Question 1

How accurate is it really?

Accepted Answer

BidBud gets you a reliable estimate in minutes, not hours - close enough to bid with confidence, backed by numbers you can trace straight to the blueprint. A built-in safety margin protects you from underbidding, and if something needs a closer look, the AI tells you exactly what and why.

Question 2

What if it gets something wrong?

Accepted Answer

Every measurement includes a confidence score. High-confidence items (90%+) are marked green. Lower-confidence items get a yellow flag with a specific explanation — like "unit count estimated from image, verify from drawings." You focus your review time on just the flagged items instead of second-guessing everything. And the built-in safety margin covers normal variance.

Question 3

How long does it take?

Accepted Answer

Commercial takeoffs: 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the drawing set. Residential estimates: about 60 seconds. Both are ready while you're still on the phone with the GC.

Question 4

Is the residential estimate really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Unlimited residential estimates at no cost on the Starter plan. It's our way of letting you try BidBud risk-free. When you're ready for commercial takeoffs, buy credits.

Question 5

Can I customize the pricing and services?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set your own labor rates, material costs, markup percentages, and service options. Your estimates go out with your branding, your numbers, your terms.

Question 6

What's the difference between residential and commercial?

Accepted Answer

Residential estimates work from property data — address, square footage, roof type. No blueprints needed. Commercial takeoffs work from architectural blueprint PDFs — floor plans, elevations, wall type schedules. BidBud reads the actual drawings and measures from them.

Question 7

What drawing formats do you support?

Accepted Answer

PDF blueprint sets up to 200 pages. This covers the standard format architects and GCs distribute for bidding.

Question 8

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Your blueprints and estimates are encrypted and never shared. We don't sell your data or use your drawings to train AI models. Your competitive advantage stays yours.

Question 9

Will this replace my estimator?

Accepted Answer

No — and it's not trying to. BidBud is your screening tool. Run every opportunity through it in 15 minutes to get a number good enough to bid. If you win, do the detailed manual takeoff to confirm before ordering material. BidBud doesn't replace your estimator — it feeds them more work.

Stop choosing which jobs to bid on. Bid on all of them.

Commercial Takeoffs

Residential Estimates

You can't win jobs you don't bid.

Outsourced

BidBud

So, how does BidBud actually work?

Read the Plans

Read the Plans

BidBud reads every page and figures out what's what

BidBud reads every page and figures out what's what

Learn the Building

Learn the Building

BidBud learns about your building

BidBud learns about your building

Measure Everything

Measure Everything

BidBud measures every wall, floor, and ceiling

BidBud measures every wall, floor, and ceiling

Check the Work

Check the Work

A second set of eyes checks everything

A second set of eyes checks everything

Numbers, Ready

Numbers, Ready

You get the final numbers with receipts

You get the final numbers with receipts

Build your bid. Skip the spreadsheet

Questions you're probably asking

Bid more. Spend less.

1 Takeoff

5 Pack

15 Pack

Your next bid is waiting.