Overview
What is Autodesk Build?
Autodesk Build, based on the former PlanGrid, is construction productivity software. It includes tools to collaborate, collect, and manage project information throughout the project’s construction and operations lifespan. It enables document centralization and tracking.
Nothing for Something
Plangrid is so easy to use and learn
The easiest project documentation tool for ALL users.
Choose Plangrid and your users will love you.
PlanGrid!
PlanGrid is great
PlanGrid is a great solution for document management in the fast paced construction industry.
PlanGrid for Plan Management
Expanding Use of PlanGrid Features
PlanGrid for the future
Plangrid is a move towards the future
Plangrid
Best Plan Management Software I've Used So Far!
Easy to Use Document Distribution
PlanGrid is simple and efficient; the best value for the money if its features do what you want.
Awards
Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards
Popular Features
- Mobile app (54)9.494%
- Plan distribution & viewing (56)8.686%
- Plan markups & sharing (56)8.686%
- Document sharing (55)7.676%
Pricing
Nailgun
$39
Dozer
$59
Crane
$139
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Product Demos
Runding's PlanGrid to Kahua File Manager Sync Demo
3 BIM construction cloud product demo plangrid build mobile
PlanGrid Demo
PlanGrid - Report Collaboration and Approval
Software Demo Video for Plan Grid
ACC Connect Demo: Google Drive Files To PlanGrid
Features
Construction Project & Field Management
Features related to collaboration between construction management and project execution (e.g. the office and the job site, general contractors and subcontractors)
- 8.6Plan distribution & viewing(56) Ratings
Users can compare different versions of plans, and view live updates/revisions to plans (usually from a mobile device in the field).
- 8.6Plan markups & sharing(56) Ratings
Users can annotate plans from the field and easily share plans/markups with other project stakeholders.
- 7.5Issue tracking & punchlists(51) Ratings
Users can track issues from the field, and create punchlists upon substantial completion.
- 7Photo documentation(48) Ratings
Users can document construction progress and/or issues by uploading photos from the field.
- 6.7Jobsite reports(36) Ratings
Users can create and share reports on jobsite safety, daily progress, etc.
- 7.6Document sharing(55) Ratings
Users can share/attach other documents related to construction projects, such as specifications, contracts, drawings, etc.
- 8.3RFI tools(38) Ratings
Users can create, send, receive, and archive Requests for Information (RFIs), to record exchanges with subcontractors, vendors, and other suppliers.
- 7.1Collaboration & approvals(42) Ratings
Users can comment, send messages, and/or approve documents.
- 8.4As-built drawings(42) Ratings
Users can generate as-built drawings upon project completion, to reflect the exact dimensions and materials of the final work, including any changes made to the initial plans during the construction process.
- 9.4Mobile app(54) Ratings
Users can easily access the system from the field on mobile devices such as phones and tablets.
Product Details
- About
- Integrations
- Competitors
- Tech Details
- FAQs
What is Autodesk Build?
Autodesk Build (based on the former PlanGrid) is construction productivity software used on more than 500,000 projects around the world. The company provides contractors and owners in all construction verticals the tools to collaborate effectively and collect and manage project information throughout the project’s construction and operations lifespan.
Autodesk Build aims to increase team productivity by: streamlining document management and control, providing collaborators with easy access to all project information from any device, and enabling seamless collaboration. This leads to building the most comprehensive record set for the entire construction and operations lifecycle and consistently delivering on time and on budget.
