All HeavyBid Reviews
1-25 of 504 Reviews
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Lou
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed August 2022
Have experience with other software estimating systems.
I have had 15 plus years experience setting up Heavy bid with two different companies. I changed jobs to another company that had Sharpesoft. Support was awful. When ODOT and PENNDOT changed the electronic formatting a few years ago, it was very frustrating because Sharpesoft didn't keep up. It was a nightmare. I did change companies once again & I am a very happy user of HCSS Heavy bid.
PROSEasy to incorporate to the type of work you do. It is only limited to your imagination.
CONSI think the review can be updated to be easier to see what has been reviewed. I talked about it at our users meeting in Houston earlier this year. I was told it has been brought up and the software engineers are looking into it. That is a great thing with HCSS..... taking users comments and making the software better.
Joy
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed August 2019
Timecard, material and equipment tracking
With heavy job, we were able to transition our export files to a new payroll system when we made a change. Customer service was excellent at guiding us through the process.
PROSThis software is so easy to set-up, from adding employees, job classifications, to merging employees into the job, to exporting timecards. The setup flow just make sense. Works great for those who have crews out in the field, foremen can use their tablets to record time, material and equipment used on the job and submit. No more paper time cards to do manual entry with.
CONSThis software has "user licenses" you have to buy, so at times they may all be used by other users in the company. It does allow you to "boot" them off, but you better make sure they are not in the middle of something if you do or they will lose the information. A quick phone call to ask if they can log out is best.
Anonymous
1,001-5,000 employees
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed June 2018
A functional software for mid size GCs or sub-contractors.
Very functional for companies who bid similar project and can get advantage of the recording system of the software. Plus the ability of identifying the calendar per item is very useful.
CONSWhen the size of the project is big, it doesn't work properly. You have to be careful about your initial coding system. if you decide to change in the middle of the bid, that would create a nightmare. There are a lot of reporting systems, but it depends on all child and parent item. for a simple report if you have many child (level 4,5,6) items, you are not able to see them in the report and you need to transfer everything into excel and using functions and prepare it for the closing.
Dustin
Construction, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed August 2017
HCSS Heavy Bid is the Heavy Lifter for Highway Construction
HCSS Heavy Bid is one of the most widely used estimating software for heavy-civil construction.
PROSThe advance calculation routines and checks allow me to have confidence in my costing and pricing. The escalation features is time saver, especially at bid time when final scheduling is provided. HCSS customer service is the best. Never been on hold or transferred. Immediate connection to a friendly person who can help.
CONSThere is a steep learning curve, however, they host user group meeting that can bring beginners up to speed quickly.
Kyle
Construction, 201-500 employees
Used daily for less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed December 2017
HeavyBid
Like any software it isn't what you are used to, but, once you understand HCSS software (HeavyBid & HeavyJob) it is extremely helpful to managing work both prior during bids, during, and after as a resource for labor rates etc.
PROSGreat for CIVIL work. Lots of helpful shortcuts, like the fact it automatically pins most recent jobs to the main screen (you can also pin bids manually to always be on that screen). HCSS doesn't just hire techs to go around and tech the software they hire real construction professionals that have experience in both the software and industry which is very helpful.
CONSWorst part about the software is the error sounds it makes when you forget to fill out a field and try to move onto a new task (that can be shut off). Great for both new bids and pricing COR work and managing budgets (with the help of HeavyJob in the field)
dan
Construction, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed May 2018
I used Heavy Bid regularly for almost 6 years and it was great.
i makes bids more accurate and consistent
PROSIt was the first bidding software that I ever used and it seemed very intimidating at first but it was very simple to get the hang of after a very short period of time. Their live help line is amazing and they are so good at helping an new and seasoned user.
CONSYou can only have so many administrators and i worked in a very large office so if something needed changed as far as rates or crews it wasn't always convenient to get it changed
Justin
Construction, 11-50 employees
Used daily for less than 6 months
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed October 2016
The BEST Estimating Software
I have been a HeavyBid Advanced user for over 14 years now and its amazing to see how far this small company from Texas has come. I still remember when we ordered the software and a representative from the company came to our main office in CT and over the course of 2 days went over everything from setting up labor, benefits, burden, equipment, crews, bid items (manual entry and DOT import), etc. to showing us how to enter activities into bid items and actually creating an estimate. Such a great overall experience from the early stages of implementation to the countless support center calls at all hours of the day and night before a bid (which were always answered) up to the present day where all of the above is still true today.
