Construction bidding software like SmartBid and PlanHub helps contractors stay on budget throughout a project. The right platform efficiently manages estimates, proposals, bid submissions, materials procurement, and other aspects of bidding. But you must know what you’re looking for to find the right software solution for your company.

Bidding on future projects is a regular task for contractors who want to stay profitable and grow their business. However, the bidding process often has tight timelines, making it challenging to keep up with document management, cost estimating, tracking bids, and other related tasks. 

That’s where bidding software comes into the picture. Some platforms are designed explicitly for bidding tasks, and some end-to-end suites also have features managing the bid proposal process. The choice depends upon a company’s needs.

Why should you use construction bidding software?

Bidding software is beneficial for contractors and construction companies for several reasons, including:

• Integration of accounting, bidding, project management, and CRM tools
• Document management and reporting
• Coordination of estimates and bids with subcontractors
• Tracking bids

Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular construction bidding platforms.

Top 5 bidding software programs for construction companies

1. SmartBid

Fluctuating materials prices are just one of many moving target-type considerations in creating and submitting an accurate bid. Contractors need help with the process, and help is available. SmartBid is a bidding software built specifically for contractors to help organize pre-construction information. 

The platform allows you to invite subcontractors to bid and prequalify for projects and share information with your bidding team. Subcontractors get free access to the platform and can access your plan room to help with the bid while you check responses to get the correct bid in on time.

Software features

• Share project documents with subcontractors to create faster, more accurate estimates
• Create custom invitations to bid for all your selected subcontractors
• Prequalify subcontractors through a prequel questionnaire
• Track invitations to bid
• Publish public projects easily 

2. PlanHub

Contractors scrutinize labor costs now, perhaps more than ever, in construction. There’s no room for error when estimating labor costs for a project bid, and planning the bid right is crucial.

PlanHub is an end-to-end construction platform that helps simplify all preconstruction documentation. It’s a complete suite of tools centrally located to handle various construction tasks.

Software features

• Find leads and projects
• Collaborate and network with subcontractors and general contractors
• Develop winning bids with tools like takeoff, estimation, and bid leveling
• Uncover pricing analyses, competitive bidding insights, leads, and more insights

3. Quick Bid

Making the correct bid on a job is as important as picking the right jobs for your company. Sometimes, tweaking aspects of the bid as you move forward in the bidding process is required, and Quick Bid is a handy tool for that and other bid-related tasks.

Quick Bid is a bidding-focused platform that allows you to compile itemized costs, labor rates, change orders, and materials costs to accurately estimate a job’s cost and prevent over- or under-bidding. An add-on of this platform allows you to buy trade-specific databases with hundreds of items, assemblies, and more bidding information. You can also access specialty items, assemblies, and other bidding information from manufacturers.

The platform integrates with On-Screen Takeoff software to import your takeoff data faster. 

Software features

• Get timely cost quotes from suppliers with the eQuote feature
• Manage your bid’s conditions, equipment, labor, markup, and materials with the Bid Navigator feature
• Send materials lists to suppliers for prices and automatically input them into your bid
• Integrates with On-Screen Takeoff and accounting platforms
• Built-in templates let you export job costing info
• Creates proposals with detailed info on job costs

4. ProContractor

Pro Contractor by Viewpoint is an end-to-end construction management suite that also handles costing and bid management. It integrates with Excel and has estimating modules, including CAD file import/export. It helps you perform takeoffs for more accurate bids and speeds the bid process by automating tasks.

Software features

• Accurately performs takeoffs for targeted bids
• Improves the accuracy of cost reports and projections
• Compares budgets against pending and posted costs
• Digitizes takeoff tasks, saving time and removing human error
• Tracks all aspects of projects, providing business insights
• Strengthens controls on costs and schedules

5. ConWize

ConWize helps users simplify procurement and streamline the bidding process. It seamlessly manages the procurement lifecycle, starting with bid management, and automates tasks to free up time. The company claims its platform has a return on investment (ROI) that’s just a few months. 

Software features

• Reduces bid creation and submission time
• Enables users to get the bill of quantities from a 3D model
• Helps plan and manage contractual agreements
• Integrates with Autodesk Construction Cloud
• Integrates with Procore and is available in the Procore marketplace
• Provides an easy-to-use digital procurement process