Building Connected Reviews: Features, Insights, and Alternative
Written by Bridget Cooper
Building Connected is a popular construction software with over 700,000 users. The platform handles bid invites, packages, tracking, and subcontractor proposals in one place. On paper, the platform has it all: collaborative tools, bid tracking, and a huge subcontractor database. However, bigger isn’t always better in the construction industry.
This guide will review Building Connected to see if it meets the hype. We’ll also recommend a much better alternative after our analysis.
Areas Where Building Connected Falls Short
After interacting with several users, we created a list of complaints. We’ll focus on unique problems on GCs and subs and how our software addresses these concerns.
Lack Of Pricing Transparency
One of the biggest frustrations users face with Building Connected is its non-transparent pricing model. Many report hidden fees and unexpected costs that add up quickly, making it difficult to predict expenses. This lack of clarity can lead to budgeting issues and is a significant drawback for contractors and subcontractors seeking a more straightforward financial structure.
Many contractors have reported the costs can go as high as $10,000 for 5 users.
Data Quality
Accurate data is crucial for effective bid management, but Building Connected often falls short in this area. Users encounter issues with outdated Building Connected subcontractor information and limited control over their own data, resulting in inefficiencies and potential delays. For a system that contractors rely on, real-time and accurate information is essential. Most information is outdated. Many subs in their network have outdated contact details.
Poor User Experience
Users frequently report a cluttered planroom interface and limited automation, meaning that tasks like sending reminders still require manual input. Additionally, subcontractors must create accounts just to view bids, which can lead to frustration and lower engagement.
Messy Planroom
Subcontractors use planrooms to access project documents. Unfortunately, Building Connected has a poorly organized planroom. This forces subs to download all construction documents to find relevant trades.
Technical Issues
Besides the poor user experience, the platform still experiences technical issues. They include:
- Minimal maintenance since the Autodesk acquisition
- No way to verify invalid contacts
- Generic ITBs that trigger spam filters
- A messy planroom
- Subcontractors don’t update their data
- Limited functionality for regional contractors
Mandatory Account Creation
Subcontractors using Building Connected are forced to create an account to access construction documents. It’s a frustrating step that many subs avoid, which shrinks the pool of competitive bid lists. GCs experience lower bid participation and are forced to manually recruit subs. Many users have reported wanting more lenient document control and access.
Poor ITBs
Generic bid invitations might have worked a decade ago, but they’re absolute today for several reasons. They’re identical, which makes it easy for subs to miss important invites. Most of them lack crucial details, like scope sheets and timelines, which leaves subcontractors confused and submitting incomplete bids. Subcontractors also have to deal with hundreds of irrelevant ITBs, which clog up the mail.
No Direct Email Replies
Building Connected doesn’t support direct email replies and forces users to log in to the platform. It’s frustrating, especially when working on tight schedules.
Notifications Filtered to Spam Folders
Users have complained about Building Connected notifications ending up in spam folders. This approach makes it easy to miss crucial emails, such as follow-ups or addenda, which affects collaboration.
Building Connected sends hundreds of emails to its users. Most of these emails are general messages, such as an update to terms of use or an upcoming event. It’s hard for users to track important messages with identical emails. What’s even worse is that they cannot unsubscribe from unwanted communication.
Notifications Filtered to Spam Folders
Users have complained about Building Connected notifications ending up in spam folders. This approach makes it easy to miss crucial emails, such as follow-ups or addenda, which affects collaboration.
Building Connected sends hundreds of emails to its users. Most of these emails are general messages, such as an update to terms of use or an upcoming event. It’s hard for users to track important messages with identical emails. What’s even worse is that they cannot unsubscribe from unwanted communication.
Is Building Connected Worth It?
The best way to determine if Building Connected is worth it is to analyze the pricing plans. This way, we can find out if it offers value for money.