PROSUnmatched customer support, ease of use and the ecosystem of programs/applications on multiple platforms that integrate perfectly with each other and will only grow with your company.
CONSRecently I purchased an iPad Pro 12.9" pretty much for the sole purpose of using a handfull of apps such as Projectwise, Bluebeam Revu and HeavyBid Mobile. Well, after emailing HCSS Support I find out that HeavyBid Mobile is no longer supported. I was looking forward to trying something different with HeavyBid on the go, even if it wasn't the full blown version.
ERIK
Construction, 11-50 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed December 2017
HCSS Heavybid is the best product on the market.
Look no further, write the check.
PROSThe power of the system, the ability to manipulate and quickly adjust pricing. Customer support is un-stumpable. The ability to import data from previous bids makes the estimating process fast and accurate.
CONSAs with anything this powerful, you must dedicate the time to learn the system. The ideal program is to bring in a trainer once a month for 6 months to grow and groom the new user.
David
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed January 2016
HCSS Review
I have used this system since the DOS days. Todays system and its various styles of reports provide us with quick turn around times in responding to our clients needs. The 24 hour support service is no joke. We introduce HCSS to clients all over the world and with time zone differences of 6 to 13 hours we have called upon theses services at 1 AM and 3AM when we have proposals due in Qatar, Dubai and Zurich.
CONSThe 24 hour service that is so good is also frustrating. Because of HCSS's commitments to its client base our commitments to our clients sometimes suffers as it appears that the 24 hour hot line only travels with one HCSS representative For some reason it always happens to our firm. You need to be able to answer our calls so we can respond and answer our client's issues.
Anonymous
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed November 2017
We use heavybid since 10 years and are very satisfied
Very useful, save us a lot of time in our estimating process
PROSService and formation are great, software is improved every year, it saves us a huge amount of time in our estimating process
CONSFrom Texas in english only, although we are working in french in Quebec, some features need to be purchased at an higher price and implementation in a company may be long
Riccardo
Construction, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2018
Excellent product for Civil Construction Projects
It's like a giant spreadsheet and helps you to manage several parts of your project Really great auditing features
CONSProgram is still based on an old and archaic data structure that sometimes requires maintenance Not very good for complex mechanical projects
Joseph
Utilities
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2016
Great Product
Heavy Job simultaniously allows us to perform our daily payroll requirements while giving us instant feedback on the productivity of our crews. Double entry of employee payroll hours is eliminated with the exporting of Heavy Job information directly into our Accounting software. It saves us time and gives us immediate information on our daily productivity,
CONSNothing not to like about the vendor of this product (HCSS). They have the best technical support of any company in the software field. Calls to the support helpline are answered by knowledgible staff members and our problems are typically addressed within a few minutes. Great Technical support!!
Jacob
Construction, 201-500 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed December 2021
A good tool, but a bit dated
Overall it is a useful product. Hopefully the web version is a bit smoother to use.
PROSThe desktop app of Heavybid is a powerful tool.
CONSCan be buggy at times and crash. Takes some time to figure out and has a very old feel.
edward
Construction, 11-50 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2017
great software
use it every day. dont know where i would be without it. even when the rare issue arises, support is always avaialbe and very professional. anyone looking to keep their estimating at top notch needs this program.
PROSease of use and its overall functionality
CONSalmost too indepth
Danny
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2016
VP Estimating with a Heavy Highway contractor using Heavy Bid
The product is very user freindly and a complete packeage for our estimating needs. We have 8 users and bid many different types of projects from small paving projects to large bridge and highway project. Heavybid allows us to bid as many as 400 plus projects per year. HCSS support is top of the class.
