All Trimble AutoBid Reviews
1-25 of 52 Reviews
Sort by
Lou
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed September 2023
My Take on the state of current Auto Bid system
From begining to end from quick pen Dos through the current version of Auto bid it has allowed us to bid more work with fewer people in shorter time frames without compromising accuracy.
PROSIt allows estimators flexibility to use a tool that they can trust to be consistent and accurate.
CONSThe lack of ability to link Auto Bid Mechanical rapid reports with Auto Bid Sheet Metal that will work more than once.
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
Auto Bid as we know it today was in it infancy windows version was new in 2003 we also purchased sheet metal along with pipe designer and duct designer at that time they were in beta testing.I had experience running earlier versions of quick pen piping from the original all the way to dos andoverall, at the time it was the most complete operating system one may be better here or there, but none matched the overall package especially in the windows version.
Reasons for switching to Trimble AutoBid
He wanted to lease out the program not sell it .
Tim
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
2
Reviewed September 2023
Pretty good software, has some difficulties
It has made our takeoff process a lot simpler, we print less plan sets. Sped up our overall process.
PROSThe on screen takeoff looks nice, pretty intuitive once you get used to it
CONSThe lack of keyboard shortcuts for basic takeoff features. It would really speed up the process
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
We use many Autodesk products and hoped the support/updates would remain consistent and the software would remain for years to come.
Reasons for switching to Trimble AutoBid
Wanted to use the onscreen takeoff on a product we hoped would be steadily updated and have increased functionality and support.
Brian
Construction, 201-500 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
2
VALUE FOR MONEY
2
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed May 2019
Not what it used to be
Recent tech support does not have field experience. They tend to just delete problems and not actually fix WHY a problem has occurred. Had I not asked a few questions regarding the latest version (2018v2) I would not have known it was NOT the actual version I was running even though it clearly showed the version number. An all new stand alone install had to be done, sending me back to square one with the program as if new out of box.
PROSPro:The ability to set up joints to pick up the transition parts such as going from CS to copper, (like a weld-o-let die-electric nipple and copper adapter). Importing direst from Trimble's Trade Service is great. Cons (continued) I have been using onscreen takeoff programs for about 15 years. This is an old program that requires way to many mouse clicks. No usable hot keys.
CONSSet up of the program takes a LOT of time and tends to be an ongoing project as you add items. Updates are few and far between. The updates are often are buggy leaving you with unexplained errors. Version 2017 had enough issues that the new 2018v2 version is a stand alone version requiring you to start all over. Supplied spread sheets can not be customized any more.
Asim
Construction, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2024
Simple but efficient
Overall experience is good. Technical support team is really efficient when you encounter an issue. Database could be more friendly if it can be linked directly to alpriser
PROSThe way you can setup your project and then manipulate and change certain systems or create line items or zones is what i like the most about this software.
CONSNot directly linked with Alpriser and we have to manually add all the updates into the database.
Chris
Construction, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed September 2023
Software refresh
All in all its alright. I'm winning jobs with it but I still need to do things by hand. I have so much to learn as I know I'm only scratching the surface of its capabilities
PROSI like the speed in which you can take off projects.
CONSI don't like dealing with errors after calculatingI don't like the cost of 1 on 1 trainingI don't like that specs are all over the place and that I have to edit constantlyI don't like that there arrnt any quick keys to do things quicker
Reasons for switching to Trimble AutoBid
Does not calculate labor to much set up required for each job
Colyn
Building Materials, 11-50 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed September 2023
Quick Pen / Autobid review
It is a great work tool for estimators providing the estimator know the work and can make the job by job adjustments
PROSIt is the most widely known sheet metal estimating software in our market. I have been using Quick Pen since it was DOS based with a digitizer and dot matrix printer, and the advancements have been quite something over the years. There are a few things such as inability to merge the plumbing version with the sheet metal version that I thought would have been worked out a long time ago since the majority of the shops that use QP will have plumbing and sheet metal estimators
CONSFor some reason since our last update we have not been able to work on the network, we have to escape out of the server do the takeoffs and copy the summaries back on to the server.
Grayson
Verified reviewer
Construction, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed January 2019
AutoBid SheetMetal Review
I have been a ABSM user since 1998 and seen the software grow with the industry. Our HVAC estimating capacity has had to increase as the company grew and as the Lead HVAC estimator I have had to opportunity to change software and found ABSM to continually lead the industry. I can't imagine using anything else.
