Building Connected vs. Procore vs. Downtobid - A 2024 Analysis

Construction software programs are gaining popularity due to their effectiveness in streamlining construction operations. Their speed, accuracy, and automation eliminate guesswork, helping project owners reduce errors and stay ahead of schedule. Building Connected, Procore, and Downtobid are prime examples of such programs. 

This guide reviews the three programs to help you choose a suitable option for your next project. Let’s begin with a tool we know best - Downtobid. 

Downtobid - Best for Preconstruction

The preconstruction phase is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire project. There are also so many details and information exchanges at this stage that minor errors and delays are unacceptable. We created our software to streamline the preconstruction phase through automation, speed, and accuracy. Our software handles everything, from identifying construction jobs to streamlining bidding and inviting subcontractors.

Key Features

Our software is a clear standout in the construction industry, and here is why:

AI Copilot

Artificial intelligence has significantly improved the construction industry, with improved software programs and bots like drones helping to improve efficiency. These different construction AI tools are speeding up the whole process. Our AI Copilot acts as your personal assistant handling all administrative tasks, allowing you to focus on other crucial aspects, like contract negotiations. 

First, our AI improves page turns, speeding up the preconstruction phase. Traditionally, page turns were done manually, which took a long time and was error-prone. A task that requires a couple of people and weeks of work now needs only one person and takes less than an hour to complete. You could say our software saves you money and time.

The AI reads the construction documents for accuracy and completeness to eliminate scope gaps, which are every project’s nightmare. It also handles repetitive preconstruction tasks like bid analysis to help you select the most accurate proposal. 

Subcontractor recruitment is an exhausting and time-consuming process. Luckily, our AI Copilot helps to detect potential scopes in your construction plans and recommend qualified local subs. Construction managers use our platform to connect and form long-term partnerships with highly qualified subcontractors. 

Personalized Bid Invites in Minutes

Subcontractors rely on bid invites to identify opportunities and understand project requirements. Unfortunately, the majority of bid invite template structures are generic and identical, and subcontractors rarely pay attention to them. That’s why we opted for personalized bid invites. 

We realized that subs would likely open and respond to bid invites addressed directly to them. We start with customized and attention-grabbing email headlines to trigger and improve open rates. Each email contains key project details, such as detected scopes, project requirements, timeline, location, budget, and size. 

Subcontractors can understand project requirements by reading the bid invite without reviewing lengthy documents. They can also respond directly to these emails, which increases bid participation and inquiries. 

Collaborative Tools

Construction projects rely on teams to achieve objectives. These teams can be large, depending on the project’s size and complexity, and proper collaboration is crucial to the operation’s success. That’s why we have several tools to achieve this. 

Our communication tools help streamline information sharing by ensuring real-time communication. The threaded messaging capability ensures users can track specific emails, like an invoice, without reading through hundreds of messages. You can also respond directly from our platform without needing an email app. This approach speeds up communication and promotes data-driven decisions. 

Our sub-centric planroom ensures everyone can access the latest construction documents. This approach eliminates delays and boosts collaboration, which ensures the team completes the project on time and per requirements. 

Project managers can assign tasks and track progress from one platform. They can evaluate performance and take corrective measures to improve the project’s outcome. 

Now that we know what Downtobid is, let’s see how the software works. 

How to Use Downtobid - Step-by-Step Guide

Our software is straightforward to use with the following steps:

Click here to request a demo: https://downtobid.com/contact-us. 

Upload your construction plans, which must be less than 1 GB and in PDF format. Name your project so that you can track it and stay organized. Enter a valid email address where you’ll receive notifications. 

Our AI scans the uploaded documents to create comprehensive bid packages. The process takes between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the project’s size and complexity.

The system will notify you once the process is completed. 

Log in to your dashboard to access the bid packages. Each bid package has neatly arranged information, such as a scope summary, plan sections with scopes, and a list of local relevant subs.

This approach helps subcontractors understand project requirements by only reading the email. 

Proposed Bidding Schedule

Subcontractors receive hundreds of bid invites, making it difficult to keep track of every message. It’s also difficult to know when they can take on new projects or be active online. Our proposed bidding schedule approach removes the guesswork and ensures bid invites are sent to the right subcontractors at the best time. 

Our AI analyzes the subcontractor’s availability and online activities. We then send bid invites to subs who are actively looking for similar projects. Combining this automation with personalized bid invites results in remarkable bid participation. We’re currently among the best in the industry, with a 30% bid participation rate. 

We also have follow-ups to engage qualified subcontractors who haven’t responded to initial bid invites. We don’t believe mass mailing our subcontractors could have significant results. Instead, we focus on a targeted approach where we send two to three emails reminding the subs of the proposed project. We included filters to track how interested subs are for better organization.

This approach respects the subcontractors’ space without overwhelming them with emails. Mass mailing is counterproductive and annoying, and you risk the subcontractors ignoring or marking your bid invites as spam. 

