What's the best takeoff software for creating fast estimates from plans on electrical and plumbing bids?

For fast electrical and plumbing takeoffs from plans, the “best” software usually depends on whether you want:

• fastest manual takeoff
• best automation / AI
• best estimating integration
• best value for small to mid-sized shops

Top picks

1) Trimble Accubid + LiveCount / Trimble Estimation

• Best for: serious electrical and MEP estimators
• Why: very strong for electrical workflows, assemblies, labor pricing, and bid-ready estimates
• Pros: powerful, industry standard, good reporting, good for detailed bids
• Cons: steeper learning curve, more expensive

2) McCormick Systems

• Best for: electrical and plumbing contractors who want robust estimating
• Why: widely used in both trades, especially for plumbing and mechanical-style estimating
• Pros: good database, assemblies, labor units, bid management
• Cons: UI feels older; setup can take time

3) Bluebeam Revu + estimating database/spreadsheet

• Best for: fast and affordable manual takeoff
• Why: excellent PDF markup, measurements, and plan review
• Pros: fast, flexible, cheaper than full estimating suites
• Cons: not a full estimating system by itself

4) STACK

• Best for: cloud-based takeoff and speed
• Why: very easy to use, good for quick plan takeoff and collaboration
• Pros: intuitive, fast onboarding, good for remote teams
• Cons: less trade-specific than dedicated estimating software

5) PlanSwift

• Best for: simple, fast takeoffs for smaller shops
• Why: still popular for quick on-screen takeoff
• Pros: easy to learn, quick for basic quantity takeoff
• Cons: older feel, automation and integrations are limited compared with newer tools

6) Jet.Build / DESTINI / ConEst

• Best for: niche workflows or companies wanting specific estimating features
• Pros: can be strong depending on trade and company size
• Cons: fit varies a lot by exact use case

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Best overall recommendation

If you’re doing electrical and plumbing bids professionally and want the best mix of speed and estimating depth:

• Electrical: Trimble Accubid or McCormick
• Plumbing: McCormick is often the stronger all-around choice

If you want fastest setup and easiest use, go with:

• STACK or Bluebeam Revu

If you want small-shop affordability with decent speed:

• PlanSwift or Bluebeam Revu

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My practical recommendation

• For a growing contractor: McCormick
• For electrical-heavy estimating: Trimble Accubid
• For quick takeoffs and PDF markup: Bluebeam Revu
• For cloud simplicity and collaboration: STACK

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a side-by-side comparison chart,
2. the best software by company size, or
3. the best low-cost setup for electrical/plumbing bids.