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Autodesk Build

Autodesk Build
Formerly PlanGrid

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.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Autodesk Build has become an essential tool for a variety of use cases in the construction industry. Users have found the software to be …
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PlanGrid!

7 out of 10
February 25, 2020
Incentivized
Currently, PlanGrid is used by our organization. As a way to view PDFs of the layout or plans of a building. Nearly all use the mobile …
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PlanGrid for the future

10 out of 10
January 08, 2019
Incentivized
We use PlanGrid to distribute project and design documents to our field personnel, communicate design changes from the field to the design …
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Plangrid

9 out of 10
December 22, 2018
Incentivized
It is being used within the different groups of the company. Not as a whole organization.
Continue reading
Read all reviews

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

View all 10 features
  • Mobile app (54)
    9.4
    94%
  • Plan distribution & viewing (56)
    8.6
    86%
  • Plan markups & sharing (56)
    8.6
    86%
  • Document sharing (55)
    7.6
    76%
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Pricing

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Nailgun

$39

Cloud
user per month

Dozer

$59

Cloud
user per month

Crane

$139

Cloud
user per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://app.plangrid.com/pricing

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

Runding's PlanGrid to Kahua File Manager Sync Demo

YouTube

3 BIM construction cloud product demo plangrid build mobile

YouTube

PlanGrid Demo

YouTube

PlanGrid - Report Collaboration and Approval

YouTube

Software Demo Video for Plan Grid

YouTube

ACC Connect Demo: Google Drive Files To PlanGrid

YouTube
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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)

7.9
Avg 7.4
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Product Details

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

Screenshot of No confusing folders - all your plans at your fingertips.Screenshot of Easy overlay to visually detect changes or clashes.Screenshot of Track issues directly on the plan, including descriptions, photos, cost, and schedule impacts.Screenshot of Mark up plans for instant communication between field and office.Screenshot of Attach any kind of construction documents to your plans, including 360 photos.Screenshot of Track, review, and submit all your field reports on a mobile device.

Autodesk Build Integrations

Autodesk Build Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mobile Web
Supported LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, French, Finnish, Hungarian, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Polish, Swedish

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Procore, Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro, and Fieldwire are common alternatives for Autodesk Build.

Reviewers rate Mobile app highest, with a score of 9.4.

The most common users of Autodesk Build are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(148)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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 36)
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Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it for all aspects of our construction process. It is being used by our whole organization. It helps us get the information to all that need it faster and easier and allows us to collaborate together.
  • PlanGrid is great for updating drawings. In the fast-paced world we live in, and with drawings constantly changing, it is nice how the sheets are automatically updated and slip sheeted in.
  • It is very helpful at writing RFI's and tracking them. The ease of writing them and allowing others to see an answer is very helpful.
  • The picture log is great how all pictures taken to PlanGrid are stored even if they are deleted from a tablet.
  • The field reports need to be improved greatly. It is a very basic idea right now. Collaboration on the same report by other usernames would be great.
  • The fact that I can access my photo library when writing RFIs is very frustrating. You have to add pictures to PlanGrid and then add them to the RFI. Should be allowed access to photo library and add them while writing. The current process requires a lot of upfront work to be able to write and RFI.
The access to drawings is great. Being able to pack several different drawing to various jobs in my pocket on my phone or on my tablet is awesome.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
PlanGrid is used in our organization to document and communicate project plans and specifications in a quick and efficient manner. We utilize the software across all of our projects big or small. One of the major challenges in the industry is dealing with change management; anytime a change is made, the change needs to both be documented as a reference point, but also communicated with every party (from management to installer).PlanGrid is a tool that helps overcome the inherent challenges of communicating change.
  • The user interface is extremely easy to use for both the advanced and not-so-advanced computer users. This is huge in an industry that has a high diversity of computer skills among end-users of technology.
  • Rendering speed of documents is extremely quick on every device/platform.
  • The application can be used on every platform from Windows/iOS/Andriod (mobile or desktop) as well as the web, without diluting platform features.
  • The ability to import 3D models and maintain accompanying metadata is extremely beneficial.
  • It would be ideal to see a free viewer license that would allow some users (subcontractors) the ability to view the documents and be notified of updates. These users, of course, would be limited only to "viewing" permissions.
  • It would also be beneficial to be able to customize daily job log fields.
PlanGrid performs really well in all aspects of construction from the general to the sub/trade. The platform distributes and communicates project documentation in an extremely user-friendly manner. As with most software, it is cheaper the larger the scale of the project. In situations where the project is relatively small, and the trade contracts are also of relatively low dollar value, the product can be cost-prohibitive.
Jeffrey Rudacille | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are currently in the process of integrating Plangrid in all of our departments except accounting. We initially used it just for doing punch-lists but now require all projects to use it for progress photos, plan viewing and markups, as well as the aforementioned punch-lists. It immediately saves us money in requiring less printing of plans as well as better documentation of punch-lists with attached pictures. Plangrid also breeds collaboration by allowing easy sharing of all data within the program.
  • 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 is well suited for companies (that are not currently using a different SaaS construction package) to make their construction document management more collaborative and mobile friendly. Companies requiring/wanting their subs and owners to collaborate with them as part of the life of a construction project will find Plangrid very helpful in fulfilling this goal. On the negative side, companies that are fully entrenched in using other construction suites will struggle to fully use Plangrid to its potential as pre-built integration between Plangrid and other packages is limited.
February 24, 2020

