How Much Does Bid Board Pro Cost? Unveiling the Price

BuildingConnected’s Bid Board Pro, is a well-known bid management platform connecting contractors and subcontractors. General contractors (GCs) often use it to send out project invites, while subcontractors rely on it to organize their bids. The tool’s popularity stems from its large network – but it’s also notorious for relatively high costs and little upfront pricing transparency.

In short: BuildingConnected can be a game-changer for managing bids and plan distribution, but you have to weigh whether its subscription fees are worth it for your business size and needs. Below, we’ll detail typical cost structures, feedback from users, and what drives the price up or down.

1. Typical Cost & Subscription Structure

BuildingConnected does not publish clear, fixed prices on its website. Instead, you have to request a sales demo and get a custom quote. However, based on user conversations and industry sources, the starting cost of Building Connected for the professional version often cited is around $3,600 per year (about $300/month) for a base-level subscription – but that can vary widely.

Factors Affecting Pricing

• Company Size or Revenue: Some subcontractors report that BuildingConnected ties cost to your annual revenue. For instance, a sub might pay $5,000/year if they’re a $10 million outfit, with price increments as they grow.
• Number of Users: The more logins you need for your team, the higher the subscription tier often becomes.
• Geographical Scope: Some packages allow coverage of bigger regions or multiple offices. Each expansion might increase the quote.
• Contract Length: Multi-year contracts can sometimes lower the monthly rate, but lock you in. Single-year or month-to-month deals might cost more overall, assuming they’re even offered.

Sticker Shock

Many small firms or subcontractors report “sticker shock” when they first see the quote. They’d expected a simpler “pay-as-you-go” approach but discovered that $3,600–$5,000/year is standard. Larger construction companies can pay significantly more—sometimes well over $10k/year—if they have multiple offices or specialized add-ons. Still, BuildingConnected has a free entry-level tier for basic features, but the robust “pro” features cost extra.

How the Pricing Model Compares to Others

• PlanHub: GCs can post for free; subs pay premium tiers for bigger coverage or advanced features. Plans may start around $1,199/year.
• ConstructConnect: Another aggregator with a giant directory. Pricing can exceed $3,600 for a single region, plus more if you want bigger coverage.
• Procore: A broader project management suite, where Bidding is just a module. Typically more expensive than BuildingConnected, well into five figures for mid-to-large construction firms.
• Downtobid: A more recent competitor focusing on automation at a simpler, transparent monthly cost that’s significantly lower. (See below.)

Meet Downtobid

If BuildingConnected’s cost or limited automation features don’t quite meet your needs, Downtobid's bid board offers a more budget-friendly, straightforward monthly plan. Subscriptions begin at $150/month for smaller teams and $500/month for up to 10 users—well below BuildingConnected’s typical quotes.

Downtobid also adds practical automation to your bidding process:

• Email Scanning to detect invite emails, so you’re not manually re-entering details.
• Scope Identification to review project plans and suggest relevant divisions or trades, reducing the chance you miss critical work areas.
• Verified Network to invite subs with up-to date contacts compared to outdated networks like Bluebook.

Billing is transparent—no multi-year lock-ins or unclear fees. For subcontractors seeking essential bid management plus extra time-saving tools, Downtobid delivers a simpler, lower-cost approach than BuildingConnected.

Key takeaway: BuildingConnected’s subscription sits on the higher end of the mid-range bracket. Some solutions cost more, but they typically offer more specialized or enterprise-level tools. Others cost less (or have free tiers) but might have smaller networks. If a large network is your main attraction, BuildingConnected might be worth the premium. But if you only need an efficient system for storing bids, you can explore cheaper or more modern alternatives.

2. What You’re Paying For: Core Features & Value

Given the price, it’s crucial to understand what BuildingConnected provides:

• Centralized Bid Tracking
  Subcontractors get an "online bid board,” gathering all bid invites in one place. This helps avoid missed invites or overlapping deadlines.

• Network Effects
  GCs love BuildingConnected’s large subcontractor database. Subs benefit from being visible to many GCs on the platform.

• Prequalification & Basic Takeoffs
  There are integrated tools for subs to fill out prequal forms or do quick takeoff calculations, though many users say they still use separate software for robust estimating.

• Collaboration & Analytics
  Teams can assign tasks, track who’s responsible for each bid, and run reports on how many bids they’ve submitted or won.

  Learn mroe about the different features here.

Is It Worth the Cost?

This depends on how actively you use the platform. For a high-volume subcontractor responding to multiple invites every day, it will save time and can justify the subscription. For GCs who rely on a robust sub directory, the $3k+ might be a drop in the bucket compared to the value of a wide outreach. But for smaller subcontractors who only see a handful of invites each month—or for GCs who have an established sub list—the cost might feel steep.

3. Feedback from Users: Pros and Cons on Pricing

Pros

• Organized Bids: Users praise the single dashboard for upcoming deadlines or due dates and easy tracking. This clarity often means fewer missed opportunities.
• Network Visibility: Being active on BuildingConnected can lead to more invites from GCs who browse the subcontractor directory.
• Collaboration: Teams can share project files, messages, and notes without rummaging through email threads.

Cons

• Lack of Transparency: You have to talk to sales for a custom quote, and the final number can be surprisingly high.
• “Spray-and-Pray” Invites: A large directory can mean you get blasted with irrelevant bids outside your niche if GCs aren’t careful.
• Features vs. Price: Some see advanced features as lacking (e.g., no auto-detection of invites from your inbox, or only partial takeoff tools). This leads them to question if $3,600–$5,000+ is justified.
• Slow Development: Since Autodesk’s acquisition, users occasionally complain about fewer meaningful updates or innovations—yet the cost remains premium.

In short: BuildingConnected’s strong network effect can be powerful, but you may face disappointment if you expected more robust automation or if the cost/benefit doesn’t align with the volume of bids you handle.

4. Why People Pay for BuildingConnected Anyway

• Access to Many GCs: If a big chunk of your general contractor clients use BuildingConnected to send invites, it may be a cost of doing business to keep your invites organized.
• Brand Recognition: BuildingConnected is well-known, so showing you’re on it might help you connect with new GCs.
• Time Saved: Larger teams with multiple estimators can better coordinate who’s bidding what, ensuring no duplication or missed invites.
• Collaboration & Basic Takeoff: Some appreciate the integrated approach, despite partial limitations.

However, the payoff can be questionable for smaller subs or GCs with fewer invites per month. If you’re not using all the features, the subscription might feel like an expensive overhead.

5. Final Thoughts + A Lower-Cost, Automated Bid Tracking Alternative: Downtobid

BuildingConnected’s pricing hovers in the $3,600–$5,000+ per year range for many users, and that can climb higher depending on your size or user seats. The service does unify bid tracking, offer a big network, and potentially save you time. If you handle a high volume of invites—especially from GCs who rely on BuildingConnected—it can be worth the cost. But the lack of transparent pricing and the hefty annual fee are drawbacks for many.

Bottom Line

If you have the budget, rely heavily on BuildingConnected’s existing GC network, and need the brand recognition, you may decide the subscription is worth it. But if you’re looking to cut costs, or want more robust automation of your daily bid tasks, an alternative like Downtobid can be a more affordable, equally effective option.