Centralized Planroom

Construction documents play a crucial role in the project’s success. It’s what subcontractors use to understand project requirements and use as blueprints during construction. That’s why centralized document management is crucial. 

We have numbered and titled every page to help subcontractors easily track specific documents. Traditionally, subcontractors spent hours identifying opportunities, which was tedious work. Our planroom saves you time and headaches and ensures you can access any document in real time. 

Pricing Plan

Downtobid offers free and paid plans. The free trial is perfect for testing the software and supports one trial project. The paid plans are of two categories - Starter Plan ($150 per month) and supports unlimited active projects, can accommodate 3 users, and has a dedicated bid coordinator. The Pro Plan ($500 per month) and contains everything in the Starter Plan and more. You can access the DTB sub-network, offer sublist cleanup and migration, and can accommodate 10 users. 

Building Connected - All-In-One Construction Solution

Despite criticisms in Building Connected's reviews, they remain a popular choice for larger construction projects. The platform is known for streamlining preconstruction and construction management, which speeds up project delivery. Building Connected also has an extensive subcontractor network from across the country, ensuring contractors can tap into a pool of experienced subcontractors. Learn more here.

Key Features

Here are a few standout features of this construction management tool.

Branded Bid Invites

Building Connected allows users to customize their bid invites to include details such as names, logos, and even a specific color. This approach makes your ITB unique and helps subcontractors easily identify them once they’re sent. It also increases bid participation, helping you target specific subs.

Although the ITBs are unique, the information in each bid package template is still generic. Subcontractors have to review lengthy construction documents to find additional information to better understand project requirements. 

They also offer a bid board to track all the subcontractors you invite. You can read our comparison guide of Building Connected's Bid Board vs ours.

Cloud-Based Storage

The construction management tool allows you to integrate Autodesk Docs and share files with other users on the go. The centralized cloud storage ensures all files are accessible using different devices and that everyone is working with the latest information. 

Unfortunately, the platform has a poor loading speed which impacts file retrieval efforts. It gets worse when working on larger files, which leads to delays and frustrations. The low loading speed also hampers timely information sharing, and it’s common for teams to have to redo the work due to delayed addenda and feedback sharing. 

Massive Subcontractor Network

Building Connected has over 1 million vetted subcontractors registered to their platforms. Its huge subcontractor database helps general contractors easily assemble their construction teams and keep up with the project’s schedule. 

However, a majority of users have complained of inactive or poorly qualified subcontractors using Building Connected. They also mentioned outdated subcontractor contact details, making it difficult to contact ideal subs to take on projects. 

Pricing Plan

Building Connected offers a tiered pricing plan where you pay for the features you require for your project. You must contact customer support for a quotation. However, the platform has a free plan with limited features and not ideal for large-scale construction projects. 

You can look at this article to see if BuildingConnected is valuable.

Pros

• Unlimited bid invites
• Streamlines bid management
• Branded bid invites
• Unlimited project file storage

Cons

• Limited mobile functionality
• Lack of pricing transparency
• Limited free trial
• Outdated contact details
• Generic bid invites

Procore - Best for Large-Scale Construction Operations

Procore is among the biggest construction management platforms, and it’s mostly preferred for complex operations like commercial construction projects. The feature-rich platform streamlines bid management improves estimates, and saves time, allowing the construction team to focus on important things, like connecting with vendors. The platform’s performance security is also among the best, ensuring all your data is encrypted and safe from prying eyes. It also has an impressive loading speed, allowing you to access the site properly within a few seconds. 

Key Features

Here are a few standout reasons why Procore is among the best.

Financial Management

Tracking construction expenses is a nightmare, especially when done manually. You can save time by using Procore’s financial management tool to track expenses and keep the project on budget. The platform integrates well with QuickBooks and Xero, automating accounting and eliminating manual data entry. 

Comprehensive Construction Management

Procore contains all the tools to keep the team organized and focused on projects. The tools streamline bidding, communication, data sharing, and document management. The outstanding customer support helps users whenever they experience problems. Site access is often an issue, especially when many users are using the platform simultaneously. That’s why Procore uses Ray ID to track specific browser-related issues. 

Try to update your browser if you experience problems, such as failure to view this site properly. 

Procore has a network of subcontractors you can use to invite relevant subs to bid on your project.

Custom Project Reports

Gathering data and compiling it into meaningful reports is a long and complex process. However, the software allows you to automate report generation, which saves you time and costs. You can also generate reports based on a specific date or department, allowing you to track project progress accurately. 

Pricing Plan

Procore offers customized pricing plans, allowing you to pay for the features you need. You must contact customer support to get a quotation. Next, we will go over the pros and cons so you can see if Procore is worth it.

Pros

• Custom reports
• Impressive performance security
• Outstanding customer support

Cons

• Lack of pricing transparency
• A steeper learning curve
• Doesn’t suit small projects
• Limited mobile functionality