Trimble Estimation Desktop 2026: Benefits, Features & Pricing

We are a commercial Plumbing Firm specializing in heavy industrial piping, hydronic and water/wastewater treatment plants. We offer in-house design CAD work and dedicated staff. Maxwell is the only estimating software in use at this facility. There are others out there, but thus far, Maxwell appears to be the best value for the dollar. I have worked for two (2) previous plumbing/heating firms, both used Maxwell, although earlier versions. We are currently using Version 9.3.0.2334, Service Pack 3. This was obtained the last time we upgraded - last year, I believe. The upgrade usually goes quickly, a couple hours at most unless issues are encountered. I would have to state that most upgrades have some type of issue that either requires a "patch" or technical support. Customer support is for the most part, excellent - response time(s) could be improved. As with all products, there are some technical support people that are much better than others. I feel that past versions of Maxwell are more concerned w/keeping up with the competition than what the actual users want. My personal opinion is that the Maxwell product is an excellent product for it's purpose - a quick, accurate way to obtain a bid. Just stick with this ideology, and you will be just fine. Trying to make Maxwell into something else is a waste of time and effort. I learned Maxwell some years ago while working for Western Mechanical Service, Inc. - in just a day or two I was up and running. I have trained a number of personnel over the years - the same can be said today. If anything, Maxwell is a little more straightforward and easier to use than back in 2001. For the most part, customer support is excellent. As with any product, there are some support staff that are more knowledgeable than others. There have been issues that have taken more time to address than others - however, if one is willing to work together the problems can be solved. One particular issue that was causing us "section corrupted" errors was solved by virtue of just watching how the program responded and was finally traced to the copying of "takeoff notes"; once this practice was eliminated, the "corruption" issue disappeared. I was instrumental in this discovery and was happy to help in this regard. Since the offering of On-Screen Takeoff, quick, accurate takeoff's can be done w/o hard-copy drawings. There are situations where this is most advantageous, as some projects require a "quick-turn" to achieve the bid in time. Although "phantom" pick points still plague OST, it is still a viable option in these situations or when printas are "unscaled" or hard copy prints are not feasable.

A COMPLETE AND UTTER NIGHTMARE from day one. I purchased every single piece of hardward brand new, from what the rep described would be the BEST laptop for their software. My experience started with the installer accusing the new computer I just purchased, from their recommendation, was not compatible with their software. It took the man 2 days and finally a different set of eyes to realize he was in the wrong browser, and the fault was all his. And that has been the story since. Problem after problem, with NOT ONE, SINGLE, support staff WILLING or CAPABLE of fixing their problems. These people are absolutely PATHETIC.

In general we like the product and we hope that it always stays at the forefront of technology for the benefit of all.

We are a mid-sized Plumbing/Mechanical contractor. Our focus, for many years, has been on single and multi-unit residential with some small to mid-size commercial projects. Yearly sales for our organization run in the 5-8 million dollar range. Maxwell Systems Estimation has allowed us to use the skills of our workforce to move up to higher dollar projects. These now comprise of multi story office buildings, schools, medical buildings as well as sewer and water treatment plants. Rut works so much better with the estimation system takeoff. It is a breeze to use, and the reward is that the project manager can effectively manage the project with ease. Estimation has also made the process of bidding the sizes of jobs we do faster and more consistent from job to job, which makes it easier to track costs. Want to know what your material and labor cost are per floor on a project? Estimation can do it! How about by floor - just the sanitary piping? Estimation can do it! I have seldom had any problems but in the rare instances I have, support has been quick to respond as well as very knowledgeable. Also, on the support side, they have a great group of trainers to help you really understand the ins and outs of the program. However, the single greatest thing that made me chose Maxwell Systems Estimation is that it is totally customizable by the user. The database can be configured to suit any situation and the owner of the program can do it all. This customization allows you to even add to an estimate; all those little things that you usually figure out in your head and then tack on to your proposal at the end. This enables the program to do the entire math and takes out the possibility of human error. All you have to do is remember to enter it in. Their ability to do our take off digitally saves us countless hours and reams of paper. I would highly recommend purchasing Maxwell Systems Estimation software.

We purchased in August and were unable to go to the training until December, they would not even let us download the program until we did the training and they rebill us every August instead of when we were able to start using it. When I called to ask if they could change our billing date to when we were able to start using the program I was told I was basically a liar and that there was no way we were unable to use their program from the beginning time of purchase.

Customer service agent has been a great asset to us in upgrading our software and purchasing other systems. We would highly recommend her as an account manager.

We are a third generation plumbing company that has struggled through this economy like everyone. Making good financial decisions is key too not only surviving but also, staying on top. Maxwell Estimation has been a big part of that strategy. We were utilizing another takeoff system that wasn’t user friendly and required more training than we felt should be necessary to utilize a system. It seemed to take longer than writing it out by hand. We switched in 2009 to Estimation with the digital takeoff feature. Digital takeoff allowed us to reduce the amount of plans we produced and enabled me to send my digital takeoff to our engineer, client, and suppliers. This one feature has reduced the time necessary to explain our intent and design. Once we installed the system it didn’t take long to get up and running. Very user friendly, and with the benefit of the online video instruction I can enhance my understating of the system at my leisure. For us the system is fairly trouble free but, when I needed help, the support team was there. Occasionally, I receive a call from the support team asking how things are going or if I need additional training and could they set up a training date for me. I update our estimation date base weekly through a separate service that keeps our pricing up to date. Never lagging behind in the market is important. I usually see the updated price before our suppliers get a chance to inform me. In the end, I get a report that is current and more detailed than I ever was without Estimation, right down to nuts and washers.