PlanGrid is great

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use PlanGrid to communicate information to the field. It allows us to share information with the field staff immediately. Our estimators also use it when attending pre-bid walks.
  • 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 works for almost every project that we do, large or small. We can share company specific documents that are required regardless of the project dollar value.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
PlanGird is used by our Project Management and Field Team to manage and publish drawings, documents, RFIs, and submittals. The company has a standard process to use for PlanGrid that is uniform throughout the company, and our subcontracts explicitly state that they must purchase and hold a PlanGrid license and account. Using PlanGrid help us centralize all of the document management activities involved with Construction Project Management.
  • Keeping an up to date set of documents and sharing it instantly with front line workers.
  • Keeping a history set of drawings, documents, etc. for use in change or schedule management.
  • Integration of other software such as BlueBeam or Asta Scheduling Software.
  • Response times on the web based application.
PlanGrid is an excellent option for medium to large general contracting companies in general building construction. PlanGrid provides a single-source solution for all things document-related that previously were spread between multiple software packages or juggled in a hybrid email/fire management system that was easy to lose track of documents.
Nicholas Bittner | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We love using PlanGrid for it ability to put all the documents, questions and images in one place for a project team. It's extremely useful to us during the program verification and design stages. We can track issues that need resolved during the detailing at the construction documents stage later on in the process. We've used the app on iPhones and iPads as well as Windows devices, but much prefer iOS.
  • 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.
Sheila Nguyen | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
PlanGrid is used mainly out in the field on our construction jobsites. 100% of all project engineers use PlanGrid, and is the main platform we use to view drawings in the field. It is mainly used by the operations department that are located offsite and not in the corporate office. It addresses the need for physical copies of plans and the tiresome re-printing and re-updating your plan set.
  • Great at updating and consolidating plan sets!
  • The filter option on plans is particularly helpful when you want to vie wa specific plan set, like electrical drawings only or fire protection and plumbing only.
  • Great with incorporating and managing RFI's, ASI's and punchlist items.
  • I wish there were an option to git rid of a notification once you've seen it, e.g. "you're viewing an old plan sheet - do you want to continue?" There should be an option on this pop-up to say "Noted - do not show this message again".
  • Better markup options, similar to BlueBeam. I feel like the options available are limited.
  • Better able to view linked sheets. Some sheets do not link automatically to the detail they are referenced in.
PlanGrid really gets the job done when it comes to organizing your project documents, especially out in the field. If your subcontractor has old plans, it is really easy to pull up PlanGrid and show them the documents that they should have and show them right then and there. It's great when you don't want to print out an 11x17 sheet or bring out a whole roll of plans to show a specific detail to your installer as well.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We currently use PlanGrid to connect our office to the field. Our project managers setup projects in PlanGrid that then our site supervisors and foreman can then get the most up to date plans and information about the project. It helps us point out issues that then can get handled quickly from the office and then prevents delays of production in the field.
  • Very easy to use, and training takes less than a few hours for field staff.
  • Connects office to field quickly and efficiently.
  • Uploading , naming, and tagging sheet is the best in the business.
  • Sheet and document manager always display most current information and also gives you the ability to look back at previous versions for changes.
  • Their sheet system by user could use some revisions. Their plans only allow a certain number of sheets per user.
  • Pricing
  • Customer service and local sales reps could be more responsive.
We work in construction and PlanGrid is well suited to connect our office and field staff with the most up to date plans and specs. We can also attach documents to the project for the foreman to track labor, products, and product data sheets. Our site supervisors and foreman can fill out a number of daily forms on site with ease that can be sent into the office for review. Lastly, general contractors can invite subcontractors to collaborate on projects, and they can place punchlist items and take photos of the items that need to be fixed. Subcontractors then can mark the items pending for review for the GCs to then mark complete.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
PlanGrid will be used for 1 specific project, across our organization. It solves the issues of coherent communication. Right now, we rely on e-mail attachments in order to have up-to-date drawings. This becomes confusing internally, as well as for our subcontractors. PlanGrid enables us to always have the most up to date drawings, accessible from PC or phones, anywhere there is internet available. It also helps to coordinate RFIs, schedules, etc.
  • 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 is very good for drawings, tasks, punch lists, and the like. Unlike Procore, it's not an all-in-one solution, which is good because I don't need even half of the features Procore offers. But it will require other software for office use (i.e., financials, finish schedules, and corporate documents) and the company will need to be on top of coordinating all of the information between software. I do not use financials or corporate docs; I just want to keep up with RFIs and drawings, and for that, it is very good.
December 21, 2018

