Bluebook Construction Pricing Explained: A Complete Breakdown

Bluebook Network is a popular construction directory that connects general contractors to subcontractors looking for projects. With over 400,000 subcontractors, suppliers, and 150,000 general contractors, the platform is perfect for building a construction team and networking with other construction companies. 

Bluebook Network offers bid management, data analytics, and collaboration tools to streamline the entire construction process. But what does this efficiency cost? And what is your return on investment? This guide explains Bluebook Construction’s cost, features, and benefits to help you decide if it aligns with your construction needs. 

How Much Does Bluebook Network Cost?

Unlike other platforms, Bluebook only accepts qualified subcontractor companies into its database. Blue book construction pricing is tiered, with the cost increasing based on the number of key features your project requires. Bluebook cost ranges from $150 a month to $800. Users with the highest subscription are usually at the top of the list. 

Every subscription gives you access to:

• A list of available projects
• Qualified and vetted subcontractors
• Excellent customer support
• Regular software updates

You can also benefit from credit reports that help you know each partner’s financial stability before committing to any project. This approach enhances risk management and ensures you only connect with financially viable partners. 

Forget about interviewing hundreds of subs and not finding ideal candidates. The platform vets each subcontractor on their database to ensure only the best are available for future projects. Let's determind if Blue Book is worth it before we explore other subcontractor network options. 

Is Bluebook Network Worth It?

Despite these amazing features, Blue Book Network has a few limitations. For instance, users have complained of getting fewer to no leads. For instance, this Reddit user claims to get only one lead after a heavy investment and spending two years using the software. They also have to learn about the software on their own due to late customer responses. That's why many construction companies are avoiding Blue Book Network.

Many users have complained about their expensive pricing plans. Although the software offers several tiered plans, it mostly convinces its clients to upgrade to a two-year contract. Locking users to extensive contracts while offering poor-quality leads and an unresponsive subcontractor database is a huge disappointment. They also force their users to renew their subscription six months before expiry, which appears like a money grab. 

Let's compare Downtobid vs the Blue Book Network.

Downtobid Network - The Best Alternative

Fortunately, Downtobid excels in offering verified and highly qualified subcontractors. Our AI recommends a list of subs who match your detected scopes, significantly reducing the recruitment time. 

Downtobid Network is a database of pre-vetted and verified subcontractors countrywide. Our platform allows general contractors to find available local subs to take on projects. Our database eliminates the guesswork of finding subs. Forget about mass mailing every subcontractor listed on public directories.

Key Features

Here are a few standout reasons to try our platform:

Pre-Vetted Subcontractors

We have rigorous vetting processes to eliminate unwanted or unqualified subs from our list. We verify their contact details, qualifications, and performance history to ensure they're who they say. This approach inspires confidence in our GCs by knowing they're dealing with serious partners who won't fail the project. It's very easy for a one-time project to turn into a long-term relationship.

Targeted Subcontractor Matching

We don't just offer a subcontractor database. We also help you match with the most qualified trade partners. Our AI scans your construction plans and recommends a list of qualified local subs matching the requirements. We check their performance history and whether they've worked on similar projects. This way, you're guaranteed a list of only the best subs.

Streamlined Communication

Collaboration is the key to the success of construction projects. Our in-built communication tools help with timely information sharing. This approach helps general contractors and subs quickly share information and clarification to speed up the bidding process. The threaded message approach helps users track specific emails without reviewing every message.

Automatic Scope Detection

Manual page turn is a nightmare and time-consuming process. Construction professionals have to review between 50 and 500 construction pages to identify scopes. They mostly experience the following problems:

• Rushed Estimating - It’s easy to miss crucial details if the estimating team manually reviews construction plans. They mostly rush to beat project timelines and milestones. The mistakes result in delays and unnecessary change orders that stall the project. 
• Poor Bid Participation - Subcontractors rely on project scopes to understand requirements and create comprehensive bids. You’ll notice little to no bids on your projects. Bidding subcontractors will also overprice the projects to accommodate for unforeseeable situations. 

Downtobid beats Blue Book Network by automating scope detection within minutes. Estimators don’t have to spend around 8 hours to manually identify scopes. Besides the extended period, the process is also error-prone, even for a seasoned professional. 

