Likelihood to Recommend This is more of an application for companies who are involved in mass bid submissions and do tenders for large scale construction works. In the scenarios of construction business the mass bidders can use this solution relly well. The calculations and reporting also helps with accurate estimations of tenders and bids
Read full review WinEst is truly built for everyone. Their assemblies/database linking is perfect for self perform and subcontractors while their database management and custom reporting is perfect for GCs. While Excel set the bar, WinEst is on another planet. With the immediacy required by today's markets, WinEst allows you to deliver a superior product while being more accurate.
Read full review Pros allows users to divide the number of supplies by floor. generates report after analysing risk factors. provides support to contractors for making proper bid estimates. Read full review It's very flexible when building an estimate and selecting items to include. You can either click your way to the datebase or quickly copy and paste similar items. The numerous ways to view and estimate whether it's by CSI, Uniformat, Master Format, or any view you'd like to see. One of ours is by program area, i.e. Sitework, Tower, Parking Deck, etc. After that, you can sort by Bid Package, CSI, etc. Quick buttons can be created far all the views you'd need which allows changing between views a breeze. The visual interface is pleasing and easy to read. It's easy to create your own database using Excel. Once you tag an item with unit costs, sort codes, etc., Winest will import it. You can also build it manually within the program but Excel was faster. Read full review Cons The initial setup of the database can take a fair amount of time to set up, but once complete it can be used for years with only small additions to fit the users' needs. I have been waiting for the schedule of values option to be complete to help aid in billing. it was supposed to be released, but I have not seen it rolled out yet. Read full review At times, WinEst controls feel counter intuitive. Also the tools available for actually developing the database can feel clunky. This means that if you do not take the time to create a robust import file, you will spend a serious amount of time fixing your errors. WinEst is also an object based database which means that it is difficult to do mass dumps of information (mainly takeoff) into the program. While this is great for ensuring that everything is done purposefully, it does lead to extended hours of data entry It takes hours upon hours of use before you begin to realize the true potential. The sheer number of tools is overwhelming and their help resources are very basic and only explain how to correctly enter the data but not the feature's best use cases. Read full review Support Rating Very quick response whenever help is needed
Read full review Doug Quinn was our trainer and travels all over the country. Whenever I have an issue I shoot him an email and he quickly responds as soon as his training gets a break.
Read full review Alternatives Considered Due to the fact that our company is typically "late to the show" when it comes to new technology and programs, we have been using an outdated technique for estimating, tracking, and organizing projects. Excel does not compare at all against Quick Bid. There are numerous amounts of benefits that Quick Bid has over Excel.
Read full review WinEst simply blows excel and Timberline out of the water. The shear depth of functionality is unparalleled. Not only does WinEst deliver a better product, it also shortens the amount of man hours required for each bid, alternate, pricing exercise, etc. On top of this, it has a number of redundant safeguards for catching errors that the others don't have.
Read full review Return on Investment Helps with mass bidding Helps with estimations Professional reports help too Read full review We've not measured the rate of return but WinEst has made us much more efficient and organized. Read full review ScreenShots