PlanGrid has been awesome

Michael Carter | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In our company we use PlanGrid across all departments, starting with estimating for proposals all the way through punch list before turnover. It has been a valuable tool with job tracking and management.
  • 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
PlanGrid is perfect for job site meetings and punch list walks. It is less than ideal for large conferences unless you have an available monitor to plug the laptop/desktop into.
August 25, 2017

More bang for the buck

Les Yager | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use this in project management, field supervision and estimating. This addresses real-time information gathering, such as built drawings, photo records, the RFI process, to name a few. We are able to review previous changes to drawings and compare these to current. We can take photos of issues and email them directly to the engineer, architect, owner, and construction manager, for quicker response.
  • 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
It's great for the mobile QC individual. He can use an iPad for instant access for all projects; not having to unroll and carry 20 to 30 sets of drawings and spec books. Keeps everyone working off the same set of drawings and easy to update. Photos of existing conditions and problems can be quickly documented and emailed out.
Brett Thompson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Plangrid is being used on a project-by-project basis. We use it as our primary document control protocol, for rolling completion lists, punchlists, owner update reports, QC and sub coordination.
  • Plan sheet organization, renderings speed and image quality in the field are all great.
  • UI is simple, attractive and easy for users of most experience levels.
  • Slipsheeting, updating or changing drawings is easy and effective.
  • Photo quality in printed reports is low. If markups or dimensions are made on an image within the system it's oftentimes difficult to see once printed.
  • Clouding and markups sometimes obstruct you from seeing the actual drawing. Clouds for instance, grow and shrink when zooming. This makes sense, but sometimes on sheets with a large number of markups, when you zoom out it's just a mess of illegible bulky clouds/bubbles.
I've yet to manage a project and not used plangrid (in the last 5/6 years).
Bryan Musgrove | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Plangrid is strictly used by the development department, in connection with our architect, and general contractor. We upload everything from the plans and plan revisions to RFIs and schedules. It is extremely convenient and makes everything readily accessible on the tablet or phone while on the job site. It is great for punch walks as you to dictate detailed notes along with photos of the exact location. Then once you are complete you hit print and the list is ready to send. There is no delay in waiting for a punch list to be transposed. Subs are able to mobilize immediately to complete their tasks.
  • Convenience- Gone are the days when you had to take the time to walk back to the job site trailer before being able to review the plans. Now every plan in detail is available on your tablet or right in your pocket on your phone.
  • Construction documents- All construction documents can be stored on plan grid making it easier than in the past when you had to haul around a set of plans and a binder full of all changes and RFIs.
  • All notes, needed corrections, and issues can be documented directly on PlanGrid and seen by everyone with access.
  • Not extremely user-friendly. At times it is difficult to figure out how to print, access certain applications, etc.
Plangrid is well suited for plan accessibility and Punch walks. Plangrid is less suited when you would like to share a specific detail or plan sheet.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are currently using PlanGrid for all of our large projects that we are running in our service/special projects department. The biggest item addressed by PlanGrid for us is that we can instantly download the drawings to PlanGrid and our foreman have at their finger tips the most up to date set of drawings without us ever having to print out a set and have the foreman run to our office to pick up these drawings wasting time and money. We will have the set of paper drawings sitting in our offices until the foreman need to make a specific trip to our office then we can turn over to them.
  • 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.
If general you are working with us on PlanGrid then every time a new drawing or RFI is uploaded we are notified of these changes through PlanGrid's site.
James Nolan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We have been using plangrid company wide for about 2 years now as a solution to document distribution issues. We offer access to the plangrid software to anyone willing to use it, it is our best resource for ensuring our entire team is up to date with the latest drawings available.
  • 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 is an excellent document sharing software within your internal team, but it does not serve as a full document management software similar to Procore. It is top notch for viewing and working with drawings, but is no use for distributing drawings for bidding or other purposes.
August 24, 2017

