Case Study: Brown & Read Engineering achieves 4x faster, more accurate bids with Trimble AutoBid

Mechanical Contractor Realizes 4x Process Improvement Through Trimble AutoBid Adoption

Brown & Read Engineering, a Reno-based HVAC and plumbing contractor founded in 2003, grew from custom homes to large institutional projects but relied on pencil, paper, CAD and manual takeoffs. As project size and complexity increased, the firm needed faster, more accurate estimates, better AutoCAD integration, screen takeoffs and vendor connectivity to support growth.

They implemented Trimble AutoBid Mechanical and AutoBid SheetMetal for takeoff, bid creation and vendor submittal. The tools automatically generate correct component counts, produce detailed material lists, pass pricing to vendors and offer correction factors for site constraints—delivering roughly a 4x speed improvement, higher bid accuracy, cost-saving value engineering, and payback on the investment while enabling work on major retrofit and campus projects.

Brown & Read Engineering

Tyke Read

Engineer