QuickBid Review: Is This Estimating Software Worth It for 2027?

A late supplier quote can change the profit on a whole job. A missed wall detail can do the same. Good estimating software should help you spot and price those changes. You still need to check each bid before you submit it.

That is where Quick Bid earns a place on my shortlist. Its appeal is the way it brings costs and repeat work together. Does your firm bid enough work to make the setup worth it?

For a 2027 purchase, I would weigh three things. What work do you bid? Who keeps your prices current? What is the full software cost?

What is QuickBid?

Quick Bid is construction estimating software from On Center Software. Many buyers search for it as QuickBid. You may also see it called QB. It helps contractors price materials, labor, equipment, and other job costs.

The Quick Bid user guide describes a workflow built around saved items, bids, and “conditions.” A condition is a part of the building, such as a wall or ceiling. It holds the materials and labor needed to build it.

That matters when the same type of work comes up on several projects. You can build a cost base to use on new jobs. You do not have to start with a blank sheet each time. Yet a saved price is only a starting point. It still needs to suit the job you are bidding.

General contractors and trade contractors can use these tools. I see the best fit where someone prices work often. They must also take care of the data behind each bid.

Your situation	My view
You bid similar work each week	Worth a close look
Your team already uses On-Screen Takeoff	A strong reason to book a demo
You want a simple price for one small job	Weigh the setup time first
Your staff need a browser-only tool	Check other software before buying

Quick Bid and On-Screen Takeoff: what each does

On-Screen Takeoff, or OST, handles measurements and counts from plans. Quick Bid helps price that work from the counts, measures, and cost data. They solve linked parts of the estimating process.

The connection matters most when plans change. Re-entering figures in two places adds work. It can also create errors. A linked takeoff and bid can reduce that copying. Someone still needs to check the result.

For example, imagine a change to the length of an office wall. You need the new wall length, the right wall build, and current prices. You may also need to change the hours allowed for the work. An accurate count alone does not give you an accurate bid.

Using OST and QB in interactive mode? Start the bid and its conditions in OST. Ask the sales team to show that full path. Use a plan like yours. Watch a change move from the drawing to the priced work.

I would also ask how your existing files fit. If your team uses other software for takeoff, make data transfer part of the demo. Do not assume every tool offers the same link as OST.

Features that matter when you price a job

A long feature list tells you little about day-to-day value. I would focus on the steps that slow your bids down. Which parts are hard to check?

Materials and reusable assemblies

Assemblies group the items needed for a type of work. Think of a wall. It may need board, framing, fasteners, and labor. Reuse those assemblies to keep the same build and parts across projects.

Quick Bid also has access to data from manufacturers. That gives you a base for items and assemblies. You still need to check the spec. Two walls that look much the same may need different parts.

I would start with a small group of assemblies you know well. Price one past job and compare the result with your own records. Check units, waste, and sizes. Find out what each assembly leaves out before you reuse it.

This is one of the less flashy aspects of estimating software. It is also where much of its value can come from. Clean assemblies save work. A flawed one can spread the same mistake through every new bid.

Supplier quotes and material costs

Quick Bid's eQuotes tool lets users ask suppliers for material prices. You can then compare their quotes. It needs active maintenance, plus the right email and job details.

That helps when material costs change close to bid day. You can seek a current quote instead of treating an old database price as a firm offer.

There is still a purchasing check to make. Read each supplier's terms. Check freight, tax, stock, quote expiry, and delivery. A lower unit price may not be the better deal once those costs are included.

Ask a supplier you know to try the process with you. You could do this during a trial, if one is available. Find out what action they need to take. Ask how to handle a quote sent by email in a different format.

Labor rates and production

The wage rate is only one part of labor cost. The time a crew needs to finish the work matters just as much.

Quick Bid lets you adjust labor cost and production. You can allow for a job that moves more slowly than usual. Think tight access, occupied spaces, or a schedule split into small phases.

Use your own job records to guide those changes. Your labor rates may be current. Yet the bid can still miss the mark if you allow too few hours. Software can do the math with precision. It needs sound inputs to price your crew's work.

Change orders and professional reports

Quick Bid supports alternates, change orders, and reports. These help you show how a revised scope affects the price.

Can your client read the reports and see what is included? That is how I would judge them. Professional reports should make the scope clear. A polished cover will not fix a missing item.

Check the output before you submit a price. Does it show the right change orders and markups? Is excluded work clear? Keep the original scope clear, too. It should be easy to tell what changed and what stayed in the base bid.

QuickBid pricing: ask for the full cost

On Center's Quick Bid product page directs buyers to a demo and sales contact. It does not give a fixed public dollar price. Get a written quote for your team and the tools you need.