PROSCommon database that is shared by all estimators. It's very fast. Anyone can access the software as long as they have a username/ password and a licence is available. Access can be limited on a individual user level. You can build anything you come across. The functionality of the assemblies is incredible.
CONSLabor categories are limited to shop and field in reports though user defined categories are available. i.e. Commissioning/Start-up. These categories do not receive correction factors. New users find it overwhelming. Database and takeoff is now one program so only one can be opened at a time.
Louis
Construction, 201-500 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed August 2023
Makes doing take-offs easy and reliable
I have been using AutoBid since it was a DOS program and I have enjoyed the updates as they have made the product more reliable and easier to use.
PROSI enjoy having the ability to print reports sorted by different systems, areas, floors, and/or alternates. This means if needed I can break-out different values/areas to give a better understanding of where our costs and labor are trending.
CONSAbout the only problem I have is with the sheet-metal program and that is minor: there are not as many fields as the piping program has which makes it a bit more difficult to break a bid down.
Bill
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed August 2023
The best bang for my buck
This is the software I have used extensively in my career. It is flexible enough to allow complex calculations and is easily adaptable to the expert users as it is the novice.
PROSThe formatted reports and the data export functionality with Excel and Access.
CONSSome of the functionality of the menus is not universally the same in all portions of the software. Some works with double click, some work with scrolling the mouse others with only scroll bar usage. Can be frustrating sometimes
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
It's reliable and highly functional from takeoff to reporting
Reasons for switching to Trimble AutoBid
You go with a winner
Scott
Construction, 51-200 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 September 2023
Trimble Autobid
Very positive and it has saved me time that I can now spend in other facets of the business.
PROSEase of use and completeness of product.
CONSWe haven't experienced any issues that tech support couldn't handle.
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
Because it appeared to be the only estimating software specifically tailored for plumbing and mechanical estimating.
Charles
Construction, 1,001-5,000 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 October 2017
Hands down the fastest, most accurate, customizeable Mechanical Estimating Software available.
Speed of takeoff and ease of everyday use! Mostly because of automatic fitting generation. You click at a 90 degree angle and you get a 90. Click perpendicular to the pipe and you get a tee or reducing tee. If the reducing tee is not manufactured, the software figures out how to make the reductions by selecting fittings that a available. If the main material (ie steel) and the branch material are different (ie copper) the software know how to handle the transition (dielectric fitting and adapters). When your not wasting time counting up 1/2" 90's etc. you can spend your time focused on the big items like value engineered alternates, shopping equipment and subs, and ways to out smart your competition. No other mechanical estimating product (and I've looked at them all) are even close when it comes to speed, accuracy and ease of use.
CONSOn-screen pdf files may not import cleanly. Something they need to work on. Some of the underlining data tables can be intimidating at first.
Bryar
Construction, 11-50 employees
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
1
EASE OF USE
1
VALUE FOR MONEY
1
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
1
FUNCTIONALITY
1
Reviewed August 2020
Worst software I have seen since 1996
my overall experience has been very bad and i would not recommend this program to any company unless you have a full time tech support on your payroll with a direct phone line to trimble support.
PROSthe pros of this software is the odd time you do get it to work it is easy to use and faster than doing estimates by hand
CONSThis software is outrageously expensive and you are forced to buy multiple licenses on top of the program. The software rarely ever works every time i click on it to start estimating a job i get a new error code as to why the software wont launch. then you are faced with the dilemma of either waiting on the phone with tech support for 3 hours or just doing the estimate by hand. off the start i would waste my time with tech support who would eventually fix the issue temporarily (usually for a day or two ) then you would get a new error code. i have finally just given up and went back to doing my estimates by hand and will be canceling my licenses .
Cooper
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed August 2023
Simple takeoff/complicated back end
Overall experience has been very good. Its has been challenging learning the ins and outs of the system on my own and I feel like the software has WAY more to offer than what we learn in the limited training sessions.
PROSI like that it is very easy to do a takeoff. With the info it provides it makes it so almost anybody can prepare an estimate.
CONSFor the price of the product there should be more training support available as the free sessions that come with the purchase of the product is simply not enough. After using the software for a few years I am not noticing that a lot of the products are out-dated and the systems & labor for some systems are just patched together. I would like to see an update that would update my library with newer product and proper labor.
