc. Then you tell it you have 6 TYPE A, 4 TYPE B, etc for every typical room on every floor in every building. You are done. If you later do a breakout of only building 1 then only the takeoffs from building one appear. If you get a change that adds a USB receptacle and a door bell to Type B handicap, you just modify the typical takeoff and all the math takes care of itself.

That's an amazing feature! Seems like Accubid is my guy!