Here is how our software works:

You upload your construction plans, which must be in PDF format and not exceed 1GB. Our AI starts scanning the documents to detect potential scopes, which takes between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the project’s size and complexity. Ensure you include a valid email address when uploading the documents since our software sends an email alert when the progress is completed

Our AI is extremely accurate, ensuring it doesn’t miss any details. This approach reduces scope gaps and ensures subcontractors submit comprehensive bids. 

The team can use the extra time to focus on other aspects, such as market research and estimating costs. 

Subcontractor Network

We vet and verify each subcontractor on our network, unlike Blue Book Network. We ensure only the best and most qualified subs are listed in our database to improve the platform’s efficiency and reputation. 

How We Verify Our Subcontractors

Our fool-proof verification process allows us to select only the most qualified and honest subcontractors countrywide. Here’s how we achieve these results:

Subcontractor Discovery

With years of working in the construction industry, we know where and how to find qualified subs. We start by focusing on specific regions by analyzing local data from online directories, industry databases, and referrals from trusted general contractors, suppliers, and subs. 

Our team also analyzes their online presence, such as social media profiles like LinkedIn and websites. This approach helps us collect as much information about every sub as possible. It also helps our team verify every subcontractor’s details, such as experience, qualifications, and contact details.

Comprehensive Subcontractor Mapping

We leverage Google Maps’ API to target specific regions countrywide. This way, general contractors are guaranteed to find subcontractors in every town in the US. This approach also helps general contractors search for subs based on their trade, which narrows the search and targets specific subs. 

Automated Data Verification

Stop spending hours verifying each subcontractor you contact. Instead, rely on our web-scrapping tool that extracts crucial subcontractor information, such as qualifications and past projects, within minutes. It then updates the database with the latest data to keep the list fresh and accurate. 

This approach helps general contractors view crucial details, such as average project sizes, updated work history, MWBE status, operational areas, and union/non-union distinctions. 

Direct Decision Maker Contact

Email addresses listed on subcontractors’ websites and social media accounts are mostly outdated and rarely opened. General contractors who send bid invites to these emails never receive responses. 

That’s why we target key decision-makers through their LinkedIn profiles. Our software script extracts email addresses from this social media platform and uses third-party services to verify each address’s authenticity. This approach ensures we have active email addresses of decision-makers, who are more likely to respond to bid invites. 

How to Use Downtobid Network

Our platform is straightforward to use even for new users. 

Click on the Search Link to a subcontractor search page. 

Look for ‘Trade’ and ‘Location’ and type the specific trade and the region you wish to recruit your subcontractors. For instance, you could search for 'Electrical' subcontractors in 'Atlanta' to target subs offering these services in that region. You can also customize your search to provide specific results through filters like ‘Project Type,’ ‘Union Status,’ and ‘Certifications.’ 

Click search, and you’ll get a list of recommended subcontractors matching the search query. The search results include profile summaries with details such as specialized trade, work experience, and location. You’ll also see their contact details, such as phone number, business address, and website. 

You can view a subcontractor’s full profile by clicking their name or the ‘Details’ button. The search results also allow you to compare different subcontractors and choose those that align with project requirements. 

Pricing Plans

It's clear that Downtobid Network is far better than Bluebook Network. However, how much does it cost, and is it worth the investment?

We offer more affordable membership plans without hidden fees. We offer a demo account and two categories of paid plans - Starter ($150/m) and Pro ($500/m). The Starter Plan can handle unlimited active projects, supports up to 3 users, and has a dedicated bid coordinator. The Pro Plan contains everything in Starter, sublist cleanup and migration, and DTB subnetwork, and supports up to 10 users. To learn more about Blue Book pricing, click here.

You can also contact our customer service rep if you need a custom plan. We’re always happy to hear from you. 

We won’t surprise you with unwanted upgrades or lock you in long-term contracts. Our flexible payment terms allow you to only pay for as long as you need to use our services. 

You can click here to order a demo and try out our software with no hidden fees. 

Final Thoughts

Blue Book Network has been around for a long time, helping general contractors connect with local subs. However, the platform is outdated, with inactive leads and overpriced subscription plans. Downtobid Network offers more functionality by connecting you to active, vetted, and qualified local subs. Try our demo today and use the platform risk-free.