# Trimble AutoBid Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Trimble AutoBid the right HVAC Estimating solution for you? Explore 53 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/193710/AutoBid/reviews --- Trimble AutoBid 4.3 (53) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/193710/AutoBid/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Trimble AutoBid Ease of use 3.9 Customer Service 4.3 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews AR Asim R Estimating ManagerConstruction, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The way you can setup your project and then manipulate and change certain systems or create line items or zones is what i like the most about this software.“ February 6, 2024 CM Colyn M EstimatorBuilding Materials, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For some reason since our last update we have not been able to work on the network, we have to escape out of the server do the takeoffs and copy the summaries back on to the server.“ September 5, 2023 LM Lou M Vice PresidentConstruction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “From begining to end from quick pen Dos through the current version of Auto bid it has allowed us to bid more work with fewer people in shorter time frames without compromising accuracy.“ September 8, 2023 CS Cooper S Estimator/Quantity SurveyorConstruction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For the price of the product there should be more training support available as the free sessions that come with the purchase of the product is simply not enough.“ August 29, 2023 Ryan C Mechanical EstimatorConstruction, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Ability to create assemblies that suit the needs of our local codes and methods is awesome.“ August 31, 2023 TG Tyler G Senior EstimatorConstruction, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Not having the ability to upload or download files from other software tools“ August 25, 2023 TC Tim C EstimatorConstruction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It has made our takeoff process a lot simpler, we print less plan sets.“ September 7, 2023 TD Ted D Estimator /project manager Construction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I get lost in some of tree menus in specifications and in items. “ September 11, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 53 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use VR Verified Reviewer Estimator Construction Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Autobid Sheetmetal Review" January 21, 2019 4.0 Overall, this is a great piece of software that is reliable but costly. Pros It's ease of use, especially after we have been using Autobid Mechanical for piping for a while now. Adding this and being able to train people was easy since it was very similar to the Piping program Cons The fact that when you are taking off a run of duct you must click "ok" rather than just pressing the enter key like we do on the piping program. Review Source SH Steve H. VP Estimating Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Estimating review" September 11, 2023 5.0 Awesome, great program. Pros Keeps accurate pricing based on specifications. Cons Awesome program, nothing. Great experiences thru the years. Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid Not applicable Review Source BH Bryar H. project manager Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Worst software I have seen since 1996" August 18, 2020 1.0 my overall experience has been very bad and i would not recommend this program to any company unless you have a full time tech support on your payroll with a direct phone line to trimble support. Pros the pros of this software is the odd time you do get it to work it is easy to use and faster than doing estimates by hand Cons This software is outrageously expensive and you are forced to buy multiple licenses on top of the program. The software rarely ever works every time i click on it to start estimating a job i get a new error code as to why the software wont launch. then you are faced with the dilemma of either waiting on the phone with tech support for 3 hours or just doing the estimate by hand. off the start i would waste my time with tech support who would eventually fix the issue temporarily (usually for a day or two ) then you would get a new error code. i have finally just given up and went back to doing my estimates by hand and will be canceling my licenses . Review Source TG Tyler G. Senior Estimator Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Tyler Gustason's Review" August 25, 2023 4.0 Great, I have used the software for over 10 years. I really like it. It does need to keep up with new technologies. Pros It is quick and easy to use. I really like it. Cons Not having the ability to upload or download files from other software tools Review Source BP Bill P. Preconstruction Manager Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best bang for my buck" August 29, 2023 4.0 This is the software I have used extensively in my career. It is flexible enough to allow complex calculations and is easily adaptable to the expert users as it is the novice. Pros The formatted reports and the data export functionality with Excel and Access. Cons Some of the functionality of the menus is not universally the same in all portions of the software. Some works with double click, some work with scrolling the mouse others with only scroll bar usage. Can be frustrating sometimes Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid It's reliable and highly functional from takeoff to reporting Review Source MM Marco M. Estimator Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Autobid Mechanical" September 5, 2023 5.0 Pros An easy software to learn, I learned with webex courses and a few pointers. Cons It doesn't self update, leaving it open to errors on the price side. No security updates unless they are critical and even then, you have to buy the service pack to complete the security update. Review Source JM Jonathan M. Estimating Manager Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Helpful