In the past, construction industry professionals relied heavily on manual processes for tasks like takeoff and estimation. This not only involved hours of work in the office before taking on a job, but the process was also error prone. Today, construction companies need more than skilled workers and quality materials to remain competitive. They also need efficient and accurate methods of building bids. Takeoff and estimating software streamlines these processes, reducing errors and allowing contractors to spend less time in the office and more time getting jobs done.
The Next Generation of Digital Estimation
It’s become common for contractors to use digital tools like Excel spreadsheets to create bids. While this saves time and increases accuracy over paper-and-pencil calculations, it’s far from perfect. Even using automated calculations, manual data entry can easily introduce error into the process and requires considerable office time—especially for complex projects.
Modern takeoff and estimating software helps eliminate these issues, providing a faster, more accurate way to estimate construction costs. Contractors can upload plans in PDF format directly to the program, eliminating the risk of data entry errors. The software also makes it easy to sync and share documents, facilitating collaboration with industry partners and transparency with clients while maintaining version control.
Enhancing Efficiency & Accuracy
Construction software offers a wide range of tools that streamline workflows not only in the preparatory phases but throughout the entire project lifecycle. It can include customizable templates, databases, and cost libraries that allow contractors to build bids quickly, avoiding the need to start each bid from scratch. Some solutions also integrate with other systems, allowing for seamless syncing, preventing errors in data entry, and ensuring records are kept continuously up to date across applications.
Additionally, construction software can enable efficient work-in-place tracking. This allows contractors to easily keep tabs on the progress of each job. They can even modify labor calculations to account for variations in productivity, such as when crews are working overtime, for increased accuracy in both time and cost estimations. As a result, businesses can determine at a glance exactly where they are with a project’s budget and timeline, helping ensure everything stays on track.
Fueling Growth
By streamlining paperwork and improving efficiency, construction software can free up contractors to focus on what they do best—building projects for their clients. More accurate estimates at the outset and clear visibility into a project’s progress not only helps contractors protect their profit margins but also builds trust with customers. When customers get clear and reliable information about a project’s cost and timeline, they’re more satisfied with the outcome, encouraging repeat and referral business and positive reviews that boost the contractor’s reputation.
Selecting the Right Takeoff & Estimation Software
It’s clear that modern software can help contractors get ahead and spend less time in the office. To get the most out of construction takeoff and estimation software, however, it’s important to look for some key features. These include:
- A powerful database engine that keeps project data clearly organized, easily accessible, and secure
- Seamless integration with the other systems you use
- Pre-built templates to serve as a reliable baseline for your projects
- Scalability to ensure you’re prepared for growth and seasonal peaks
- Analytics and reporting that allow you to spot trends, identify factors that can impact your budget and timeline, and recognize opportunities for cost savings
BuzzBID is a cutting-edge, natively integrated takeoff and estimating software solution that allows contractors to generate more accurate bids faster as well as stay up to date on the progress of each job with work-in-place tracking. BuzzBID uploads PDF plans at about 12 pages per second and generates bids about five times faster than competing solutions. Once plans are uploaded, intuitive search features allow users to quickly navigate to any page or detail they need.
With easy-to-use, customizable templates, the system creates accurate and detailed pricing breakdowns, including categories for labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and other items. The work-in-place tracking feature provides a wealth of information, including costs incurred to date, the percentage of each project that’s been completed, estimated remaining costs and profit, backlogs, revenue that’s been billed and paid, and over or under billings.
With robust features like these, BuzzBID empowers contractors to get out of the office and build more projects with confidence. Browse our blog to learn more about construction takeoff and estimation software and what sets BuzzBID apart.
