In the competitive world of electrical contracting, your ability to produce fast and accurate bids is the most important tool in your arsenal. Succeeding or failing all too often comes down to the numbers.
This guide examines the extensive list of Best Bid electrical estimating features and how our software can turn your bidding process from a time-consuming task to a strategic advantage.
We’ll show you everything from our built-in on-screen takeoff to our transparent pricing, why Best Bid is the #1 rated choice for contractors of all sizes.
Why Best Bid Stands Out?
Best Bid has two powerful solutions: Best Bid Hybrid Pro and Best Bid Next Generation. Both are designed to be fast and accurate, but the difference between them lies in the design philosophy. We have created our software to think like an electrician. This means intuitive interface, streamlined flow, and features that are pointed to the day-to-day challenges of electrical bidding.
While there are some competitors to Estimation Edge, such as Estimation Edge, from which you might be able to get similar functionality, these are usually complicated interfaces that have recurring fees.
Best Bid is a system that has everything you need once for a price that includes software updates for the rest of your life and unlimited technical support. This commitment to value and transparency is at the heart of our brand.
Core Electrical Estimating Features Of Best Bid’s Electrical Estimating Software:
Best Bid is loaded with features that have been designed to make your estimating process as smooth as possible. Our objective is to keep the number of keystrokes as few as possible and the accuracy as high as possible, so that you can concentrate on winning more projects.
Intuitive Navigation and Workflow, Comprehensive, up-to-date electrical cost database
- Best Bid has a built-in database of materials and labor costs that is specifically tailored to electrical work (conductors, conduit, boxes, devices, fittings, labor categories, code-compliance items, etc.), not just generic construction or trade-agnostic pricing.
- The database is maintained and updated regularly to reflect real market prices by showing the date of the last price update. Also, allowing users to import or sync their own local supplier pricing through Netpak.
- The database is unlimited, allowing complete catalogs of products to be imported.
- New headings or categories can easily be added, making Best Bid’s database the most flexible on the market.
Digital takeoff & blueprint-based estimating tools integrated
- Ability to import plans or drawings (PDFs, CAD, etc.) and do on-screen takeoffs: mark conduits/devices/lighting, count quantities automatically, and translate those directly into the estimate. Once you mark up the plans, the software automatically calculates costs, labor hours, etc., reducing manual measurement and entry errors.
- Best Bid’s OST is built into the software not like most companies that have to rely on a separate software.
Flexible, customizable templates and assemblies
- Pre-built assemblies for typical jobs such as residential, commercial, industrial, maintenance, retrofit, new build, etc.) — but also customizable, so users can adapt templates to their own methods of estimating.
- Ability to handle a wide variety of job types: from small service calls to large commercial projects, from new installs to maintenance/retrofits — without needing a completely different workflow.
- With Best Bid you can us averaging, scaling or a hybrid version of averaging the branch and scaling the feeders and home runs.
Real-time collaboration with multi-user functionality
- The server version allows access so multiple team members (estimators, project managers, field techs) can access, edit, and view bids — useful for transparency and teamwork, especially if your company does both office estimating and field work.
- Version control, shared cost databases, synchronized updates — so bids remain consistent across different users and locations.
- Having the only sharable database, even without a server or cloud, again makes Best Bid stand out.
Integration with other business systems (accounting, project management, scheduling, CRM, dispatch, invoicing)
- The ability to push a completed estimate directly into scheduling, dispatch/field work, invoicing or project-management workflows — so the software doesn’t just end at a quote, but supports full project lifecycle.
- Invoice-ready estimates, cost tracking, change-order management, and job-cost reporting — so you can track actual costs vs estimate, spot overruns or inefficiencies.
- All reports can be exported in many formats, including Excel.
Accurate, reliable, and auditable estimates — minimizing human error
- Built-in logic to calculate labor + materials + overhead + profit margins correctly, rather than relying on manual spreadsheet work, which tends to be error-prone.
- Transparent line-item breakdowns so every cost is traceable, documented, and defensible — useful for clients, auditors, and for internal review. (This also builds trust with clients.)
- You are in control of your numbers.
Scalability and flexibility for different company sizes and project types
- Whether a small residential shop or a large commercial electrical contractor, the software should scale to match: from small service calls to multi-phase commercial builds.
- Pricing/licensing model that accommodates growth: e.g. per-seat or company-wide licensing, unlimited users, or modular add-ons depending on need.
- With Best Bid 1, one price and one software handle any project. You will never need another software as you grow.
User-friendly interface, reasonable learning curve, fantastic support/training
- The user interface is intuitive enough that estimators (even less-tech-savvy) can use it without a massive training time.
