u/Puzzleheaded_Cup_292

Been using zzTakeoff since December '25. Before that, it was Planswift and Bluebeam.

I recently started a new gig, and they've allowed me to use zzTakeoff here, paid for the year, but now want me fully onboarded on OST by the end of the year.

This OST is absolute dogshit. Sure, I can figure it out, but it's very user unfriendly, clunky, and slow. It took me an hour just to upload a set of plans and figure out how to start a takeoff on this dinosaur of a program. It's been so frustrating over the last hour.

WHY CAN'T I PAN IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMMAND?

Holy shit, this is going to be the straw on this camel's back for sure.

Took my first shot Friday night. Saturday wasn't super hungry most of the day, actually felt a little nauseous from not eating enough, but then couldn't put much away once I did eat.

Normally I'd have a few drinks over the weekend, only made it through 2-3.

Sunday I ate a bit more but dinner was smaller, no seconds.

Monday lunch was half my leftovers from Sunday, and if I'm honest I only ate to get my blood sugar back up. Dinner was easy though, chicken breast, green beans, skipped the rice pilaf. Had one Corona Light and just lost interest halfway through.

Today, same deal.. half my leftovers at lunch, wasn't even hungry by 2pm. Got through half a beer at home before dumping the rest.

Other than that, feeling pretty normal, no nausea or headaches, just a little tired.

What's everyone else actually managing to eat. Trying to figure out what goes down easy without forcing full meals.

Long vent, beware.

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Here's the cleaned-up version:

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Felt like I was going to get fired Friday. Had a 30-minute Teams call with my boss, unhappy with what I'd put together for a bid due Wednesday. I told him and the lead estimator the previous Wednesday, when he randomly checked in, that my takeoffs weren't done. He could merge it in, but it had a bunch of 0 quantities and 1 LS placeholders, I assumed those would get filled once sub numbers came back. Apparently that's not how it works here.

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When rough carpentry came up, I explained I carried sheathing under the Div 6 line because I captured that quantity while doing my paint scope for a heated storage area but I didn't own rough carpentry, I'd take millwork since that's my background. I apologized for letting him down, but I was also feeling ostracized for stuff that wasn't actually in my scope.

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He pulled up the lead's estimate, who'd ended up doing deep takeoffs and overwriting mine. My boss asked what I'd spent 60 hours on. I explained: most of it went to sub calls and emails for coverage, setting up the project in BuildingConnected, building all the bid packages, inviting 450 subs, and then my own divisional takeoffs.

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When we compared estimates, my GWB/paint lines showed 0 for place holders i just didnt enter in the quantities yet. His version used flat building SF so I was sort of annoyed because any monkey could have done that but I was taking off actual wall area. But, inevitably because my line read 0 when merged, he assumed I wasn't doing anything.

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He did mention that because I'm 3 hours away in a different office that I'm kind of on an island, and that I haven't been onboarded fully and he hasnt done any check ins over the past month I've been working here. I guess that some of my work sub outreach, status updates, wasn't visible where people were actually looking (BuildingConnected vs. email). He eventually mentioned that the EVP was impressed with other work I did for him, and that they are looking forward to the budget I just finished for a warehouse on Mondays meeting because they know I can produce good work. But the call i had with him made me feel like im not a good estimator.. Mixed signals/ feelings I guess.

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Oddly enough, I think I do better with rough, incomplete plans than a full bid set. I can finish a design estimate with assumptions pretty easily but full plans and hard bids give me anxiety.

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Guess I'll see how Wednesday goes.

Any day camps for 1st graders around the Manchester/Goffstown area where you dont need to commit for a whole week and not pay $200+ a week.

I don’t trust AI to perform quantity surveys or price work, but is it useful enough to review 2000+ page specifications to create a list of RFIs and then a complete CSI divisional bid leveling scope sheets?

Of course I'd still have to read through it line by line, but it would take away a lot legwork.

So far so good.

Pros:

- 5 minute commute. I think I might skateboard to work someday or start walking.

- Office with a window overlooking the river. I could practically see my house.

- My only work neighbor is easy to get along with.

- My office is like a skeleton crew, so its pretty quiet as opposed to the other locations.

Cons:

- They use OST, which is extremely outdated. I started using my own license for zzTakeoff, hopefully the boss will be OK with it because Im not about to hinder my performance learning (or unlearning) how to use OST.

- It tales longer to shut down my computer, ride the elevator, and walk to my car than it does to drive home. I can’t even get into a song before I’m in my driveway, and the AC barely has enough time to remember what it’s supposed to do before I’m shutting the car off again. At one point I caught a green light and honestly thought, “well there goes half the commute.” This isn’t a drive home. It’s a brief cutscene between work and my living room. I don’t know how much longer I can endure this suffering.

Giving a two week notice is such a weird and pointless experience.

You go from: “critical member of the team” to “elderly family dog everyone is being nice to until the inevitable happens.”

I’m literally sitting here getting paid to exist. I’ve become a decorative office plant with login credentials.

At this point my main responsibility is nodding during meetings and saying: “Yeah, somebody should probably look into that.”

Doo doo doo

I’m currently weighing an offer that has me thinking what actually matters at this stage of my career. 39, married with children, mortage, etc. The base is $110k, exactly what im making now, but the title is a step back from "Senior."

At my currentjob, I have the Senior title, but the benefits are thin and a promised salary increase never materialized. The commute is also 40+ minutes coming home dependant on traffic.

The new opportunity:

- 5-minute drive.

- Much better 401k match and 21 days of PTO compared to the 12 I'm getting.

- I’m pushing for a $5k sign-on bonus and a formal 6-month performance review to get the Senior title back.

At the end of the day, you can’t eat a title. I’d rather have the extra time at home and a better retirement setup than a specific word on a business card.

Would you take a "demotion" on paper for a significant quality-of-life upgrade, or would you hold out for the Senior status elsewhere?

ETA: VP of construction came back and agreed to my $5k sign-on on bonus, also a 9 month review for the title and salary adjustment. Base salary stays the same as well as the benefits for now. I told them I accept these terms and to send a revised offer letter.

LFG!!!

I’m currently at a crossroads and could use some perspective on two roles. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the title, I'm more focused on the day-to-day reality.

Option A (Current): Senior Estimator at a small firm

I’m the sole estimator. There are basically no systems or structure in place, which means I end up doing 10x more work just to keep things moving.

Between the lack of support and a long commute, it’s becoming a massive struggle.

Pay is ~$110k.

Option B (The Offer): Project Estimator at a large firm

This is a return to a large-scale corporate environment, similar to where I’ve worked before. It actually has established systems and a team structure.

It’s a much shorter commute (5 minutes) with better benefits. Even though the title is technically a step back, the pay is still right around that $110k mark.

Is it a no-brainer to ditch the "Senior" title and the chaos of a small shop for a more structured life at a bigger company? Has anyone regretted going back to a larger firm after being the "only guy" at a small one?