“As the owner and lead estimator of a $7 million per year concrete contractor that bids retail centers, warehouses, medical offices and churches, I’ve been using Excel with BidScreen XL since 2001 for my takeoff and estimating. We are a middle size sub that bids ground-up concrete work that generally costs less than $1.5 million. I’m not a computer guy, but I think BidScreen with Excel is great. I initially started with the Vertigraph concrete template and customized it with our pricing system and other small adjustments. I often have another estimator assisting me. The beauty of our takeoff and estimating system is that anybody I hire can pick it up and learn how to use it quickly and easily. Just about everybody knows something about Excel and BidScreen is easy. In today’s market the amount of coverage on the concrete bids is substantial and the market is very competitive. The generals appreciate the consistency of our bids and as a result we do a lot of pre-bid budgeting for the GCs. Overall, BidScreen with Excel makes us more consistent, competitive and efficient. And I really enjoy using the program.”