GeneralCOST Estimator for Excel vs. UDA Construction Suite

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
GeneralCOST Estimator for Excel
Score 5.4 out of 10
N/A
GeneralCOST Estimator for Excel is a construction and estimation software offering from CPR, Inc.N/A
UDA Construction Suite
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
N/AN/A
Pricing
GeneralCOST Estimator for ExcelUDA Construction Suite
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GeneralCOST Estimator for ExcelUDA Construction Suite
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
GeneralCOST Estimator for ExcelUDA Construction Suite
Top Pros

No answers on this topic

Top Cons
Features
GeneralCOST Estimator for ExcelUDA Construction Suite
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
GeneralCOST Estimator for Excel
5.0
1 Ratings
39% below category average
UDA Construction Suite
-
Ratings
Plan markups & sharing5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
RFI tools5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
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GeneralCOST Estimator for ExcelUDA Construction Suite
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User Ratings
GeneralCOST Estimator for ExcelUDA Construction Suite
Likelihood to Recommend
7.0
(1 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
GeneralCOST Estimator for ExcelUDA Construction Suite
Likelihood to Recommend
CPR, Inc.
Specific scenarios where GeneralCOST Estimator for Excel is well suited include:
  • Small to medium sized contractor who typically works on small to medium sized projects with limited complexity
  • Contractors who value low prices over full functionality (this software application is very affordably priced)
  • A new contractor or new contracting accounting / finance professional who would appreciate the specific limitations imposed by the software
Specific scenarios where GeneralCOST Estimator for Excel is not well suited include:
  • Larger contractors who think about and price projects in line with typical commercial design and construction
  • Residential projects (the software is much better suited for commercial lease buildouts, for instance)
  • A contractor whose finance department already uses full-suite accounting software
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UDA Technologies
If you've never used software before and have low expectations, then you might be able to make it work out.
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Pros
CPR, Inc.
  • Convenient estimating
  • Streamlines the price quotation process
  • Standard cost application
  • Overhead calculation and pplication
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UDA Technologies
  • The beautiful user interface. It looks good.
  • Their videos are professional.
  • They have webinars.
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Cons
CPR, Inc.
  • Only CSI construction cost database data
  • Only works with Microsoft Office (Excel)
  • The online help system has limited functionality
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UDA Technologies
  • Their spell checker creates a squiggly line to tell you that you have a misspelled word, but, doesn't allow you to correct it.
  • The spell checker lets you add custom words to a dictionary, but, it can only use one dictionary at a time to check spelling. So the default dictionary gets used, and your custom words still show up as being spelled wrong!
  • You can't select-copy addresses, in order to paste them somewhere else.
  • Using duplexing on my printer doesn't work right. It works for every other software I own, but not in UDA.
  • There is a bug in the WIP date range that doesn't pull accurate data.
  • "Options" in the estimate show only cost, not margin. So if you show your customer that report, you are revealing cost info, not selling price!!
  • You can't import a PDF into bid notes, even though the premise of UDA is to try to make it a single repository for all your information.
  • You can't use the arrow key to browse photos in UDA. You need to close, and click into the next one. No inuitive functionality.
  • The estimating module separates material and labor, in ways that create a very confusing Scope of Work. You need to select the labor item from your database, then separately select the material from your database. You end up with two line items in your Scope of Work for the same thing. Instead of writing, "Supply and Install a new window" you have "Supply a new window" and then "Install a new window." It's hard for my estimator, and confusing for my client.
  • UDA will WREAK HAVOC on your contacts in Outlook.
  • It does a terrible job of managing husband/wife or partner/partner situations. You can't mail merge them properly, or, you get forced into combining their contact into into a single contact-- and then how do you know whether the cell phone is his or hers???
  • There is no good way to credit design fees against the construction contract, if you happen to use that paradigm for your contracts.
  • There is no way to filter contracts by their date created. So, how do you find your newest contacts for entering them into something such as Constant Contact?
  • If you try to use integration of QuickBooks(QB) and UDA, your ITEMS list in QB will either get expanded to hundreds or even THOUSANDS of items... or, your POs in QB will get created in a summary form such that they are virtually meaningless.
  • The "lead funnel" graphic may look cool, but there is not a good way to actually report on the lead status, track the activities and calls that you make, note significant emails that you write, or keep track of when you send out thank-you cards or spiffs/gifts!
  • They might tell you that these things work, but, after spending MONTHS with UDA, I found out that these problems are deal breakers.
  • Within their customer service department, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. They do not use a structure such as Zendesk that so many other great companies use. Even though I was paying for priority support, there were often days going by where I could not get a call or email back to assist me with a support request or provide a tutorial on how to do something. Had I not paid extra for support, this would be acceptable. But when paying for "TotalCare" priority support, there are times when the software had me stuck, and I was stuck for a day at a time waiting for an answer. Sometimes no answer ever arrived.
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Alternatives Considered
CPR, Inc.
GeneralCOST Estimator for Excel is cheaper, easier to use, more streamlined and is easily installed and up and running. The flip side to the ease of use is the limited functionality, somewhat outdated cost bucketing profile and general lack of sophistication. The add-in also does not talk with full suite accounting software which requires additional reconciliations if used within a large organization.
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UDA Technologies
QuickBooks has great quality assurance and while they don't provide support, their software is nearly flawless. Co-construct provides great support and solves problems. In comparison, UDA Construction Suite is full of flaws, and their customer service department is disorganized and overworked.
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Return on Investment
CPR, Inc.
  • Allows us to quickly bid on small projects
  • Allows us to pay less for accounting / finance professionals
  • Allows us to standardize our cost structure
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UDA Technologies
  • All my money was wasted. I could not get a refund.
  • All my time was wasted. I spent much time on customer support, and even more time "stuck" where customer support could not be reached.
  • My staff time was wasted, because it was hard for them to implement and then we ultimately abandoned it.
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ScreenShots