Accubid Classic, AutoBid Mechanical, AutoBid SheetMetal, FastDUCT, FastPIPE, TRA-SER, Estimation MEP — that's 7 separate products to do what MEPSub does in one.
"I work for a commercial MEP subcontractor, and our estimating team currently uses Accubid Classic for Electrical, FastDuct for Mechanical, and FastPipe for Plumbing. We signed up for Autobid to get our Mechanical and Plumbing teams into the Trimble family, but apparently this initiative has not gotten off the ground because the tool doesn't work the way that our estimating head originally thought it did..."
"I am now looking at alternatives in an effort to have a single platform for our estimators to use, and am looking for recommendations. Ideally, the platform would enable us to build assemblies/tasks and schedules and also have real time material pricing."
Legacy. 42K items, 13K assemblies. Windows only.
Cloud version. Includes submittal mgmt & Supplier Xchange.
100K+ items. Spec-driven takeoff. Separate from electrical.
Often bundled in Essentials subscription.
By FastEST Inc. Separate vendor from Trimble.
By FastEST Inc. Integrates with FastPIPE.
2M+ items from 650+ manufacturers. Required for live pricing.
New product, limited features. Still in development.
Every feature compared with honest context about both platforms.
| Feature | MEPSub | Trimble | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📐 Estimating & Takeoff | |||
| Electrical Estimating | ✓ AI | ✓ | Trimble: Accubid. MEPSub: AI-powered |
| Mechanical / Piping | ✓ AI | ✓ | Trimble: AutoBid (separate license) |
| Sheet Metal / Duct | ✓ AI | ✓ | Trimble: AutoBid SheetMetal or FastDUCT |
| Plumbing | ✓ AI | ✓ | Trimble: FastPIPE (separate purchase) |
| Single Platform for All Trades | ✓ | ✗ | Trimble: 3-4 products. MEPSub: one login |
| AI Estimate Generator | ✓ AI | ✗ | Describe scope → AI builds estimate |
| Graphical On-Screen Takeoff | Planned | ✓ | Trimble: LiveCount. MEPSub: AI Takeoff coming |
| Assembly Library | ✓ | ✓ | Trimble: 13K-100K+. MEPSub: AI-created |
| 💰 Material Pricing | |||
| Real-Time Material Pricing | ✓ Included | ✓ Add-on | Trimble: TRA-SER separate sub |
| MEP Cost Book (13,000+ items) | ✓ | ~ | MEPSub: Craftsman + Costbook. Trimble: TRA-SER |
| BLS Labor Rate Integration | ✓ | ✗ | Live federal labor data — MEPSub exclusive |
| FRED Material Price Indices | ✓ | ✗ | Copper, steel, PVC trends — MEPSub exclusive |
| Pricing Included in Base Plan | ✓ | ✗ | Trimble charges separately for TRA-SER |
| 📋 Submittals | |||
| AI Spec Book Parser | ✓ AI | ✗ | Upload PDF → AI extracts requirements |
| Submittal Tracking | ✓ | ~ | Trimble: basic in Anywhere only |
| Public GC Review Portal | ✓ | ✗ | No login needed for reviewers |
| AI Product Alternatives | ✓ AI | ✗ | AI finds equivalent products |
| 📁 Project Management | |||
| RFIs | ✓ | ✗ | Not in any Trimble estimating tool |
| Change Orders | ✓ | ✓ | Trimble: Accubid CO add-on |
| Purchase Orders | ✓ | ~ | Trimble: limited export |
| Invoicing & Payments | ✓ | ✗ | Not in any Trimble product |
| AI Scope Gap Detection | ✓ AI | ✗ | AI catches discrepancies |
| 🤖 AI & Intelligence | |||
| AI Document Chat | ✓ | ✗ | Ask questions about uploaded docs |
| AI SOW Generator | ✓ | ✗ | Trade-specific SOW from estimates |
| AI Terms & Conditions | ✓ | ✗ | AIA/SMACNA standard-aware |
| Symbol AutoCount (AI) | ✗ | ✓ | Trimble: AI counts symbols on drawings |
| 📱 Platform | |||
| All Trades in One Platform | ✓ | ✗ | Trimble: separate per trade |
| 100% Cloud / Web App | ✓ | ~ | Trimble: Anywhere is cloud; rest desktop |
| Mobile-First PWA | ✓ | ✗ | Trimble desktop tools not mobile-friendly |
| Setup Time | Minutes | Days–Weeks | Trimble: installation, DB setup, training |
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing — one login, one database, one workflow. No more juggling Accubid + AutoBid + FastPIPE + FastDUCT.
Spec parsing, AI estimates, scope gaps, product alternatives, terms & conditions, SOW generator, document chat, assembly creator.
~$1,430/yr for a complete platform vs $12,000–$25,000+ for Trimble's product stack. Same team, same trades, fraction of the cost.
Sign up for MEPSub's free plan. Upload a spec book and let AI parse it. See the difference in minutes.
Use MEPSub alongside Trimble for a few bids. Compare estimate accuracy, time savings, and team feedback.
Move submittals, then RFIs, then invoicing into MEPSub. Each module works independently.
Cancel Trimble subscriptions one by one. Save $10,000+ per year while gaining AI capabilities.
One platform for all MEP trades. AI-powered. Pricing included. No credit card required.