Ask what you pay now and what you pay each year. The company's maintenance guidance describes an annual charge for each seat and product. Several Quick Bid features depend on that renewal. These include eQuotes, accounting exports, job data exports, and manufacturer databases.

Confirm the terms of the plan you are offered. An old user's license deal may not match a new quote.

Cost to confirm	What to ask
Quick Bid access	How many people can use it, and on what terms?
Takeoff software	Is OST included or charged separately?
Maintenance and support	What renews, and what stops if it lapses?
Training and setup	Which sessions and data work are included?
Computer and office tools	Do your current PCs and desktop apps meet the needs?

I would compare the first year with the next two years. Include staff time. They will need to build assemblies and learn the steps. A low starting price means less if you have no time for setup.

Keep the return on cost simple. How many hours could the tool save on work you already do? Then test that estimate during the demo or trial. Do not rely on more bid wins to cover costs you do not know.

Setup, Windows, and the learning curve

Quick Bid is a Windows desktop application. The current system requirements list Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise as the certified operating environments.

The same guidance recommends at least 8 GB of RAM and a solid-state drive. Some features need Excel or Word. For those, you need supported copies installed on the PC. The web apps do not work.

Mac users should check the support limits with care. Windows in a virtual machine is not the same as a native Mac app. The maker has not certified those setups. Its support team may not be able to fix their issues.

Beyond the PC, plan who will manage the cost database. Someone needs to update material costs, labor rates, and assemblies. Give that work an owner and allow time for it.

There are free training videos from On Center. They can help you learn the steps, but I would still ask what help is included for your trade. Build a bid with your own plans. That tells you more than a smooth demo with ready-made data.

What Quick Bid reviews tell us

In a 2022 discussion of OST and Quick Bid an estimator described a well-developed way to price framing and drywall work. They valued supplier pricing tools but wanted better ways to work with remote staff. Another user liked the way the two products worked together.

Those are useful accounts from people doing the work. They are also older, individual reports. Use them to shape demo questions. They do not prove how every current setup works.

Ask how your team will share files. Who can edit a bid? What happens when someone works offsite? Have the seller show the proposed setup in action. A clear answer is worth more than a broad promise about teamwork.

Who should buy QuickBid?

I would shortlist Quick Bid for contractors who send bids often. They can reuse assemblies and manage detailed costs. Already use OST? That is a good reason to consider Quick Bid.

General contractors should test a real project. Include your mix of work and outside quotes. Trade contractors should test their common assemblies and the reports their clients expect. Both need to see whether the tool fits how they submit bids.

The strongest case is repeat use. If each new project draws on data you trust, setup can pay back over time. Do your projects vary widely? Take care with defaults so they do not become guesswork.

Strength: Reusable assemblies and supplier quotes support repeat estimating work.

Tradeoff: Setup, data upkeep, and maintenance costs need room in the budget.

When I would choose a simpler approach

I would pause if you price just a few small jobs. The same goes if no one can maintain the data. A spreadsheet may suit a simple scope. You need to check the formulas and keep prices current.

Are you a business owner planning one headquarters? Your needs differ from a contractor bidding all year. Clear costs help. But you may gain more from an expert who can price the work and explain the numbers.

Need easy access from several devices? I would compare tools that run in a browser. Make that choice before you invest time in a desktop workflow.

A demo checklist before you buy

Bring one completed project whose costs you know. Ask the seller to work through these tasks:

1. Create a bid using your plans and common assemblies.
2. Check quantities and units against your own takeoff.
3. Update material costs from a supplier quote.
4. Adjust crew hours for a harder phase of the job.
5. Price a change order and show the effect on the total.
6. Produce the report you would submit to a client.
7. Show the export your office needs, including Excel where relevant.
8. Explain the license, maintenance, backup, and support terms.

Let a member of your team repeat part of the work. Can they find a wrong quantity? Can they trace a cost back to its source? Can they read the final scope without help?

These checks reveal more than a fast sales presentation. They also give you a fair way to compare options on the same job.

My verdict: is QuickBid worth it for 2027?

Quick Bid is worth a close look if your business prices work often. I like the case for reusable assemblies and current supplier quotes. A linked OST workflow also has appeal. Those tools address real steps in preparing a bid.

I would buy only after a demo with a job I know. Show me how to price it and change the bid. Check the full cost. Ensure someone will maintain the data. Make sure the output fits your clients.

For frequent bidders, that can be a sound investment. For a one-off build or a few simple quotes, I would weigh a lighter tool or outside estimating help first.