Autodesk Build Features
Construction Project & Field Management Features
- Supported: Plan distribution & viewing
- Supported: Plan markups & sharing
- Supported: Document sharing
- Supported: Issue tracking & punchlists
- Supported: Photo documentation
- Supported: Jobsite reports
- Supported: RFI tools
- Supported: Collaboration & approvals
- Supported: As-built drawings
- Supported: Mobile app
Autodesk Build Screenshots
Autodesk Build Integrations
- Box
- CMiC Construction Platform
- Dropbox
- Egnyte
- eSUB Construction Software
- Google Drive
- EarthCam
- Kahua
- Pavia Systems
- RedTeam Software
- Drononomy
Autodesk Build Competitors
Autodesk Build Technical Details
Deployment Types | Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based |
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Operating Systems | Unspecified |
Mobile Application | Apple iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mobile Web |
Supported Languages | English, Spanish, French, Finnish, Hungarian, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Polish, Swedish |
Frequently Asked Questions
Comparisons
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Reviews and Ratings
(148)Community Insights
- Business Problems Solved
- Pros
- Cons
Autodesk Build has become an essential tool for a variety of use cases in the construction industry. Users have found the software to be particularly effective in streamlining project management processes and enhancing communication within their organizations and with stakeholders. With Autodesk Build, users can create punch lists, track their completion, and easily share updates with team members. This has significantly improved efficiency and reduced errors in the field.
Another major benefit of Autodesk Build is its ability to facilitate collaboration among different departments and subcontractors. Users appreciate how the software allows them to upload and update project drawings, ensuring that everyone is working with the most up-to-date information. The overlay feature in Autodesk Build has been widely utilized to locate and resolve issues by overlaying different plans, saving time and improving problem-solving capabilities.
Moreover, Autodesk Build offers various tools that enhance job efficiency across multiple departments. It provides easy access to project documents on mobile devices, making it convenient for note-taking during meetings or site observations. Users have also praised its ability to connect the office with field teams, enabling real-time communication and immediate access to project drawings. By centralizing document management activities, Autodesk Build simplifies construction project management and helps maintain accurate project records.
Overall, Autodesk Build has proven to be an invaluable asset in commercial construction, addressing critical needs such as efficient plan navigation, improved communication, collaboration among team members, and accurate documentation throughout the construction process. Whether it's generating estimates, reviewing drawings, managing punch lists, or distributing project documents, this software has become a go-to solution for professionals looking to enhance productivity and streamline their workflows in the construction industry.
Efficient Collaboration: Users highly praised PlanGrid's mobile apps for their ability to easily share and collaborate on construction project documentation, with multiple reviewers highlighting this feature as extremely valuable. This aspect of the software facilitates communication and collaboration among team members, both on-site and off-site, throughout various phases of construction projects.
Responsive Technical Support: The promptness and helpfulness of PlanGrid's email-based technical support team were greatly appreciated by users. Several reviewers mentioned that they received prompt assistance in addressing any technical issues or inquiries. This level of support contributes to a positive user experience.
Intuitive Interface: Reviewers commended PlanGrid's website layout for being easy to use and understand, allowing new users to quickly jump in and perform basic to moderate tasks without extensive training. The intuitive and user-friendly interface was highly praised, enabling users to navigate the software effortlessly.
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Limited Document Management: Some users have expressed frustration with the document management capabilities of PlanGrid, stating that it is difficult to find and organize attachments within the software. This lack of effective organization and search capabilities hinders productivity for these users.
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Pricing Constraints: Several reviewers have mentioned that the pricing of PlanGrid can be a significant drawback, especially for smaller companies or projects with limited budgets. The current pricing structure is considered expensive by some users, who suggest offering more tiers of cost to accommodate different sizes of companies.
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Lack of Customization Options: Users have highlighted the limited customization options in PlanGrid as a con. They desire the ability to personalize and customize the interface and layout to better suit their specific needs. The current interface is perceived as inflexible, making it challenging for users to adapt the software according to their preferences.
Attribute Ratings
Reviews
(1-25 of 33)Choose Plangrid and your users will love you.
- Plangrid is the best SaaS I have seen for ease of uploading construction plans and automated organization of those plans.
- For companies that are not using other products for mobile access, the Plangrid mobile apps are perfect to allow people on and off site to share and collaborate in many phases of construction project documentation.
- Plangrid has a very responsive technical support team (although it is pretty much email only).
