Trade estimating.
From plan to bid.
Measure PDF plans, price materials and labor, and submit proposals from one project workspace. Compound.Work connects takeoff, estimating, bids, work orders, and job costs for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, mechanical, and fire protection teams.
Estimating software built for every trade
Use drawing measurements and material costs to build bids for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, mechanical, and fire protection work.
Electrical Contractors
Plumbing & Mechanical
HVAC & Sheet Metal
Fire Protection
All-in-one estimating and bid management for subcontractors
Keep plan quantities, material prices, labor, and proposal details together. Carry awarded estimate items into work orders and compare estimated costs with actuals.
Plan Takeoff
Upload PDFs and measure directly on plans. Count, linear, and area takeoffs with snap-to-edge precision and a full undo history.
Estimating
Build detailed estimates from your material cost library. Apply waste %, markup, tax, overhead, and profit margin with live summary breakdowns.
Bid Management
Generate professional bid proposals as PDFs. Track every bid through your pipeline from notification to awarded.
Bid Board
Kanban-style pipeline view. Drag bids between stages, filter by estimator, and flip to Results view to see won, lost, and pending bids.
Work Orders
Convert awarded bids into work orders instantly. Select line items, attach takeoff data, and issue field-ready documents to your crews.
Cost Reports
Compare estimated vs actual costs per project. Track variance, gross profit, and margin so you know where jobs are making or losing money.
Document Management
Centralize project drawings, specs, and contracts in one place. Upload, organize by project, and access everything instantly.
Team & CRM
Manage your estimating team, assign lead estimators to projects, and track all contractor relationships and activities in a built-in CRM.
From PDF plans to field work orders
Follow the quantities and costs through each stage of the job.
Get the Plans
Upload PDFs directly into Compound.Work. Organize by project, set scale, and start measuring immediately.
Do the Takeoff
Measure counts, lengths, and areas directly on the drawing. Snap to edges, annotate, and export annotated PDFs.
Build the Estimate
Pull from your materials library, add labor, set waste and markup. Tax, overhead, and profit roll up automatically.
Submit the Bid
Generate a professional PDF proposal with your logo, clauses, assumptions, and alternates. One click.
Track the Pipeline
Move bids through your Bid Board as stages progress. See live pipeline value by stage and by estimator.
Issue & Close
Convert awarded bids to work orders. Track actual costs and compare to estimates. Know your real margins.
Why subcontractors choose Compound.Work
Project records stay connected across office estimating and field work.
Built for Specialty Contractors
Measure counts, lengths, and areas on trade drawings, then use your quantities to price materials and labor in the same project.
One Platform, Full Lifecycle
Keep drawings, estimate line items, proposals, and work orders attached to the project. Compare actual job costs with the estimate after award.
Know Your Pipeline
Your Bid Board gives you a clear view of your entire pipeline. See what's at each stage, filter by estimator, and track performance over time so you can improve what's working.
Multi-Estimator Teams
Assign a lead estimator to each project and filter the Bid Board by estimator to review the team's work.
Get your prices in front of every sub who bids with Compound.Work
Material suppliers and distributors can list their product catalog directly in Compound.Work. When subcontractors build estimates, they pull your current prices — no more chasing quotes or updating spreadsheets.
Upload your price list once
Import your full catalog via CSV. Update prices anytime and every sub using your list gets the latest.
Subs pull your prices into estimates
When a subcontractor builds an estimate, your materials appear in their cost library — priced and ready to use.
Keep catalog records together
Share material descriptions, SKUs, and prices so estimating teams can select the items they need.
Free vendor account — no subscription required.
Acme Electrical Supply
1,240 products loaded
½" EMT Conduit 10'
EMT-050-10
½" EMT Coupling
EMT-COU-050
#12 THHN Wire (per ft)
THH-12-BLK
20A Single Pole Breaker
BRK-20A-SP
↑ Example of how your catalog appears to subcontractors
Be among the first to use Compound.Work
Create an account to upload plans and build your first estimate. No credit card required.
Questions about Compound.Work
Which contractors is Compound.Work designed for?
Compound.Work supports estimating workflows for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, mechanical, and fire protection subcontractors. Teams can keep plans, material costs, estimates, bids, and work orders together by project.
Can I measure quantities directly on PDF plans?
Yes. Upload a PDF plan, set the drawing scale, and measure counts, lengths, and areas. Use those quantities when building an estimate with materials and labor.
What happens after a bid is awarded?
You can convert awarded bid items into work orders for the field, share project documents with your crew, and compare actual costs with the original estimate.
Do I need to install software?
No. Compound.Work runs in a web browser. Sign in to access your company's projects and estimating tools.