Accubid vs McCormick.
The two names that come up first when an electrical contractor outgrows a spreadsheet. Both carry a database of assemblies and labor units, both sell by quote, and the practical differences are in how the count reaches the estimate and how much of it the software now does for you.
Accubid vs McCormick: which electrical estimating software should you choose?
Trimble Accubid and McCormick are both electrical estimating systems, and pricing is not public for either; you get a quote. Accubid pairs its estimating database with a separate takeoff app, LiveCount, and gained AI symbol counting in June 2026. McCormick builds takeoff into the estimate through Design Estimating Pro and also covers plumbing and mechanical. Mid-size and large electrical contractors tend toward Accubid; shops that want one integrated workflow, or that estimate more than one trade, should look hard at McCormick.
I am going to be more careful on this page than on most, because both vendors keep a lot behind the demo request. Where the public record is thin, I say so and give you the question to ask instead of a guess.
Pricing reviewed 13 November 2026, based on public documentation as of Nov 2026; neither vendor publishes a price list. Accubid and LiveCount are trademarks of Trimble, and McCormick and Design Estimating Pro are trademarks of McCormick Systems; this is an independent comparison.
Side by side
| Trimble Accubid | McCormick | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Electrical and MEP estimating, sold as Accubid Classic and Accubid Anywhere | Electrical, plumbing and mechanical estimating with built-in takeoff |
| Vendor | Trimble, MEP division | McCormick Systems, built and supported by the team behind Foundation Software; in business since 1979 |
| Takeoff tool | LiveCount, a separate digital takeoff app that feeds the estimate | Design Estimating Pro, inside the estimating workflow |
| Who reads the drawings | You do, with AI symbol recognition and length takeoff added in the 30 June 2026 release | You do, with auto-count and the patented Auto Home Run |
| Platform | Classic is Windows desktop or hosted; Anywhere is cloud | Described by the vendor as cloud-based; Mac support is not stated |
| Pricing model | Quote only | Quote only, by demo request |
| Public price | Pricing is not public; you get a quote | Pricing is not public; you get a quote |
| Best for | Mid-size to large electrical contractors with several estimators | Electrical contractors of any size who want takeoff and estimate in one tool, including plumbing and mechanical work |
A naming point that trips people up: "Accubid" is two products. Accubid Classic is the long-standing Windows desktop program, also sold hosted. Accubid Anywhere is the cloud product. They are not the same software with a different login, so when you compare Accubid to McCormick, be clear with the Trimble rep about which one is on the quote.
How the count gets into the estimate
This is the difference between Accubid and McCormick that you feel every day, so it deserves more attention than a feature grid.
With Accubid, takeoff happens in LiveCount. You count and measure on the drawing there, and the quantities feed the estimate in Accubid. The upside is a dedicated takeoff application. The cost is that takeoff is a second app to license, learn and keep in step with the estimate.
McCormick puts the drawing inside the estimating workflow. Design Estimating Pro offers point-and-click counts, linear takeoff and auto-count, and the item you click is already an assembly in the database. The feature McCormick leans on is Auto Home Run, which is patented. Home runs are a place where manual takeoffs drift, so a tool built specifically for them is worth seeing in the demo on one of your own panel-heavy sheets.
Neither approach is wrong. A department with a takeoff specialist feeding senior estimators may prefer the separation. A two-person shop where the same person counts and prices will likely find the single workflow easier to live with.
AI: Trimble has shipped it, McCormick has not said much
On 30 June 2026 Trimble released AI takeoff features across its MEP estimating products: automatic scale and sheet naming before takeoff, count-based takeoff that recognizes, labels and counts symbols, length-based takeoff, and an AI Smart Assistant inside Accubid Anywhere. Trimble says these are available in North America and the UK and claims up to a 60% reduction in time on the tasks they cover. That is a vendor figure, so test it on a job you have already counted by hand.
One thing to confirm before you sign: which subscriptions include the AI counting. Secondhand summaries suggest it is tied to particular Accubid Anywhere and hosted Classic plans. I could not confirm that on a Trimble page, so get it in writing.
McCormick's site describes auto-count and Auto Home Run but no AI takeoff features; there is a link to an AI statement and little else. Third-party coverage of NECA 2026 reports McCormick announcing a live average material pricing partnership and a feature called Instant Temporary Parts, which are about pricing speed, not reading drawings. If AI-assisted counting inside the estimating system is high on your list today, Accubid is ahead on what has been published.
