Start With the Bottleneck in Your Own Workflow
A spreadsheet can remain useful when its quantities, rates and formulas are controlled and reviewed. Consider another tool when drawing review, repeated entry or changes create a specific problem you can measure. The size of a workbook does not establish an error probability.
Before a trial, check a representative estimate: inspect overridden formulas, hidden rows, linked tabs, quantity units and rates. Keep a controlled starting template and record project-specific changes. Ask another estimator to follow the handoff so that the process does not depend on one person’s memory.
Time takeoff, checking, pricing and bid assembly separately. If drawing takeoff is the bottleneck, compare CyanBuild’s first pass and review effort against a manually checked scope. Keep corrections and export work in the total rather than comparing only the AI processing time.
How to Budget for a Monthly Page Allowance
Compare software terms at your actual usage: the billing period, included pages or seats, exports, and tools your estimator needs. Record training and migration costs separately. A low advertised price is useful only if the plan supports the work you need to finish.
Free includes 3 PDF pages per month. Paid monthly plans are Starter $29 for 30 pages, Pro $99 for 120 pages, and Enterprise $299 for 400 pages. Review current plan features and terms on the pricing page.
CyanBuild paid plans are recurring subscriptions. A slow month does not automatically reduce the fee. Page usage is tracked by calendar month, while the subscription renewal date is shown separately in Billing. Review your expected page volume and renewal date when deciding whether to keep or change a plan.
For a capacity example, 25 PDF pages in a month fit within Starter's 30-page allowance; 100 pages fit within Pro's 120-page allowance. Project counts alone do not determine usage because drawing sets differ in size. These examples do not establish time savings or completed bids.
Keep the Parts of Your Process That Work
The takeoff workflow provides an Excel quantity export that you can review alongside existing templates. Check the columns, units and formulas before using the export in a bid. You can evaluate one handoff without replacing every part of estimating at once.
Create a short checklist for the trial: upload the PDF, check the detected counts against the drawing, resolve missing or repeated scope, apply verified rates, and export the result. Include the person who will own the estimate and record any training or help they need.
Treat billing, subcontractor documents and other integrations as separate requirements to demonstrate. A cost line or quantity export does not prove that payment applications, insurance alerts or subcontractor portals are included. Keep any required integration, currency or support arrangement on your checklist regardless of company size.
Decide With Measured Cost and Review Effort
Use the actual hours spent on the trial and your own labor rate, then add subscription and transition costs. Do not assume a fixed number of bids per year makes the software worthwhile. Compare the completed, checked output and the work needed to maintain it; no universal time saving or payback period is established.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I compare this with my Excel workflow?
Compare the same checked scope from drawing review through quantity preparation, corrections, pricing and export. Inspect the actual workbook rather than assigning a general error probability to it, and include the complete review effort in the comparison.
I only have 8 employees. Is CyanBuild worth it for a company my size?
Company size alone does not establish the value. Free includes 3 PDF pages per month. Paid monthly plans are Starter $29 for 30 pages, Pro $99 for 120 pages, and Enterprise $299 for 400 pages. Review current plan features and terms on the pricing page. Trial a representative scope and compare the total review and estimating time with your current process before deciding.
Can I keep using my existing spreadsheet templates alongside CyanBuild?
The takeoff workflow provides an Excel quantity export that you can review alongside existing templates. Check the exported columns, units and formulas before using them in a bid. Trial that handoff before changing other parts of the process.
What happens if I do not bid much work for a few months?
A paid monthly subscription continues to renew even when you process fewer pages. Check the renewal date and manage cancellation in Settings → Billing before the next renewal; paid access remains until the end of the current billing period. Free provides 3 PDF pages per month. See /pricing for current terms.
Do I need to be tech savvy to use CyanBuild?
Test upload, drawing review, quantity checking and export with the person who will own the estimate. Include training time and any help required; a short trial is more useful than assuming the workflow will be easy for every team.