Short answer: BuildingConnected Pro is strong for GCs who already have a large sub list and a precon team to run it; pricing is quote-based. Small and mid-size GCs often do better with a tool that does more of the work: PlanHub if you want a free-to-GC bid board, ConstructConnect if you also want project leads, Procore Bid Management if you already run Procore, and Struvia if you need the estimate *and* the sub coverage done for you — AI takeoff, invitations to local subs matched by trade, follow-up, and bid leveling in one workflow.
BuildingConnected (part of Autodesk) is the network most large commercial GCs use to send invitations to bid, track responses, and compare bids. BuildingConnected works well for its intended audience. But it was built around a specific kind of GC: one with an estimating department, a deep sub database, and a steady pipeline in markets they know.
If that's not you — if you're a lean team doing $1M–$20M jobs, you don't have a full-time estimator, or you're winning work in cities where you don't know any subs — you'll want to look at alternatives.
Quick Picks
- BuildingConnected Pro: best for GCs with a large existing sub list and a precon team. Quote-based pricing; TradeTapp adds prequalification.
- PlanHub: free for GCs to post projects; good for broad reach, less for leveling.
- ConstructConnect / SmartBid: bid management plus a large project-lead database.
- Procore Bid Management: makes sense if Procore already runs your projects.
- Struvia: AI takeoff and estimate, outreach to local subs matched by trade with follow-up, and bid leveling — for teams that need the work done, not just a place to manage it.
BuildingConnected Pricing vs. the Alternatives
Autodesk doesn't publish BuildingConnected Pro pricing. You get a quote based on company size and offices. Subcontractors use the free Bid Board to receive invitations, which is a big reason the network is so large. Third-party pricing trackers put BuildingConnected Pro in the thousands of dollars per year per office, but treat any figure that didn't come from Autodesk as a ballpark.
For a 5-person GC, that's the problem: you're paying a precon-department price whether you bid 10 jobs a year or 100. The alternatives price very differently:
- PlanHub: a free Essentials plan for GCs covers project posting, bid management, and basic bid leveling. Pro and Premier add the national sub directory, prequalification, advanced leveling, and takeoff, priced by quote.
- ConstructConnect: SmartBid and On-Screen Takeoff are quote-based.
- Procore Bid Management: quote-based, usually as part of a broader Procore contract.
- Struvia: start free with 600 credits and no card, then pay for what you use. No subscription, no seats.
What to look for if you're a small or mid-size GC
Identify your actual constraint before evaluating tools:
- Do you have the subs, or do you need to find them? A bid-management tool helps you manage a list you already have. If your problem is coverage in a new market, you need a tool that brings subs to you.
- Who's doing the takeoff? If you don't have an estimator, you need a number to check sub bids against.
- How much time does your team have? Tools that require you to build packages, write scopes, and chase subs by hand only help if someone has the hours.
- What does it cost at your volume? Per-seat pricing built for 50-person precon departments can be hard to justify for a 5-person GC.
The alternatives
BuildingConnected Pro (the baseline)
What it does: A large network of subs and GCs, bid invitations and tracking, bid comparison, and historical analytics. TradeTapp adds subcontractor prequalification and risk scoring.
Pricing: Quote-based through Autodesk; not listed publicly.
Best for: GCs with a precon team and an established sub list across their markets.
Pros: The biggest GC-to-sub network in commercial construction; free for subs, so invitations get opened; TradeTapp prequal in the same ecosystem.
Gaps for small GCs: You still write the scopes, build the packages, and chase coverage. No estimate of your own to level against.
Switch if: you're paying for seats your team doesn't use, or your real bottleneck is finding subs in a new market rather than managing the ones you know.
PlanHub
What it does: A bid board where GCs post projects for free and subs pay for access to find work. Broad reach, especially for residential and light commercial.
Pricing: Free Essentials plan for GCs; Pro and Premier are quote-based. Subs pay $1,999 to $3,299 a year for Premier, depending on how wide a radius they want to see.
Pros: $0 to start, and subs pay to be there, so the network is motivated to bid.
Best for: GCs who want maximum visibility on a budget.