Software" August 25, 2023 4.0 Have had a fantastic time using it for the past 10 years. Look forward to some form of update to software as it has now been two years without one. Pros AutoBid SheetMetal is fantastic product to use and easy to setup which is far superior to AutoBid Mechanical. Cons AutoBid Mechanical is difficult to get past error messages. Review Source TL Ty L. Estimator Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Auto Bid Review" August 29, 2023 5.0 My overall experience has been excellent. I have produce hundreds of millions of bidding takeoffs in the last few years. Pros The product is easy to use and one feature that helps is the symbal schedule. Cons Sometimes my multipliers change and there is no notification that it changed and I miss it on a hectic bid day. Review Source SU Scott U. Preconstruction Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Trimble Autobid" September 7, 2023 5.0 Very positive and it has saved me time that I can now spend in other facets of the business. Pros Ease of use and completeness of product. Cons We haven't experienced any issues that tech support couldn't handle. Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid Because it appeared to be the only estimating software specifically tailored for plumbing and mechanical estimating. Review Source AR Asim R. Estimating Manager Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simple but efficient" February 6, 2024 5.0 Overall experience is good. Technical support team is really efficient when you encounter an issue. Database could be more friendly if it can be linked directly to alpriser Pros The way you can setup your project and then manipulate and change certain systems or create line items or zones is what i like the most about this software. Cons Not directly linked with Alpriser and we have to manually add all the updates into the database. Review Source RH Rob H. Estimator Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My Review" February 8, 2017 5.0 Very detailed oriented. Being able to virtually customize it is almost worth the price. It has all the bells and whistles you want, and others you haven't thought of but they did. More geared to the mechanical contractor than the plumbing contractor but that being said, it more than handles any and all plumbing projects with ease. Pros Will do anything and everything you want after set up, from taking off, to sending out for quotes, to pricing. Cons The time that is required to fully understand it, and use it with a secure comfort level will differ, depending on the user and his familiarity with estimating programs, but it will take a while till you're able to do a quote fast and efficiently. Review Source JS James S. Estimator Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Program" January 21, 2019 5.0 Pros I’ve been using AutoBid for Sheetmetal for nearly ten years now and I’m steal finding new ways and tools that make doing my job easier and more accurate. Cons The only thing that would make it better for me is if you'd make it easier to find items in the library Review Source jP justin P. HVAC estimator Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "great software and even better customer support" January 25, 2019 5.0 We use autobid sheetmetal for our estimating needs and it has drastically improved our efficiency. Pros I liked how the foundations were the same for Autobid mechanical. i started there and then crossed over to autobid sheetmetal and its was a like for like change which was amazing. Cons I haven't found anything i strongly dislike yet. Review Source MW Martha W. Estimator Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ease of Sheetmetal Estimating" November 14, 2017 5.0 Pros Ability to customize for our company needs, flexibility in making changes, and speed and accuracy in takeoffs Cons I wish it had the ability to collapse crystal reporting more so report didn't have to printout so many pages. Review Source RW Russell W. Owner Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I love how fast you can do a take off" October 18, 2017 4.0 I love the product and speed. I have issues with the handling of the discounts and my pricing services. Pros I love how fast you can do a take off. This software allows you to do the take off in a fraction of time. You did when I had to do it by hand. Cons The set up as daunting as a plumber from the field. I’m fine getting the discount in Somewhat of a problem Living in Canada I find there’s issues with the pricing service I have to use. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Office Staff Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Time Saver!" October 7, 2020 5.0 Depending on what time you ask, it can be either frustrating, incredible, or a combination of the two. Pros I recently started using this product. It's not very user friendly at first, but once you start understanding the way the system works, it's a time-saving bidding software! Cons It is hard to learn, it's not very intrinsic like some programs (do this, then this, etc.) but I think once you get the hang of it, it's worth it. Review Source DG David G. Assistant Campus Architect Architecture & Planning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Improve accuracy and efficiency" January 26, 2017 5.0 Trimble's on screen view and specification based approach to setting up and estimate make preparing an estimate more thorough and efficient. The audit trail is excellent and allows for effective double checking. Review Source AL Andrew L. Construction Used the software for: ### "Best Product for Plumbing Takeoff" November 4, 2014 4.5 Pros I like the freedom to customize the systems and the smart board feature is fantastic. Cons Autobid Mechanical has occasional glitches, which are sometimes difficult to resolve without calling Tech support. Review Source LM Lou M. Vice President Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My Take on the state of current Auto Bid system" September 8, 2023 5.0 From begining to end from quick pen Dos through the current version of Auto bid it has allowed us to bid more work with fewer people in shorter time frames without compromising accuracy. Pros It allows estimators flexibility to use a tool that they can trust to be consistent and accurate. Cons The lack of ability to link Auto Bid Mechanical rapid reports with Auto Bid Sheet Metal that will work more than once. Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid Auto Bid as we know it today was in it infancy windows version was new in 2003 we also purchased sheet metal along with pipe designer and duct designer at that time they were in beta testing.I had experience running earlier versions of quick pen piping from the original all the way to dos andoverall, at the time it was the most complete operating system one may be better here or there, but none matched the overall package especially in the windows version. Review Source LS Louis S. Mechanical Estimator Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Makes doing take-offs easy and reliable" August 25, 2023 4.0 I have been using AutoBid since it was a DOS program and I have enjoyed the updates as they have made the product more reliable and easier to use. Pros I enjoy having the ability to print reports sorted by different systems, areas, floors, and/or alternates. This means if needed I can break-out different values/areas to give a better understanding of where our costs and labor are trending. Cons About the only problem I have is with the sheet-metal program and that is minor: there are not as many fields as the piping program has which makes it a bit more difficult to break a bid down. Review Source CM Colyn M. Estimator Building Materials Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Quick Pen / Autobid review" September 5, 2023 5.0 It is a great work tool for estimators providing the estimator know the work and can make the job by job adjustments Pros It is the most widely known sheet metal estimating software in our market. I have been using Quick Pen since it was DOS based with a digitizer and dot matrix printer, and the advancements have been quite something over the years. There are a few things such as inability to merge the plumbing version with the sheet metal version that I thought would have been worked out a long time ago since the majority of the shops that use QP will have plumbing and sheet metal estimators Cons For some reason since our last update we have not been able to work on the network, we have to escape out of the server do the takeoffs and copy the summaries back on to the server. Review Source CJ Chris J. President Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Software refresh" September 7, 2023 4.0 All in all its alright. I'm winning jobs with it but I still need to do things by hand. I have so much to learn as I know I'm only scratching the surface of its capabilities Pros I like the speed in which you can take off projects. Cons I don't like dealing with errors after calculatingI don't like the cost of 1 on 1 trainingI don't like that specs are all over the place and that I have to edit constantlyI don't like that there arrnt any quick keys to do things quicker Switched from [PlanSwift](https://www.capterra.com/p/70808/PlanSwift/) Does not calculate labor to much set up required for each job Review Source CS Cooper S. Estimator/Quantity Surveyor Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simple takeoff/complicated back end" August 29, 2023 4.0 Overall experience has been very good. Its has been challenging learning the ins and outs of the system on my own and I feel like the software has WAY more to offer than what we learn in the limited training sessions. Pros I like that it is very easy to do a takeoff. With the info it provides it makes it so almost anybody can prepare an estimate. Cons For the price of the product there should be more training support available as the free sessions that come with the purchase of the product is simply not enough. After using the software for a few years I am not noticing that a lot of the products are out-dated and the systems & labor for some systems are just patched together. I would like to see an update that would update my library with newer product and proper labor. Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid Its the best overall takeoff software Review Source TC Tim C. Estimator Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Pretty good software, has some difficulties" September 7, 2023 4.0 It has made our takeoff process a lot simpler, we print less plan sets. Sped up our overall process. Pros The on screen takeoff looks nice, pretty intuitive once you get used to it Cons The lack of keyboard shortcuts for basic takeoff features. It would really speed up the process Alternatives considered [PlanSwift](https://www.capterra.com/p/70808/PlanSwift/)[WenDuct and WenPipe](https://www.capterra.com/p/169138/Wenduct-and-Wenpipe/)[QuoteSoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/8663/QuoteSoft/)[FastDUCT](https://www.capterra.com/p/105824/FastDUCT/) Reason for choosing Trimble AutoBid We use many Autodesk products and hoped the support/updates would remain consistent and the software would remain for years to come. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Mechanical Estimator Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "AutoBid Mech/SM" August 31, 2023 4.0 Saves a large number of hours compared to doing manual take-off and entry or with some software support. Pros Can be fully customized to suit our organizations needs. Solid database of materials and list pricing. Training offered is pretty good and a solid foundation to get started. Ability to create assemblies that suit the needs of our local codes and methods is awesome. Cons My biggest complaint is sometimes click accuracy can be a little funky. More instruction on how to create a variable assembly during training would be appreciated. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Plumbing Estimating](https://www.capterra.com/plumbing-estimating-software/)[HVAC Estimating](https://www.capterra.com/hvac-estimating-software/)[Subcontractor](https://www.capterra.com/subcontractor-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.