Value Engineering a print means that the electrical layout provides the most cost-effective, yet code specific, layout possible. Devices are added to meet the requirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and all applicable local amendments. Devices are also eliminated and/or relocated in order to lower the cost while still maintaining the industry standard for electrical design. Your customers need to count on your expertise in this area. The architect is not their electrical contractor, you are. If you can lower their cost thru value engineering, you will have an advantage over your competition.

Per Plan and Value Engineered

Win More Profitable Jobs

TurboBid will help you accurately determine your exact cost. This will ensure that all of the jobs that you are awarded will be profitable. TurboBid allows you to leave the losing jobs to your competition.

Original Bid and Change Order Revisions

You can do one take-off Per Plan and another take-off adding and/or deleting items in order to meet the minimum code requirements. Or you can do one take-off for the original bid and then do another take-off based on the customers walk thru. The reports show both side by side as well as a combined total.

Code Section

TurboBid features a code section so that you know exactly what the local electrical inspector is going to require. It's a good idea to include all of the code requirements in your estimate. It's never a good thing to have to go back to your customer and ask for more money because you did not include all of the code requirements.

Automatically Adjust Labor Units

The construction factors of a building make a difference on installation times. Example: The 1st floor's ceiling is constructed of dimensional lumber (2x12). The 2nd floor's ceiling is constructed of open roof trusses. A ceiling outlet will take longer to rough-in on the 1st floor than it will on the 2nd floor. TurboBid's electrical estimating program automatically adjusts the installation times based on the construction factors of a building on a floor by floor basis.

Adjust Labor by Room or Location

TurboBid gives you the ability to assign a labor difficulty to each room or location in your take-off. If you feel that a certain area will be more difficult to install material in, simply enter a percentage and TurboBid will automatically adjust the normal labor units for all of the material to be installed in that location.

Adjust Labor for Ceiling

Material installed in ceilings typically take longer than material that is installed elsewhere. TurboBid allows you to assign a degree of separate degree of difficulty for the ceilings in each room or location in your take-off. TurboBid will automatically adjust the normal labor units for all of the material that is to be installed in the ceiling.

On-Screen Take-Off

TurboBid includes an optional interface that allows you to quickly complete your take-off by using the digital blueprints that you receive from your customers. TurboBid is seamlessly linked to Planswift's on-screen take-off software program. Simply click on the symbols displayed in your on-screen blueprint to mark the symbol just like you would on paper prints. The quantity counts and/or linear measurements are then automatically added into TurboBid's take-off tab. TurboBid also provides a huge library of symbols that you can add to your digital blueprints for value engineering or design build. This fantastic feature saves both time and money!

Global Labor Unit Adjustment

Each item and assembly in TurboBid's database uses a realistic labor unit.

Other programs use a traditional Column 1 labor unit that are usually on the high side. The problem with Column 1 labor units is that they include additional labor that you might not incur. TurboBid's labor units only include the time that the item or assembly will actually take to install. Any additional labor is added on a job by job basis. In the Additional Labor section, you will add time for deliveries, daily job set up, paperwork, driving, sweeping, etc.

Since every company produces differently, you have the ability to globally adjust the item and assembly labor units to fit your company. If you find that TurboBid's labor units are a little high, or a little low, simply enter a percentage and every item in TurboBid's database will be adjusted by that percentage.

This method provides a great way to fine tune your labor units to reflect how your past job came in. If you find that your estimated labor hours are coming out a little high, or a little low, simply adjust the global percentage.

Room by Room Take-Off

Take-offs in TurboBid are completed on a unique room by room or location by location basis. The take-off spreadsheet is pre-loaded with the rooms or locations that are on the blueprint along with the required assemblies. Take-offs are not only incredibly fast but they are also extremely accurate and detailed. This method allows you to submit a proposal to your customer that lists the assemblies that are included in each room or location.

Lost Project Report

The lost project report consists of each project that you were not awarded. It lists the project information as well as who you lost the job to and by how much. It can list the either the dollar amount or the percentage that you were higher than your competition that was awarded the job. This historical data can assist you in adjusting your bid price.

Project Notes

Clicking on the "Note" icon will bring up a screen where you can keep notes for the project that you are working on. The current date is automatically entered for your new entry. This is a great feature if you speak to the builder, architect, etc., and you would like to make a note of the conversation for future reference.

Built-In Security

To open TurboBid, you need to enter your user name and password. You also have the ability to restrict access to individual projects to certain users. If you would rather keep the bid price and other sensitive data to yourself, you can set up a user with data entry only restrictions. This means that you can set someone up to enter data into the estimate while restricting them from viewing any of the pricing screens.

Estimate Checklist

TurboBid's estimate checklist allows you to verify that you have completed all of the necessary steps in generating an accurate and complete estimate. Simply check each item verifying that you have completed the required step. When an item is checked, it changes from red to green. When all of the items have been checked, the icon on the main screen turns from red to green. This provides a quick visual indicator that your estimate is good to go.

Video Tutorials

Learning a new software program can be daunting. With TurboBid, most of the screens have interactive videos that will guide you through how to complete the screen.

Database Back-Up

You can enable TurboBid to automatically back up its database to your hard drive. That means if you accidentally lose or corrupt TurboBid's database, you can reload it from the back-up.