Membership Plans
Pricing is where Building Connected begins to slip. They’re not transparent with subscription fees. You must contact the sales team to get a quotation. On the upside, membership plan customization makes sense as you only pay for what you need. On the downside, the fees could add up to thousands of dollars. There’s also the limitation on number of users.
Looking at this information, it’s fair to say that Building Connected is disappointing for such a huge name in the construction industry. Why wait hours to know how much you should pay to access the platform? What about hidden charges? What about a huge construction company with many users and offices? It’s easier to overrun your budget when you account for everything. That sounds like a turn-off. General contractors have much to worry about, and their time is best spent reviewing bids and collaborating with subs.
How about software that offers everything included in Building Connected and more? It improves the bidding process through personalized ITBs, has a free and well-organized planroom, centralized communication, and offers transparent pricing plans. Wouldn’t that save you time and cost?
That’s where Downtobid comes in.
Introducing Downtobid: A Better Alternative
After speaking directly with general contractors and understanding their key pain points, we created Downtobid—a tool specifically designed to address the gaps left by other bid management platforms like Building Connected. We simplify it and streamline the bidding process, offering contractors an intuitive, transparent, and efficient solution.
We have successfully integrated AI with our software to eliminate manual page turns and data entry. This way, you’re guaranteed comprehensive bid coverage to eliminate scope gaps and errors. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
How Downtobid Solves These Problems
Here's how Downtobid solves the shortcomings of Building Connected.
Transparent Pricing
One of the major issues we heard from contractors was the frustration over hidden fees and unclear pricing. Our software has a straightforward pricing model with no hidden costs, ensuring that you know exactly what you’re paying for from the start. Our goal is to provide a solution that’s both budget-friendly and value-driven. Our Starter plan is $150/m for up to 3 users or our Pro plan which is $500/m for up to 10.
Superior Data Quality
With direct control over data and a constantly updated subcontractor network, Downtobid ensures you always have the latest information at your fingertips. We heard from contractors that outdated contacts and inefficient data management cost them valuable time, so we prioritized data accuracy and user control to boost project efficiency. Fortunately, we have a rigorous verification process to ensure authentic and up-to-date information. We also pull information from local databases and Google Maps to target local subs. We leverage AI and a multi-source verification process that ensures an accurate, up-to-date subcontractor database.
Improved Bid Engagement
Downtobid only sends proposal invites relevant to your trade. We tailor messages to every user to ensure you only get project-related alerts. This way, you’re guaranteed any bid invite from us will reflect your line of work. Our software also improves subcontractor participation by creating personalized bids that directly address subs. Each bid invite contains a scope summary and other crucial details, such as project due dates, size, and budget.
Enhanced Communication
Our software has customized ITBs, direct email replies, and targeted notification alerts that make communication simpler and more effective. We allow you to reply directly to emails, send personalized ITBs, and filter subs by how interested they are in bidding. The threaded email approach makes it easy to track specific messages in a few seconds without browsing through countless emails.
User-Friendly Platform
We heard cluttered interfaces and a lack of automation made other platforms frustrating to use. That’s why Downtobid features a streamlined, intuitive Planroom and automated reminders to keep you on track with minimal manual effort. Additionally, subcontractors can view and respond to bids without needing to create an account, ensuring smooth and accessible engagement.
Showcase features like a well-organized Planroom, personalized bids, and automated reminders that reduce admin work and make the platform easy to navigate. Our planroom is free for any invited sub. This approach helps subs identify ideal trade opportunities and quickly craft compelling bids.
Easy Bid Board To Track Bids
Managing bids efficiently can be challenging, especially when dealing with multiple projects and tight deadlines. Downtobid’s Bid Board offers a powerful, organized solution for tracking bids at every stage, providing a clear overview of active, pending, and completed bids all in one place. With features like real-time status updates, automated reminders, and easy navigation, the Bid Board ensures you stay on top of your projects effortlessly.