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
Its the best overall takeoff software
Rob
Construction, 201-500 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
1
VALUE FOR MONEY
2
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2017
My Review
Very detailed oriented. Being able to virtually customize it is almost worth the price. It has all the bells and whistles you want, and others you haven't thought of but they did. More geared to the mechanical contractor than the plumbing contractor but that being said, it more than handles any and all plumbing projects with ease.
PROSWill do anything and everything you want after set up, from taking off, to sending out for quotes, to pricing.
CONSThe time that is required to fully understand it, and use it with a secure comfort level will differ, depending on the user and his familiarity with estimating programs, but it will take a while till you're able to do a quote fast and efficiently.
Jason
Construction, 201-500 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 November 2017
Using AutoBid SheetMeatl for 10 years
We have used Trimble Autobid Sheetmetal and it's predecessor, Quickpen for over 20 years. During this time we have considered other estimating systems and have always stayed with Autobid due to the improvements constantly being made and their great customer service.
PROSEasy to use Great layout of the tools The database is easy to manage Customer service is timely and reliable Reliable software - We have minimal downtime with the software
CONS- Integration between the estimating software and the CAD software is cumbersome. - Generating and modifying the final Rapid Reports is difficult. This is not an issue as we export to our own spreadsheets
Jonathan
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed August 2023
Helpful Software
Have had a fantastic time using it for the past 10 years. Look forward to some form of update to software as it has now been two years without one.
PROSAutoBid SheetMetal is fantastic product to use and easy to setup which is far superior to AutoBid Mechanical.
CONSAutoBid Mechanical is difficult to get past error messages.
Ty
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed August 2023
Auto Bid Review
My overall experience has been excellent. I have produce hundreds of millions of bidding takeoffs in the last few years.
PROSThe product is easy to use and one feature that helps is the symbal schedule.
CONSSometimes my multipliers change and there is no notification that it changed and I miss it on a hectic bid day.
Jamie
Construction, 51-200 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 September 2023
AutoBid Sheetmetal
Work as it is supposed to. Very fast to make on the fly changes from addendums. It can be customized to report data that you collect using excel sheets.
PROSFastest way to take off jobs for contractual work.
CONSCan get lost in the options. Database can be cumbersome for the first time.
Tyler
Construction, 10,000+ employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed August 2023
Tyler Gustason's Review
Great, I have used the software for over 10 years. I really like it. It does need to keep up with new technologies.
PROSIt is quick and easy to use. I really like it.
CONSNot having the ability to upload or download files from other software tools
Don
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 September 2023
Trimble Autobid a Great Product
We have been using Trimble Autobid Mechancial & Sheetmetal (Quickpen) for over 30 years now. Would not want to be without it.
PROSOn Screen Take-off is great, easy to use, efficient, accurate.
CONSSoftware updates have been lacking lately
Ronald
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 August 2023
The more you use it the easier it gets
Ease of estimating
PROSIt's very simple to use, and the more you use it the easier and "faster" it gets.
CONSScrolling down to the tables to set up systems.
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
Easy to use.
Dylan
Construction, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
1
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
1
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
2
FUNCTIONALITY
1
Reviewed July 2018
Not a trustworthy software
This software is impossible to trust. The developers have known about these glitches in their software and do not share that information with their customers. These glitches are constantly coming up, and not getting fixed. Our company has lost millions of dollars of work due to this software because of major "bugs" in the software. STAY AWAY!!!!
CONSSoftware is not trustworthy. Many bugs that have caused us to lose multiple jobs. When problems arise, the support team has no urgency to get them fixed.
Steve
Construction, 51-200 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 September 2023
Estimating review
Awesome, great program.
PROSKeeps accurate pricing based on specifications.
CONSAwesome program, nothing. Great experiences thru the years.
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
Not applicable
brian
Construction, 11-50 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed September 2023
estimator software
i have had a great experience
PROSit is very easy to learn and operate the program
CONSneeds more features to be able to make it faster to do takeoff
Aaron
Construction, 201-500 employees
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
2
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed September 2023
Easy to start but not user friendly.
This was easy to get started, but not very user friendly. It took me over 4 hours to figure out how to change some of the company settings.
PROSEasy to learn basics. Familiar to someone that knows Quickpen.
CONSLittle support, uptraining or refresher videos.
Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid
I was told it was what everyone in the area were using.