- Plangrid's website layout is easy to use and understand and allows new users to jump right in and do basic to moderate tasks without little training.
- Plangrid is in the process of adding enhanced construction documentation such as better Submittal, RFI, and Field Reporting modules, but the ones in place right now will not be up to par for some people used to more full-featured applications such as Sage or Procore.
- Like other SaaS Construction applications, Plangrid is very expensive. Too expensive in my opinion. They should find ways to offer more tiers of cost so smaller companies can use the application is a limited manner and not have to pay the same cost as the larger companies which may get more use out of advanced features.
- On the same theme of cost, many of Plangrids collaboration features require all collaborators to have a license. Try telling all 30 subs on your project that they have to run out and pay an extra $50-$100/MO per employee to collaborate with you. Does not always go over well.
- Plangrids Field Report, Submittal and RFI modules are still a bit of a work in progress.
PlanGrid!
- Ease of use
- Mobile app
- Management of users
- License Management
PlanGrid is great
- One of the things that we like about Plan Grid is when we receive an updated plan sheet we can upload it and have a record of the changes that have been made along the way.
- Information can be shared in real time.
- Our field team has all of the information that they need at their fingertips.
- Uploading revised plans is a little cumbersome. It would be nice if you didn't have to add a new version every time you updated a sheet.
- Sometimes the sheet number and name recognition does not work properly when adding a new job or updating sheets. There is a workaround but it would be nice if it was more consistent.
- The cost seems a little high. It would be nice if they increased the plan limit for each pricing tier.
- They got rid of their free version, 50 sheet limit. We used to have our estimators use this option, but now we have to pay for a subscription for a service that is only used once in a while.
PlanGrid for Plan Management
- Plan management
- Ease of use
- Punchlist implementation and tracking for items through to completion
- Document storage
- Unlicensed client access for issue corrections
- Mark up tools. Need symbols that relate to construction industry (outlet, fire alarm, light switch, drain etc.) that can be selected from a list to update better on redline drawings
- Issue symbols should not be limited to 2 characters. I have run into several scenarios that I need a 3rd character to identify the issue symbol with
Expanding Use of PlanGrid Features
- Reliability
- Progress Photos
- IssuesLog
- Sharing access with non-users
- Best suited for construction progress and documentation of existing field issues.
- Not as well suited for design and sharing with non-paying users. Sometimes it's helpful to share the project site with the project's owner. They often are not in the construction industry and would only be accessing the site during this project with our firm. It would be good to create guest access.
PlanGrid is simple and efficient; the best value for the money if its features do what you want.
- PlanGrid syncs drawing sets across users and devices. This is a strength because everyone on PlanGrid has the most up-to-date drawings without any effort, other than uploading. For subs, it is easy to distribute the latest drawing uploads.
- PlanGrid is quite easy to use. Unlike other CM software, PlanGrid only has a few features but it uses all of them well.
- PlanGrid has a great iPhone and Android app, so users on site can have the entire document and RFI log on their phone, with full access to all features.
- The photo attachment process is a bit complicated. In Procore (another similar software I've used), you can upload photos directly into RFIs for your reference, or into e-mails. For PlanGrid, you have to first upload the photo into the documents tab, then link them into the RFI. It's not intuitive and can add confusion to the documents tab.
- Photos can't be directly uploaded. Between different devices and colleagues, it's possible you'll get an important photo outside of the PlanGrid photo capture feature within its app. Again, it's complicated for users to use.
- In their new drawings viewer, the icons for actions do not have icons available. I had to use them all in order to understand what they meant, and I'm fairly tech savvy. I'm not sure if a new person to PlanGrid will pick up on each icon's abilities very easily.
- There's no all-in-one solution in CM, but PlanGrid is fairly barebones, and I don't believe it has any ability to connect to other software. There's no ability to take meeting munites; you can hack the field reports feature to accomplish this, but it's clear that was not the intent of the designers.