Better Organization
General contractors have the lion’s share of complaints, such as low subcontractor engagement. The platform uses bidding intent features, which aren’t great for tracking bid participation. Downtobid clearly shows when a sub is not bidding, interested, and bidding. This way, GCs can track real-time bid performance.
How Downtobid Works
Sign up for a demo here.
Upload your project plans, and let AI handle the heavy lifting.
The AI thoroughly analyzes each page of your plan set, identifies the scope, and organizes bid packages tailored to your project’s needs. This process typically takes 10-30 minutes, depending on the project’s complexity. Once complete, you'll receive an email notification with your ready-to-send bid packages.
After logging in, you’ll see a comprehensive list of bid packages generated by the AI Copilot. For each bid package, you'll receive a streamlined scope sheet that includes:
- A brief description of the bid package
- Specific instances where scope has been identified within the plans
- A curated list of qualified, local subcontractors ready for invitation
If you’re a GC with a preferred list of subs, you can invite your own contacts, or take advantage of Downtobid’s extensive subcontractor network.
Additionally, the AI generates a recommended bidding schedule to ensure ITBs are sent at the best possible times. Each ITB includes personalized details and a concise scope summary, allowing subcontractors to quickly assess if the project aligns with their expertise, without the need to sift through complex plans. Follow-up reminders are also scheduled automatically, with timing and frequency tailored to the approaching proposal deadline.
The Planroom is designed for easy access, allowing subcontractors to view relevant drawings without needing to create an account. They can quickly see only the sheets that pertain to their specific scope of work. With fast performance and automatic sheet splitting, the process is streamlined, making it easier for subcontractors to assess job opportunities efficiently.
What It Boils Down To...
When it comes to bid management, accurate data, clear pricing, and smooth communication are critical. Building Connected may have the name recognition and large user base, but it falls short in several crucial areas, from outdated subcontractor information to hidden costs and frustrating limitations on communication. General contractors and subcontractors alike face barriers that can slow down project timelines and increase costs. Find out more here.
Downtobid addresses these challenges head-on. With its transparent pricing model, high-quality data, and streamlined communication features, we offer a practical and cost-effective solution that prioritizes user experience and efficiency. By leveraging advanced AI technology and real-time updates, Downtobid is engineered to simplify the bidding process, so you can focus on what matters most—winning bids and completing projects.
Here are some areas where Downtobid really stands out from Building Connected.
Improved Data Quality
Building Connected has a huge subcontractor database, making it easier for general contractors to find and recruit subs. Unfortunately, the platform relies on subs to update their data and availability, and subs don’t do this. This approach leads to inaccurate data, such as outdated contact details, which impacts bid participation. General contractors aren’t allowed to maintain their own databases, which is a downside, especially for those who want to maintain their privacy.
Luckily, Downtobid doesn’t have these limitations. We have a multi-step verification process to match the right sub to new projects.
Our AI helps crawl the subcontractor’s website and accurately categorize their trade. We also check the subcontractor’s portfolio to recommend projects that match their skills and accomplishments. Our system emails every sub to verify whether the email address remains active. Unlike our competitors, we pull data from multiple sources, such as Google Maps and local databases, to target local subs.
More Bid Coverage
Building Connected uses “Bidding Intent” buttons, which are less effective today. This approach shows many subcontractors listed as “Undecided,” which forces general contractors to call to confirm bidding intention. Couple that with outdated contact details, and the process becomes a time sink.
At Downtobid, we understand time is crucial for general contractors. That’s why we use AI to categorize responses into three states - not bidding, interested, and bidding. This way, you can get a clear picture of bid coverage. We also use email-based and personalized ITBs with a 30% response rate from qualified subs.
Try A Free Demo Today
Don’t just take our word for it—experience Downtobid's benefits firsthand. Our free demo provides an in-depth look at our user-friendly interface, accurate subcontractor network, and innovative bidding features. See how our software can transform your bidding process, eliminate inefficiencies, and improve your bottom line. Start your free demo today and make bid management simpler, smarter, and more cost-effective.