Gaps: Coverage and sub quality vary by region; leveling and scope tools are lighter on the free plan.
Switch if: you're spending more time filtering unqualified bids than leveling good ones.
ConstructConnect (with SmartBid and On-Screen Takeoff)
What it does: Project-lead intelligence plus bid management and takeoff tools under one company.
Pricing: Quote-based for SmartBid and On-Screen Takeoff.
Best for: GCs who also want to find projects to bid, not just subs.
Pros: Leads, bidding, and takeoff from one vendor.
Gaps: Several products to stitch together; can be more than a small team needs.
Switch if: you only need sub bidding and are paying for lead data you don't use.
Procore Bid Management
What it does: Bidding inside Procore, so awarded bids flow straight into the project.
Best for: GCs already running projects in Procore.
Pricing: Quote-based, like the rest of Procore (see our Procore Estimating pricing breakdown).
Pros: Awarded bids flow straight into Procore's project tools with no re-entry.
Gaps: Makes less sense as a standalone bidding tool.
Switch if: you're bidding work you'll never manage in Procore.
Struvia
What it does: Upload a plan set and Struvia produces an AI takeoff and estimate, breaks the job into trade bid packages, suggests subcontractors who work in the project's area for each package (plus your own subs), sends the invitations you approve, follows up by email and text so you actually hear back, then collects and levels the bids against its estimate.
Pricing: Start free with 600 credits and no card, then pay for what you use. No subscription, no seats. See pricing.
Best for: Lean GCs and developers without a full-time estimator, and GCs bidding in markets where they don't have a sub network yet.
Pros: A number of your own to level sub bids against, plus sub outreach and follow-up, without hiring an estimator.
Poor fit: GCs with a mature sub list and a full precon team who only need invitation tracking.
Gaps: Newer network, so coverage is deeper in some regions and trades than others — check coverage by city for your markets.
Quick comparison
| BuildingConnected Pro | PlanHub | ConstructConnect | Procore Bidding | Struvia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub network | Large | Large | Large | Moderate | Growing, matched by area |
| Finds and invites subs for you | Recommendations; you send | You post; subs find you | You send | You send | Suggests local subs per package; sends invites for you |
| Takeoff / estimate included | No (separate Autodesk products) | No | Separate products | Separate module | Yes, AI |
| Bid leveling | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes, against its own estimate |
| Est. cost | Quote (not published) | Free Essentials; paid tiers quoted | Quote | Quote | Free start (600 credits), then usage-based |
How to choose
- You have subs and a precon team → BuildingConnected Pro or Procore.
- You want free reach → PlanHub.
- You want leads too → ConstructConnect.
- You need the estimate and the coverage handled → Struvia.
Many GCs use more than one: a free board for reach, plus a tool that does the takeoff and outreach on the jobs that matter. If your bottleneck is coverage in a new market, upload a plan set free and see which local subs Struvia finds for each trade before you commit to anything.
For more on the bidding side, see best construction bidding software for GCs, our ranked construction bid management software roundup, bid leveling software, and how to find subcontractors in a new market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BuildingConnected free for general contractors?
BuildingConnected's full GC product, BuildingConnected Pro, is paid with quote-based pricing. Subcontractors can use the basic bid board for free.
How much does BuildingConnected Pro cost?
Autodesk doesn't publish BuildingConnected Pro pricing; it's quoted based on company size and number of offices. Third-party trackers put it in the thousands of dollars per year per office, so get a written quote before comparing it against free or usage-based alternatives like PlanHub Essentials or Struvia.
What is the best BuildingConnected alternative for a small GC?
It depends on the bottleneck: PlanHub for free reach, Procore if you already use it, and Struvia if you need the takeoff, sub outreach, and bid leveling done for you.
Does BuildingConnected do takeoff?
Not on its own. Autodesk sells takeoff and estimating as separate products.
Can I find subcontractors in a new city with bid management software?
Only if the platform has coverage there and helps you reach them. Check how many subs show up for your trade and zip code before relying on one tool.
*Reviewed by Baylor Jeppsen, Construction Estimating Expert and Founder of Struvia.*
