ConstructionWire vs Downtobid - Side-By-Side Comparison (Updated 2024)

Efficiency is the driving force behind the current success experienced in the construction industry. Success in this industry hinges on having the right tools to identify new construction projects and create compelling bids. ConstructionWire and Downtobid are standout tools utilized by many general contractors and subs to find more jobs and connect with the right construction professionals.

This article reviews the two platforms, focusing on key features to help you choose a tool that fits your project’s requirements. But first, let’s examine a tool we know best - our very own Downtobid. 

Note: If you want to leverage AI to find subs, manage invites, and get 100% bid coverage, try Downtobid. Simply upload your project plans and get connected with verified subs from around the nation. Our Ai tools personalized bid invites receive an average of 30% more responses. Click here to get started with a demo.

What is Downtobid

Downtobid is a construction bid management platform designed for general contractors, subs, and estimating teams. We were inspired to create our platform after chatting with hundreds of contractors who weren’t satisfied with other platforms. They complained of basic services, such as generic bid invites, lack of collaborative tools, and messy planrooms that complicated bidding. 

Let’s explore our software more. 

Key Features

Here are a few reasons why we're the best construction bidding website.

AI Copilot

At the heart of our software is an AI copilot that simplifies the bidding process. We included this technology to help subs identify new construction projects quickly without reviewing countless bid invites. Our AI copilot scans your email inbox, identifies suitable project bid invites, and checks them to identify potential scope, material, and labor requirements. 

The AI copilot reduces the workload and saves the cost of hiring people to review each bid invite. Additionally, it eliminates scope gaps to help you create comprehensive bids covering the entire project requirements. Estimators use it to detect material and labor requirements for accurate estimates. Our software's simplicity puts us at the top of the best AI project tools.

Centralized Bid Management

Construction bidding is a lengthy multi-step process. Traditionally, construction teams required several tools to accomplish it, but our software changed that. We have centralized every bidding tool on one platform to help streamline the bidding process.

Our software integrates with your email address and identifies bid invites that match your experience. It then scans each bid invite to identify scopes and help you create relevant and accurate bids. You can also assign tasks to the bidding team and track progress to streamline the process. Doing so helps you identify each team member’s performance and take corrective measures. 

Bid comparison helps general contractors review bids side-by-side to select the one that aligns well with project requirements. This approach ensures that only the best trade contractor is selected.

Collaborative Tools

Construction teams work better in teams, and our software makes this possible. You can onboard your entire construction team and have them work in a centralized location. They can access every tool they need for preconstruction activities without additional cost. 

Designers and architects can download, edit, and upload recent construction plans in real time. Estimators can review project documents to come up with estimates without needing a different platform. Subcontractors can access all project information and work with the latest data to deliver the project per requirements. 

We believe in open and transparent communication. Our centralized communication channel helps the construction team receive and send real-time updates and feedback. The threaded messages help the team track specific emails without reviewing hundreds of messages. 

The subcontractor-centric planroom ensures the subs can track specific documents and quickly identify construction jobs. They can also download the plans for offline use, speeding up the preconstruction phase. 

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

How to Use Downtobid 

Our software is straightforward to use with the following steps: 

Click here to sign up for a demo. 

After someone from our team reaches out to you, we'll walk you through how our software works. Once you create an account, you’ll be prompted to upload your construction plans to help the software understand your project and provide accurate information. 

The documents should be in PDF and not exceed 1GB. Ensure you enter a correct email address for this to work. 

Once uploaded, our software will scan the documents to detect scopes and create a bid package. The process takes between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the project’s size and complexity. 

You’ll receive an email alert once the process is completed, and you must log in to the dashboard to access the new bid packages.

Each bid package contains the following:

• A bid package summary detailing everything inside the documents. 
• Ever plan sections where the AI has detected scopes. 
• A list of local suitable subs matching the scopes.

It’s common not to hear back from selected subcontractors because they might be busy with other construction projects or have missed your email. Our proposed bid schedule feature helps you send bid invites at the most opportune time to increase bid participation. The software scans when the subs are online and sends them the bid invites to guarantee they see them. This approach has increased the bidding engagement by 30%, making our tool one of the best in the construction industry. 

We also have follow-ups to help engage subs who haven’t responded to bid invites. We space them well to avoid overwhelming the subs and maintain the project’s seriousness. 

Users can respond to bid invites from the subcontractor bidding site. They can use the planroom to access construction documents relevant to their trade. They can also use the platform to identify new construction projects and decide whether they align with their skills and experience. 

They can also track the status of their construction bids to know if they’re received or still pending. You can label and filter subs based on their responsiveness and interest.

Pricing Plan

We charge $150/m for our basic plan. it comes with a dedicated bid coordinator and up yo 3 users. Our Pro plan is $500/m and includes up to 10 users.

ConstructionWire

ConstructionWire by BuildCentral is a lead generation database best known for providing private and commercial construction projects. The database has over 580,000 new construction projects in their preconstruction and bidding stages. The platform provides three reports (project, company, and people reports) to help you win more contracts. 

Key Features

Here are a few things to expect from ConstructionWire. 

Relationship Insight

The platform allows you to see everyone involved in the project. This way, you can identify which construction companies you have worked with in the past and re-establish a connection. It also gives you an opportunity to explore new partnership opportunities with new companies working on similar projects. You can also team up with other companies during the bidding process to improve your bidding strategies. It’s not just a construction project database but also a networking platform. 

Unfortunately, the platform doesn’t allow you to create comprehensive bids as it’s limited to lead management. You'd be forced to use another construction bidding website, and we had to use Downtobid for the bid management process. 

Project Tracking Tools

The platform allows you to streamline the lead nurturing process by organizing and categorizing leads into different folders. For instance, you can organize leads based on location, phase, or type. This way, you can track each lead individually and nurture potential relationships. You can increase your chances of turning leads into long-term construction projects. 

However, we did find it difficult to verify lead quality. The software doesn’t filter unsuitable leads, making it difficult to target high-quality leads. 

Detailed Contact Information

The platform provides more contact details to speed up communication. You can access the phone numbers and email addresses of key decision-makers. This way, you can connect with the right people and improve the chances of forming long-term relationships for future projects. Construction companies rely on ConstructionWIre to find new project owners and partner with other construction professionals. 

Pricing Plan

ConstructionWire offers tiered pricing plans. The cost can vary depending on the team size and key features. However, they do have a 7-day free trial that is enough to familiarize yourself with ConstructionWire. You must contact the sales team to get a quotation. 

Pros

• Massive construction project database.
• Streamlined lead management
• Detailed contacts

Cons

• Unverified lead quality.
• Lack of pricing transparency.
• Limited to lead management.
• Intense lead competition. 
• Uncertain return on investment. 

Final Thoughts

An effective construction team and accessing the right projects are crucial to every construction company’s success. Although ConstructionWire provides access to construction projects, you cannot bid on these construction projects from the platform. On the other hand, Downtobid allows you to do both, making it a great option for preconstruction project management. 

You can access centralized bidding tools to help you create comprehensive bids. You can also use AI to discover new construction projects and check for bid completeness. Try our software today and take advantage of the power of automation.