CONSSome specilized reports are that would breakdown the cost and price with showing all the details are difficult to use. Example pricing change order work for an owner that requires the labor, equipment and materials details for submittal but without the cost of each crew item.
dexter
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2016
project manager/estimator
They are very good at respondsing to questions and getting answers in a timely manner. This product is very helpul in putting together accurate estimates and tracking the job. This product is very user friendly and could be taught to anyone in a short time fram.
CONSSometimes it wont let me do exactly what i want to. Sometimes navigation is very timely unless you know all of the shortcuts. Some of the reports and information isnt very clearly laid out. If you didnt use the software before navigation can be very difficult.
Dylan
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2016
Great Product for the Industry
The codebooks are very helpful if setup correctly. Being able to bring in activities with a states standard item code speeds the bidding process up tremendously. Also, Support is second to none. Call anytime and someone will be there immediately to help. They wont get off the phone until the problem is resolved.
CONSSome very minor tweeks might need to be changed, but if you know what they are they can avoid them. However, if you do make the mistake, you can still find it in the end under the Estimate Review.
Jose A.
Construction
Used less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed June 2016
Very Robust and trustworthy software group.
It is a very comprehensive software group that will meet all your needs for a sub-contractor. From bidding, scheduling, COST TRACKING, statistics, equipment maintenance and fuel, and more. It really have all we needed. And the customer service is amazingly good.
CONSThere is no undo button (Which it is understandable for record keeping purposes). But, in HeavyBid and some instances of Heavy Job, it is a hard pill to swallow. Also, in Heavy Job, COs, POs, could be better handled. Also, Field users do not need to be computer experts, but they do need to be comfortable with computers and software (which it is not always the case).
John
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2016
working with Heavy Bid
Heavy Bid contains every way necessary to build a complete bid. The multiple methods allow the user to approach the solution from different angles to come up with a complete, accurate, competitive proposal.
CONSThere are very few dislikes. It has a simple interface but which has at times complex means to a solution. It is not the perfect software. There are a few functions which wcould use enhancement such as vendor solicitation and document control.
cesar
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2016
heavyjob review
the ease of use itsbthe best feature, including interaction with our accounting software. customer support is the best acroos all industires. second to none
CONSthere isn much i dont like about the feature. If I have to choose something is trying to explain to management thrROI on the software. At first glnace it may look pricey, but when all integration is completed across all applications for HCSS the investment is worth it
William
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2016
Heavy Bid Review
Flexibility and ability to work with diverse accounting systems. The BIG THING is the product support which is available 24/7 and in English. What's more the problem is resolved in a timely manner.
CONSSome times it is a bit overwhelming. But usually I can work through with support to understand and apply. There are many features that the software can do but sometimes it's had to actually use them all.
JT
Construction
Used less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2016
Heavyjob- Worth the Grind
Before coming to this event in Houston I liked how intuiitive the HeavyJob software is. It allows for easy production tracking and therefore easy field adjustments that can benefit the individual job, the company, and the future jobs within the company based on information gleaned from the results of the tweaks. After attending this event HCSS has proven to be highly nowledgable of their own product and ready to work to make it even better.
CONSThe lack of easy transition from not usong the software to using the software for primarily field employees has proven challenging. Also there is not a great way to quickly take copies of field tickets and incorporate them into a pdf of daily reports.
michael
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed February 2016
cost tracking
the product is great for getting real time data. most accountung systems are weeks behind but heavyjob gives yiou the info quickly. hcss provids great support and looks at all suggestions from their users.
CONSoverall i don't have any negative comments it has always been very helpful and provides real time info. the only problem i have is making sure the info my users put in is correct.
Darin
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2016
HeavyBid is the best!
HeavyBids customer service is by far the best I have encountered in my work and personal life. They are always there, usually on the 2nd ring but def by the 3rd! HeavyBid has such customizable features they always have an other or an answer!
CONSOnly negative is that the system doesn't have a takeoff software in its product lines, maybe this will be added to future editions.
Debbie
Construction
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2016
Very user friendly, consistently easy
Product is very easy and logical to use. I set this up with my employer in 2003, left the company, and returned 7 years later. It was very easy to jump back in and pick up where I left off with very little learning curve. Support is always easily available at any time needed.
CONSNew updates come in, and don't always get updated or explained right away