Planswift is great, but we prefer to use Bluebeam for measuring blueprints for commercial painting projects and our clients as well, for 2 main reasons. First, we felt Planswift was a bit too expensive just for measuring and costing. Second, it requires an annual subscription, which adds up over the years. We use Bluebeam and transfer the numbers easily onto a spreadsheet (after reading the spec manual of course), where the costing can be changed by the painting contractor as desired, to perform what-if analysis, etc. I think Bluebeam Revue is worth looking into. The only challenge is you have to learn it first, and then actually become good at it. It took us over 2 years to become really good at using Bluebeam SPECIFICALLY for commercial painting blueprint measuring . . ., and that was AFTER doing many years of actual commercial and residential painting work. I hope that helps to put time and cost into perspective.
I use Bluebeam too for renaming pages and name search. HOWEVER, PlanSwift is the ONLY take off software that allows the USER to program it to make PlanSwift work EXACTLY HOW I WANT IT TO WORK. I can Program PlanSwift to give me the Export to EXCEL with the EXACT DATA and FORMAT I need that will link smoothly into the EXCEL worksheet which is the POWERFUL AUTOMATIC PROGRAM that saves tons of time. Example: Planswift. I can simply select the surface, give it a name and do the takeoff - 3 clicks to get to the point of measuring. Then - 2 clicks to get it into my EXCEL sheet. The Excel sheet - just select the "system" for each line and BAM - I'm done with everything. Material gallons, material price per gallon based on the actual supplier I can select, Mark up on material, labor hours, labor rate, production rate for each line item, proposal 2 click ready to send, auto field material order, auto field budget/instructions to the field, auto accounting report, auto price breakdown. EVERYTHING instant. Edit only as needed specific to the job. So... Bluebeam is a GREAT tool for what it does. PlanSwift is the ONLY one that allows me to do the bid in literally 50% or more less time due to ability to program it to skip repetitive clicks. Thank you for the input. I appreciate it. Please look deeper in to what PlanSwift can do that Bluebeam just can't (custom program it to work the way you want it to work... etc.)
This is absolutely perfect for painting contractors or any subcontractor trade for that matter. I'm well pleased at how it helped me literally cut my estimating time in half. Twice more bids means twice more sales!
Everything is by the dollar. Doesn't matter what country. Example. US - we pay US dollars. Europe, they pay by the Euro. Paint cost $X per Gallon, or $X Euro per Litre. Change the prices and units as you like. Potentially will work world wide but we do not as of yet offer converting it to the language and currency for different countries. Hope this helps.
Planswift is great, but we prefer to use Bluebeam for measuring blueprints for commercial painting projects and our clients as well, for 2 main reasons. First, we felt Planswift was a bit too expensive just for measuring and costing. Second, it requires an annual subscription, which adds up over the years. We use Bluebeam and transfer the numbers easily onto a spreadsheet (after reading the spec manual of course), where the costing can be changed by the painting contractor as desired, to perform what-if analysis, etc. I think Bluebeam Revue is worth looking into. The only challenge is you have to learn it first, and then actually become good at it. It took us over 2 years to become really good at using Bluebeam SPECIFICALLY for commercial painting blueprint measuring . . ., and that was AFTER doing many years of actual commercial and residential painting work. I hope that helps to put time and cost into perspective.
I use Bluebeam too for renaming pages and name search. HOWEVER, PlanSwift is the ONLY take off software that allows the USER to program it to make PlanSwift work EXACTLY HOW I WANT IT TO WORK. I can Program PlanSwift to give me the Export to EXCEL with the EXACT DATA and FORMAT I need that will link smoothly into the EXCEL worksheet which is the POWERFUL AUTOMATIC PROGRAM that saves tons of time. Example: Planswift. I can simply select the surface, give it a name and do the takeoff - 3 clicks to get to the point of measuring. Then - 2 clicks to get it into my EXCEL sheet. The Excel sheet - just select the "system" for each line and BAM - I'm done with everything. Material gallons, material price per gallon based on the actual supplier I can select, Mark up on material, labor hours, labor rate, production rate for each line item, proposal 2 click ready to send, auto field material order, auto field budget/instructions to the field, auto accounting report, auto price breakdown. EVERYTHING instant. Edit only as needed specific to the job. So... Bluebeam is a GREAT tool for what it does. PlanSwift is the ONLY one that allows me to do the bid in literally 50% or more less time due to ability to program it to skip repetitive clicks.
Thank you for the input. I appreciate it. Please look deeper in to what PlanSwift can do that Bluebeam just can't (custom program it to work the way you want it to work... etc.)
Hello.
these programs help you calculate how many square or linear feet can be painted in an hour and put the price per hour??
This is absolutely perfect for painting contractors or any subcontractor trade for that matter. I'm well pleased at how it helped me literally cut my estimating time in half. Twice more bids means twice more sales!
Does this function well for Canadian contractors given the differences in prices and exchange?
Everything is by the dollar. Doesn't matter what country. Example. US - we pay US dollars. Europe, they pay by the Euro. Paint cost $X per Gallon, or $X Euro per Litre. Change the prices and units as you like. Potentially will work world wide but we do not as of yet offer converting it to the language and currency for different countries. Hope this helps.