What should your firm use first?
How often you bid matters more than the size of your firm. Start from the row closest to your work. A bid desk is software that helps you prepare the whole bid package.
| Your firm | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bids a few small jobs a year | Official portal, Word, Excel and a checklist | The cost is low, and you learn the rules |
| Has one estimator who measures from drawings | A takeoff and estimating tool | It saves measuring time on each job |
| Has no estimator, and buyers issue a BOQ | A spreadsheet with your own rates, or a tool that prices a BOQ | You price the bill and do not need takeoff |
| Bids public work about once a month | A bid desk | Forms, deadlines and documents repeat on every bid |
| Builds homes for private clients | A residential tool such as Buildxact | It is designed for residential builders |
What should a small firm look for?
A small firm has little time to learn a tool and no one to run it full time. These points matter most.