You would not learn swimming under the tutelage of someone who cannot swim, and you would not learn music under the instructions of someone who cannot play an instrument. However, in electrical contracting, many of the contractors buy electrical estimating software from companies that never estimated any job in their lives.
Such a choice itself can cost you time, money, and accuracy.
Your business revolves around electrical estimating. Your every bid on a job, each bid that you win or lose, and each profit margin that you defend begins with an estimate. Due to it, your estimating software is not another tool; it is one of the most significant investments you will ever make.
Software developed by experienced electrical estimators comprehends reality about the workflow. It considers the way electrical contractors reason, the way jobs are complied with and where the errors usually occur. Software that is not estimated by the company frequently results in software that appears attractive yet compels the contractors to change their working process in order to fit it to the software rather than vice versa.
BestBid Electrical Estimating Software was created by expert electrical estimators with 40+ years of experience who are familiar with the nature of bidding work, rather than by computer programmers. It is that mentality of estimator-first that differentiates between pragmatic estimation machinery and generic cloud computing.
Estimators create the finest estimating software for estimators.
Avoid the Subscription Trap
Monthly subscriptions might their yearly fees may seem cheap, but eventually they become an unending expense that does not disappear. Software estimation ought to be a permanent investment, rather than a bill forever.
BestBid operates on an ownership business model, which lets the contractors obtain the software by purchasing the software without necessarily having to pay subscription fees forever. This provides you with control over costs in the long run, as well as estimating costs that can be predicted.
And no less important, you do not need to pay more to get assistance. Software estimation is by definition a complicated affair. When you need it, you require an experienced and English-speaking team that is readily available and familiar with electrical estimating, not a call center reading off a sheet.
On-Screen Takeoff must Be Built-In.
Numerous systems of estimating are based on takeoff programs on-screen, where the third party takes into consideration the takeoff programs. They tend to slacken the estimating process and cause undue connection problems between a takeoff and an estimate.
An in-built on-screen take-off does away with those issues. When the takeoff is created to integrate into the estimating software, all the operations will proceed with more speed and precision. No syncing issues. No broken links. No wasted time.
BestBid incorporates an in-built on-screen takeoff, which can operate within the estimating environment with no separate software required and also minimizes the error that is brought about by an isolated workflow.
Flexibility Is Non-Negotiable
All contractors calculate differently. Thus, that is why adjustable assemblies are essential. Your software must enable you to customize assemblies easily, controlling them to fit your labor, material preferences and work conditions.
A removable database is also crucial. You are supposed to own your data and have the capability of backing it up, customizing it and transferring it as per the need. You have an estimating database that is worth having–you did not want to have it locked up in a system you did not have the key to.
In the case of BestBid, contractors have ownership of their estimating database in entirety, with them being able to perform all customizations, backups and have their own security in the long-term.
Pre-made Defaults which Adjust to You.
The most popular estimating software is pre-set to estimate immediately and offers default settings that represent real electrical work. However, those defaults can never be fixed or permanent.
Apart from the necessity of engaging an estimator, you ought to be able to modify the units of labor, the price, and assemblies on-the-fly as you develop an estimate. The software must accommodate your way of estimating–it should not stuff you down somebody else’s throat.
BestBid Inc. is to give you the same estimating ability now, with the ability to be fully customized as your estimating methods are refined with time.
Comparison of the Electrical Estimating Softwares of 2026 based on its Costs in Three Years.
One of the largest points of difference between the electrical estimating platforms is long-term cost. With subscription systems, there is always a risk that the budget will be wasted by the fourth year, whereas with ownership-based software, adaptability can be supported in the long term. As illustrated in the comparison below, various pricing models have different effects on the total cost in three years.
This cost breakdown clearly shows why many contractors chose BestBid in 2026. By eliminating recurring subscription fees, BestBid delivers one of the lowest total costs of ownership while still offering professional-grade estimating capabilities.
Select Software that Works as Hard as You Do.
The best electrical estimating software is also expected to save time, enhance accuracy and thereby award you with lucrative work. It must be an estimate that people know how to calculate, and it should be provided with support that appreciates your industry and expansion that can expand with your business.
The BestBid Electrical Estimating Software fulfills these criteria by developing a mixture of estimator-constructed workflows, ownership-based pricing, incorporated takeoff, and long-term elasticity.
In selecting estimating software, it is not only essential to look at the features but also look at the people who developed it and the reasons why. Since the right software does not merely enable you to estimate jobs, better software assists you in achieving a smoother business.
Take the Next Step
Best of all, in case you are serious about getting your estimations better, guard your margins, and control your bidding process, then high time you quit paying the dues to software designed by non-estimators.
Analyze your existing system. Ask the hard questions. Demand software that is the way you do.
By 2026, BestBid–software constructed based on the real estimating, real ownership, and real results– many electrical contractors will have made that decision.
Your opinions establish your future. Select the program that ensures you are sure about each regulation that you provide.