PlanGrid has been awesome
- PlanGrid is ideal with the submission of RFI’s directly to the design team
- PlanGrid makes real time Punch List creation and tracking easy
- PlanGrid is much easier with an Ipad to perform job walks than carrying a full set of construction drawings
- Revisions and changes are a breeze and update quickly
- I would like to see PlanGrid assist in supporting photos from the user device not taken within PlanGrid
- I would like to be able to manipulate documents loaded to PlanGrid similar to sheet markups
- Adding a few more document templates for daily reports would be nice
Drawing Storage & Mobile Solution Review
- Their upload process is fast.
- The takeoff and markup tools work very well.
- The mobile application works very well.
- The price point for sharing between employees is missing a level I feel...between the free and the next level version.
- More integrations with other project management platforms would be great.
More bang for the buck
- Real-time, cloud based project data - keeps everyone on the same page
- Photo history allowing issues, concerns and documentation of conditions for owner
- Easy to navigate site, able to be used on multiple platforms from mobile (IOS or Android), desktop or web based
- RFI format
- Adding a pricing request log
- More detail on punch list
Best Package for Project, PlanGrid.
- Foreman have access to drawings on their iPads or laptops instantly.
- As drawings are updated the most current drawing is always the first drawing foreman see.
- Keeps us GREEN since we don't need to print out large sets of drawings.
- Love it as it is currently so anything you do to make it better only makes it better for us.
PlanGrid for subcontractors
- Plangrid is still the quickest PDF reader on the market. It's the only app that keeps pace with our industry.
- The unlimited storage of attachments means that on projects where the number of RFIs can often reach into the hundreds, we never have to make a decision regarding which documents to share with the field.
- The simple to use tools, such as quick document mark-up and photo capture have made generating RFIs simpler than ever before.
- It'd be nice to have access to upload and edit documents from the app. Only for certain users.
- A small business billing option that addresses multiple users of a single account would make managing access simpler. Being able to load unlimited sheets, but only access a specific limit on your team's devices.
- Allow users to integrate their own RFI templates into the app, so RFIs can be generated in your own format right from the field, immediately ready to ship.
PlanGrid review
- Being able to include submittals and any other documentation as an attachment either per sheet or per project on 1 device is a lifesaver.
- Marking up drawings for review between everyone involved is a very nice feature.
- Having all of your projects at the touch of a finger through an iPad is awesome. The whole system is a time saver.
- I would like to see it be better at scaling measurements, I feel there is plenty of room for improvement.
Great resource for hospital facilities staff; perfect way to access & verify Life Safety drawings & features in the field!
We use PlanGrid in the hospital facilities maintenance world regularly to view our life safety drawings and confirm the integrity of fire and smoke barriers, etc., during environmental rounds, and to note any life safety deficiencies found during weekly rounds or unscheduled inspections. We are also able to check the size of suites and smoke compartments while in the field, and to capture any changes in life safety features (due to remodels., etc) so our LS plans are updated accordingly.
We used PlanGrid on an iPad while walking portions of our 6m S.F. academic health center campus during our most recent joint commission survey, and the LS code surveyor loved it! Carrying one iPad where we had everything he might ask for at our fingertips sure beat carrying around 4 or 5 sets of LS drawings, some of which have up to 40 pages!
Now that joint commission engineers (LS surveyors) are being forced into the digital age and utilizing tech more, I expect more of them will expect to see hospital facility managers utilizing mobile access to their building floor plans during the survey, and PlanGrid is perfect for this.
- Accessing drawings on the fly. By having the PDFs readily available, you don't have to worry about internet connection issues or lagging issues by going to your plans on a website.
- Being able to measure suite sizes, mark issues etc right on the iPad while out in field, instead of carrying a note pad.
- PlanGrid has been focused on design & construction; I'd like to see more focus on user-friendly features (and marketing) to those of use MAINTAINING those facilities once they are built.