Price and learning curve: what you can and cannot know in advance
Pricing is not public for Accubid Classic, Accubid Anywhere or LiveCount. The "$1 per user" figures on some software directories are placeholders, not prices. Pricing is not public for McCormick either; third-party listings report it starting from $300 per month, which McCormick does not confirm on its own site. Anyone giving you a firm per-seat number for either product without a quote in hand is guessing.
So do the comparison on paper. Ask both vendors for the same thing:
- A three-year total for your exact seat count, including the takeoff tool
- Implementation, database setup and training, itemized
- Material pricing service fees, if any
- What happens to your estimates and database if you leave
On ease of learning, neither has a reputation as something you pick up in an afternoon. Reviewers on third-party sites describe Accubid as having a steep learning curve that calls for formal training, and directory reviews of McCormick commonly mention the interface and learning curve as well. Plan for weeks before a new estimator's numbers are trusted on either system, and weigh the quality of each vendor's training as heavily as the feature list.
Which one to pick
Best for: Accubid
- Mid-size and large electrical contractors that need multi-user estimating and audit trails
- Teams that want AI symbol counting inside the incumbent estimating system now
- Shops already hiring estimators who trained on Accubid
Best for: McCormick
- Contractors who want takeoff and estimate in a single workflow
- Firms that also estimate plumbing or mechanical work
- Shops that value a preloaded material database with supplier pricing and a vendor that has done this since 1979
If you are still shortlisting, our roundup of the best electrical estimating software covers the wider field, and McCormick vs ConEst and Countfire vs Accubid handle the neighboring matchups.
If you would rather not click at all
Accubid and McCormick are estimating databases first. The takeoff in front of them is still an estimator working through the sheets, with more help than there used to be. Pilars handles that front end differently: you upload the electrical set and the spec book, and the software reads them together, resolves the panel and fixture schedules, counts devices, measures runs, and returns quantities with a confidence score and a sheet reference for review.
Pilars costs $300 per user per month, billed monthly or annually, and it runs in a browser. Each user covers one trade with unlimited takeoffs, so an electrical estimator is a single user however many sets the shop bids. Electrical is one of 19 trades, and any detection can be opened and corrected before export. Our fine-tuned model counted duplex receptacles at 97.5% on a real power plan in a published benchmark.
To be clear about the limit, Pilars is a takeoff, not a labor-unit database. It does not replace Accubid or McCormick for pricing. Most electrical shops would use it to produce the counts and lengths, export them to Excel, and price in the system they already own. You can test that on your own drawings in the live demo.
Questions estimators actually ask
Is Accubid or McCormick better for electrical estimating?
Accubid is the usual choice for mid-size and large electrical contractors with several estimators, and it added AI symbol counting in June 2026. McCormick suits contractors who want takeoff and estimating in one workflow and who may also estimate plumbing or mechanical work.
How much do Accubid and McCormick cost?
Pricing is not public for Trimble Accubid or for McCormick; both sell by quote. Third-party listings report McCormick starting from $300 per month, and directory entries showing Accubid at $1 per user are placeholders, not real prices.
Accubid vs McCormick for a three-estimator electrical shop: which is easier to learn and cheaper?
Neither Accubid nor McCormick publishes pricing, so a three-estimator shop has to request matching quotes that include the takeoff tool and training. Reviewers describe a real learning curve on both, with Accubid most often called steep, so ask each vendor what training is included.
What is the difference between Accubid and McCormick takeoff?
Accubid uses LiveCount, a separate digital takeoff app that feeds quantities into the estimate. McCormick uses Design Estimating Pro, which sits inside the estimating workflow and includes auto-count and the patented Auto Home Run.
Does McCormick have AI takeoff like Accubid?
McCormick describes auto-count and Auto Home Run on its site but no AI takeoff features as of November 2026. Trimble released AI scale detection, symbol counting and length takeoff for its MEP estimating products, including Accubid, on 30 June 2026.
Are Accubid and McCormick cloud-based?
Accubid Anywhere is the cloud version of Accubid, while Accubid Classic is Windows desktop software that is also sold hosted. McCormick describes its software as cloud-based and accessible anywhere with internet, though it does not state Mac support.
Can AI do the electrical takeoff so I only use Accubid or McCormick for pricing?
Yes. Pilars reads the electrical plan set and spec book automatically and returns counts and lengths for review, which you can export to Excel and price in Accubid or McCormick. Pilars costs $300 per user per month for one trade, with unlimited takeoffs.