PlanGrid review

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
PlanGrid is being used throughout our department to help manage jobs and projects of varying sizes. It helps us with keep up to date with each project from the management team to the field employees who are installing the work. As-builts are much easier to keep up to date and by saving on paperwork with submittals, etc. it has been a real bonus.
  • 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.
PlanGrid is well suited for being used to manage information between everyone involved with the project.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are using PlanGrid as a daily document control tool across our project. We have a team network established and use it to ensure that all documents are up-to-date and information is available. We are also using it as a tool to track and monitor quality control items from day one on the project.
  • Construction drawing document control. All of the plans that I need as a superintendent are always at my finger tips when I am out on a job.
  • RFI management. Having the ability to create, mark and track RFI's in the program keeps everyone on the same page.
  • Quality Control management. I use it as daily tool to track punchlist type items throughout the construction project.
  • There needs to be a way that PDFs can be uploaded to an open issue in the punch list feature. Often we use the QA/QC log to track deficient testing reports from inspectors or design team reviews.
Fantastic tool for keeping your whole project team on the right path. We have a particular person assigned to ensure that it is up-to-date so the subcontractor team has all of the most accurate information. I love the ability to have all of the plans with me at all times, the program eliminates the days of carrying around a large roll of paper drawings.
August 21, 2017

PlanGrid User Review

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our project based employees use PlanGrid across the whole team. We use PlanGrid for compilation of the record drawing set and to maintain the current construction drawings.
  • Using PlanGrid allows us to store files electronically on a fully accessible internet based server which allows immediate availability of construction plans for users in the field.
  • PlanGrid has a user friendly interface and continues to update components that allow its users to use the product in the most proficient manner.
  • Having access to construction plans without having to use hard copy full size plans or multiple packages greatly reduces the opportunity for error, since the contractor is always using the most recent plan.
  • Having the ability to open details in the same window would be useful, potentially with a split screen option. This would allow the user to review multiple sheets without having to leave the original sheet and move back and forth between sheets.
We have found PlanGrid to be particularly useful for our field staff. However, there has been feedback that the size of the program with uploaded documents/plans etc. can sometimes bog down users' tablets or simply cannot be used due to space limits.
August 16, 2017

Best drawing handler!