- We met with rep from PlanGrid last summer here in our office and listed some features we'd like to see included eventually. We were told she would take these notes home to the development team, but no one ever followed up with us for more details or to give us an update.
- PlanGrid missed a huge opportunity to market itself to healthcare facilities (where the need for such a product is increasing constantly) by not having a booth or presence at the national ASHE (Healthcare Engineering) conference. Many companies with similar technology were there; I was disappointed PlanGrid was not.
PlanGrid Review
- Current drawing file management
- Quick drawing review with detail links to corresponding sheets
- Ability to take pictures and attach to any drawing for RFI comments
- Punchlists. I have not found another product that is as simple to use for punchlists.
- Drawings, including updated versions of sheets. It's great to be able to simply swipe down on a sheet and see the older version(s) of the sheets.
- Sheet comparisons are good and getting better. It's nice to be able to simply overlay different versions of sheets and clearly see what has changed.
- More customization for punchlists would be appreciated. The ability to add the company logo and creating lists were nice additions to help the process. However it would be nice to be able to select items created by more than one person in the filters.
PlanGrid is a No-Brainer for Construction Productivity
- Organize plans and reference past drawing sets.
- Communicate with the field.
- Make sure the field has the latest plans.
- Link architectural or owner changes (by way of attachments) on the drawings so the field has the latest changes (vs previous paper model where RFI's were stuck in a binder somewhere and stuff got missed).
- Post submittals and schedules so the field has everything they need in one place.
- We are an electrical firm. I would love to specify which drawings to view first in a whole set of drawings. Currently I label E1.0 to "_E1.0" so it will be up top, but update the drawings with the latest set means I need to manually add the "_" in front which is a pain.
- Quick count.
- Turn off specific markups, organized by date. I think you can do this on web but haven't been able to do on iPad.
- Send an email summary of changes to the team so the field (who often does not refresh PlanGrid on a regular basis) knows that there has been an update.
Must-have app for construction professionals
- Prepare punch-list reports
- Administrate and compare different plan versions
- Document the project photographically in relation to plans
- Annotate and draw on plans, include undo option and add a note layer
- Allow users to generate reports from iPad app
- The annotate photo option should be made easier, part of the photo taking process and not as an additional step.
Easy Field Review of Plans
- Easy navigation between plan sheets - even while walking a job site with no table.
- Great zooming for review in the field.
- Loading and deleting plan sets can be confusing and time-consuming.
- Deleting plans or plan sets is difficult - I do it infrequently enough that I have a hard time finding what to click on.
Construction
- The organization of drawings and to be able to tag and find drawings with ease.
- Multiple platform use. Whether on an iPad or a computer, they are both relatively the same use and instructions.
- Being able to pull the history of a particular drawing or form is always helpful especially when changes are being made every day.
- Being able to organize drawings after they have been uploaded needs some improvement. Currently if it is uploaded to a certain place and you need it in another folder it is difficult to get it there without deleting and then re-uploading.
- Maybe I'm not doing it right, but when you back out and go to sheets it takes you back to the beginning instead of where you were searching for a drawing. If you were searching through 300 drawings you want to go back to that position not to the top.
PlanGrid is a construction app like no other
- Quick, Accurate take-offs when qualifying pricing or tabulation of job takeoffs for reference in the field.
- Easy and quick sharing of information and revisions with field staff, as well as easy sharing of information with project owners and architects.
- Easy manipulation of the desktop and iPad versions of the software for field use and walkthroughs/punchlists.
- I personally haven't found any issues with the platform that causes any trouble, or that can't be learned/taught to field staff.
Smaller, simple projects aren't really "dependent" on PlanGrid due to the size and nature of the project. A ten sheet drawing set that doesn't have any revisions is more of a hassle to set up on PlanGrid than simply running paper copies for field staff.
I recommend it to everyone who asks about the app when they see me using it in the field. I also recommend it to estimators who need to do quick takeoffs for high level budgeting, informal sales calls, etc.