- Good onboarding resources: documentation, templates, maybe training/video tutorials, support — so new users or small shops can get up and running without external consultants.
- No one supports their customers like Best Bid.
Not having to be installed in a cloud environment is not a disadvantage.
- We feel other companies use this as a way to keep recurring fees coming in.
- Also, they hold your data hostage, so if you do not keep paying, you lose everything.
- Then they position being in the cloud as an advantage.
- With Best Bid, you own the software, but if you would like to host your software in a cloud environment, you can do so. The cost would be roughly $50.00 vs $300 plus.
- This is roughly a $18,000 savings over 3 years.
Database back up and sharing like no other software
- Best Bid has a simple one-button backup system. So keeping your documents safe is easy.
- Select backup database, and you are safe with your data.
Below is a list of categories included in Best Bid’s database:
- Best Bid’s database is unlimited, allowing you to upload entire catalogs of items if needed.
- You can create New category headings or sub-categories.
- You can assign each product a custom ID number for items you use often.
- Best Bid’s database headings are:
- Breakers:
- Bolt On
- Industrial
- Plug in
- Controls:
- Contactors
- Controls
- Contactors
- Time Clocks
- Demo:
- Commercial
- Residential
- Devices:
- Commercial Grade Receptacles
- Commercial Grade Switches 120V
- Commercial Grade Switches 277V
- Decora
- Dimmers
- General Devices
- Hospital Grade
- Miscellaneous
- Nema Configuration
- Nema Configuration Twist Lock
- nLight
- Occupancy Sensors
- Plates
- Residential Receptacles
- Residential Switches
- Specification Grade Receptacles
- Specification Grade Switches 277V
- Specification ISO
- Enclosures:
- Hinged Cover
- Plastic Nail On
- Screw Cover
- Wireways
- Equipment:
- Gear for Quoting
- 42-Sub Headings
- Each Sub Heading has many items
- Load Centers
- Meters
- Panel Boards 240V
- Panel Boards 480/277V
- Residential
- Safety Switches 240V
- Safety Switches 600V
- Transformers
- Excavation:
- Bach Hoe
- Trenching
- Excavation Labor
- Flat Rate Pricing:
- Fuses:
- Hardware:
- Thousands of Caddy Products
- Connectors Romex and MC
- Fasteners
- Grounding
- Hangers and Straps
- Screws
- Straps:
- Batwings
- Conduit Hanger with Bolt
- Hammer on straps
- Standoff Straps
- One Hole
- Two Hole
- Tape:
- Threaded Rod and Nuts:
- Lighting:
- Lutron Wireless Energy Saving Solutions:
- Raceways:
- Alum
- Boxes
- Floor Boxes
- Quazite Boxes
- Bushings, Locknuts, and washers
- Grounding Bushings
- Cable Tray and Fittings
- EB-DB and Fittings
- ENT Conduit and Fittings
- Explosion Proof
- Flex and Fittings
- GRS Conduit and Fittings
- GRS PVC Coated Conduit and Fittings
- IMC
- Liquidtite Flex and fittings
- PVC
- Three Piece Couplings
- Unistrut and Straps
- Weather Heads
- Wire Mold and Wireways
Uploading plans with Best Bid:
- We offer the most flexible upload options of any software
- Upload 1 single page
- Select multiple pages from split PDF’s
- Upload entire plans and select the pages you need to upload by entering the pages in the following format. 105-120-150 for example.
- Rename the drawing if needed and enter into the Takeoff.
Reports:
Best Bid offers a report for everything, including the following.
- Audit Trail
- Labor
- Material
- Parts Breakdown
- Project Summary
- Quote Request
- Work Sheet
- Project Breakdown
- Percentage Report
- Assembly Summary
- Material Summary
- Project Summary
All reports can be exported in:
- MHT
- RTF
- DOCX
- XLS
- XLSX
- TEXT
- IMAGE
Summary
- Best Bid is the perfect electrical estimating software for any electrical contractor.
- We can handle any size job, large or small, efficiently.
- Over the years, we have reduced the complicated steps that other software requires.
- We are constantly changing to keep relevant because we use the software daily.
- There is no better value than Best Bid!
- If it isn’t easy, it isn’t Best Bid
A New Way to Think About Bidding
Choosing the right electrical estimating software is one of the most important choices you’ll make for your business. With its contractor-focused design, integrated on-screen takeoff, and transparent one-time pricing, Best Bid sets the standard of value.
Stop wasting time with inefficient spreadsheets or overpriced, complicated software. It’s time to own the best.
Ready to see how Best Bid can transform your electrical bidding process?
- Request a personalized demo to explore our advanced features.
- Start your free trial today and experience the difference firsthand.
- Visit our website to learn more about our solutions for electrical contractors.