Alexis Hernandez, BSME, PE | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We began using Plangrid 3 years ago, when we did work for Deangelis Diamond. It was a great tool to access drawings and make notes on the drawings. However, six months ago our company decided to move to Procore, which is the platform we are using now.
  • Fast opening drawings
  • Compare sheets
  • Better annotations tools
  • Drawing tools similar to autocad
  • Better OCR for uploading sheets (titles)
Plangrid is a great tool, a must have. You have your drawings with you at all times and can collaborate from anywhere.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It's being used mostly for coordination purposes between all trades. At this time, only a few people within our architectural department are using this program. We are a full Architecture and Engineering firm. As an example, for one of my projects, the contractor is not taking advantage of what PlanGrid has to offer. They are not using any of the following programs: Issues, RFIs and Field Reports.
  • The overlay or "compare sheets" works great for coordination purposes.
  • The fact that you can share your comments to each sheet with others in the team.
  • For Punchlist items or Field Observations Reports, it's great to snap a picture and place it on a plan sheet for reference.
  • At the compare icon, it would be great if it had the ability to shift the inserted drawing in order to align with the walls. In most cases when dealing with outside consultants the plans do not align with each other for coordination purposes.
  • For the attachment, if it had the same capabilities as the drawings sheets this would be better.
  • It would be great if you could insert word documents or another type of file and inset it to the plan like an image. In my case, the contractor is not using the RFIs icon to its full capacity so when they issue a PDF/Word doc as a RFI it would help for coordination purposes in the field.
The main reason to use PlanGrid is to have access to all the drawings associated with your projects in lieu of carrying all the physical sheets. I currently have every project on PlanGrid that I'm managing to date. All the information in on one device, and it's great to work with remotely and on site.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Plangrid mostly on-site for review construction process and prepare reports, across all the company departments. It allows to coordinate between disciplines and different plan versions easily and with access to the current project info
  • 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 accessibility of plans on-site. There's a clear identification of the different versions of the plans and the tool to compare the differences between versions is greatly implemented and easy to interpret. The generation of the reports is easy and the report format is very clear, but improvements should be made in the web app to avoid jumping between punch-list review and punch-list list. You should be able to generate punch-list reports from iPad app. The annotate on plan options should be improved, it's difficult to draw directly on plan to clarify a detail or to make a modification.
August 16, 2017

Construction Bias

Laron Livsey | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
PlanGrid is used throughout our company and provides the latest and updated plans and documents so we can complete tasks in a timely manner without redundancy and confusion as to which direction we are taking.
  • Keeps documentation and plans in one place.
  • Keeps plans updated and shows when they were changed or added.
  • They are continually updated and current.
  • I would like to use as punch list creator but haven't had time to research all aspects.
It is easy to email pages to outside subs or potential subs with a PDF attachment to clarify intent even if they do not have plangrid. I have used plangrid to send details of plans to specialty subcontractors who don't have plans or plangrid, to get quotes or clarify scopes.
Paul Deering | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use PlanGrid to view project plans on my iPad Pro at job sites. I often have the only current plans on hand when there are questions. More and more, Project Superintendents have out-of-date paper sets (sometimes Owners won't let Superintendents have the current set because it is not formally permitted yet - but that is what we are building in the field). I'll fault Cities and Counties as much as Owners, because most still require paper sets for permitting and approvals - and probably at job trailers too. Maybe you target municipalities and their massive plan rooms full of giant file drawers (I haven't had a plan file drawer for about 15 years now - and no plotter for about 5 years). Just make sure that PDF is the standard - don't let CAD enter into any municipal requirements. Thanks and good luck.
  • 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.
Field review of plans in the field is great.

August 16, 2017

Construction

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are using PlanGrid across the whole organization. It helps us to maintain drawings for multiple projects in multiple states but stills allows access for everyone involved in the project.
  • 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.
With construction drawings it is always well suited. The problem lays when the General Contractor is wanting to add all RFI's, even if not relevant to you, to their drawings. Or if they are using a different program for their drawings and they are keeping them up to date on their site but it is difficult to keep up to date with PlanGrid because they are not actually updating drawings.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Plangrid is used throughout our organization to share/maintain current project drawings and information between Field Superintendents and Project Managers. We also utilize it to communicate with Owners and Architects on various issues requiring field changes and use the iPad app to do pre-punchlist walk-throughs with subcontractors. It is a very effective tool to maintain accurate project records, and cut down on the expense of getting paper copies of updated drawings to the field. On the estimating/sales side of the organization, it's helpful in preconstruction bid work by giving quick, accurate take-offs that we can use to help qualify unit pricing from subcontractors. Lots of really great tools are built into the system.
  • 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.
[PlanGrid is well suited for] Construction projects with many sheets, multiple active revisions, and a lot of users that are interacting and interfacing with the project information on a daily basis.

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.
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