Plangrid is Great in the Field
- Hyperlinks are fantastic for ensuring RFIs, sketches, and other changes are electronically posted to drawings so all users have the latest and most current project documents.
- Overlays/sheet compare are great for comparing changes in drawing revisions and overlaying floor plans to check for conflicts. PlanGrid does this particularly well. The process is easy.
- Issues list have dramatically changed how we handle QC on the job site. Issue creation, tracking, and generation of issues lists for subs have allowed an easy and concise way to create, maintain, and enforce to do lists and correct defective work with subcontractors.
- Some of the notation tools can be cumbersome to use on Apple devices. It is hard to be precise. A snap to feature would be great.
- Perhaps due to limitations by Apple, the camera button is small and hard to use on iPhones. Often I need to take photos one handed while holding a tape measure in my other hand. Increasing the size of the on screen camera button would really help.
- More robust issue filtering on Apple devices would be nice. It can be difficult to navigate thousands of issues in the field on an Apple device with only a basic search function. Having the ability to filter issues like on the Plangrid website would be ideal.
Increased production and profitability with minimal effort
- PlanGrid gives us the ability to maintain the most current set of drawings for a project. When plans change the user still has the ability to review the old version to determine where and why something has changed.
- PlanGrid lets the user include PDF documents for the project without using up the number of sheets in the subsctiption. This allows us to provide the field staff with specifications, addendum write-ups, and other internal documents our company uses to make sure things are done correctly the first time.
- PlanGrid allows our users in the field to submit RFI's, document issues, scale drawings, and provide daily markups of the work completed. This keeps our office staff informed of what is going on in the field and make adjustments to increase productivity and profitability.
- PlanGrid lacks in the scaling/measuring of plans. We would like to see an improvement in setting up the scale for a sheet and make it easier to measure in ways other than a straight line.
- I would like to see PlanGrids sheet recognition improve when uploading plan sheets. Sometimes it picks up the plan number and title, but not consistently.
PlanGrid: The best tool in a Superintendent's Tool Bag.
Our company is using PlanGrid nation-wide.
We use it on our iPads to document changes, show RFI's, do existing conditions reports, and help subcontractors with layout.
We keep all the submittals as attachments so you always have everything you need right in your hand at any time. It makes it so much easier to cross reference drawing and items such as Millwork shop drawings or Appliance Submittals to verify clearances. It's one of the best tools we have in the field.
- It's great for Layout because you can get measurements with the scaling tool then have Architects verify on Layout approval.
- Using it to store all the submittals and ASK's from everyone is really useful when you're walking around and want to be able to verify that something is going to fit or make sure needed clearances are being meet.
- Best tool for doing existing conditions report because you can mark right on the drawings where there is a problem and even take pictures to prove the existing damage and its all kept together.
- Overall it make my day a lot easier.
- I would like to be able to save a page as an update without having to keep everything on the original plan.
Timesaver
- User friendly, from a classroom training for PlanGrid to the PlanGrid videos online to help something forgotten or learn something new.
- However spending time using PlanGrid one can pick up on quite a few "tricks."
- Punchlist with PlanGrid is great, taking pictures and putting them right on the floor plan is easy, and eliminates wasted time searching what room what picture went with. You can also note that it is a completed item for tracking.
- PlanGrid is great for running around the job site with an iPad and getting needed information from the plans on the spot, makes answering questions a lot easier and faster during these busy days.
- PlanGrid is one of 3 apps I have used, I honestly cringe thinking about the other two apps. I think PlanGrid does a great job trying to improve themselves, I don't know what I could add.
PlanGrid for the win!
- Has great software / programming for naming drawing sheets.
- Online support is great.
- Helps transmit information to the field instantly. No more hard copies.
- PlanGrid is constantly changing / improving features within the software. Change is usually a good thing however, once you get familiar with a feature or program functionality, they change it! Can be a little frustrating.
- Cost!