Stack Software Reviews

“Powerful reporting

Pros

What I appreciate most about it is its reporting capability. After I complete a takeoff and generate the report, I'm able to view steel quantities and weights for the job. That really accelerates the entire estimating workflow and process.

Cons

I don't like that the system is cloud-based. I understand everything seems to be hosted in the cloud now but if there is an internet outage or I'm at a jobsite with no signal or WiFi, I lose access to my project information.

“Simple to generate takeoffs

Pros

I'm really impressed by how simple it is to generate takeoffs for multiple item systems.

Cons

The one thing that bothers me is it doesn't always detect text inside a drawing which stops me from jumping to details. I do understand this usually stems from low drawing quality and not from a problem with the software itself.

“great flow but forced to do a takeoff before estimating

Pros

I find the product's flow user-friendly and it helps me easily progress through every single step.

Cons

Unfortunately, I can't create an estimate on its own. I'm forced to have a takeoff before I can generate one.

“easy to transfer drawings from STACK into SmartUse

Pros

One thing I really like about this software is how easy it makes transferring drawings from STACK into SmartUse which lets our construction crew pull them up easily out in the field. I also find the calendar's multiple viewing options extremely helpful because they let everyone stay informed about what other team members across the company are doing.

Cons

I've noticed it can take a long time to load, even when other apps on our systems are running smoothly without any lag.

“Easy to manage

Pros

I'm a fan of how simple it is to handle and I appreciate that it borrows familiar shortcuts from other programs, like using the Ctrl keys.

Cons

What frustrates me is that they don't provide a comprehensive list of all the shortcut keys so I was left to discover them myself over time and by trial-and-error.

“impressive capabilities

Pros

The software is very easy to use and packed with useful capabilities. Its search function saves me so much time and truly feels like a lifesaver.

Cons

I ran into a limitation where I can't assign categories to individual takeoff items unless I convert them into an assembly which is pretty inconvenient.

“Uncomplicated tool for takeoffs

Pros

For takeoffs, I find the highlighting tools really simple and easy to work with. Feature updates have started arriving more regularly but I'm not relying on it for much else right now.

Cons

I feel there are just too many variables in our line of work for its estimate-generation features to outperform the system we're already using. It would require a much greater level of customization before I could consider switching.

“love the ability to share takeoffs with clients

Pros

Being able to share my takeoffs with clients is something I really like. It makes collaboration simple and keeps everyone on the same page.

Cons

Would love the option to drop text boxes directly onto drawings like in Bluebeam or Adobe. That feature would make annotating and clarifying details much easier for me.

“helps us verify quantities easily

Pros

We appreciate being able to quickly run panel counts so we can confirm quantities.

Cons

I find the line weights are overly thick and tough to decipher so clients at times can't read the dimensions clearly.

“Can use it from anywhere!!

Pros

No matter where I am, I can access the product using the plans I chose and that makes it simple to work both out in the field and back at the office regularly.

Cons

One thing I'd like to see improved is when I hover over a measurement it would reveal the full details right away. I can pull those details currently but it's awkward and takes extra steps so getting to them isn't simple or quick.

“Saves me money

Pros

I like how user-friendly it is and being able to pick features a la carte helps me save money.

Cons

We don't have many complaints. They've fixed every problem we've faced and they keep enhancing the product constantly.

“Helps us handle takeoffs for roofing, siding and metal

Pros

We only tap into a small slice of the STACK product to handle takeoffs for roofing, siding and metal, that's literally all we use. Offering this as a service to our customers has saved us an enormous amount of time because everything is done digitally instead of with paper prints and scales which feels invaluable. At this stage we've even reached the point where we can charge a fee for the service so it's become a revenue stream as well.

Cons

We end up using just a tiny part of the overall platform but still cover the full subscription cost. It would be ideal if pricing allowed us to pay only for the modules or segments we actually use, rather than the entire suite.

“Ability to build custom items

Pros

For my work across different trades, being able to build custom items and assemblies matters a lot. I also rely on precise takeoffs and on-screen scale verification to keep estimates accurate. Stack handles both of these very well.

Cons

However, I'm frustrated that I can't export overlay comparisons between different revisions of the same sheet, that omission is a real drawback. While I can move takeoffs from one sheet to another, I can't exclude particular sheet versions from the overall takeoff without tediously renaming every takeoff tied to each sheet revision. For example, when I want to separate a bid set from a permit set and then compare bid quantities and costs to the final numbers, the software doesn't let me do that cleanly. To make that comparison I either have to create separate projects for each version or delete the original bid takeoff which is impractical. If I leave both versions in the same project, their quantities add together and the totals show up in the final report which defeats the purpose of tracking changes between revisions.

“Combines takeoff and estimating tools

Pros

Having the takeoff and estimating tools combined in one platform really makes it stand out compared to others. I'm able to go from plans to a full estimate without switching apps, all within the same interface.

Cons

Setting everything up felt a bit tedious to me, though once it's configured it runs very smoothly and performs reliably.

“Tidy interface

Pros

The interface is clean. I've been using it for a little over a year myself, while my company has relied on it for several years. I didn't find it difficult to learn how to use.

Cons

I sometimes find using Stack on my phone to be a little tricky and awkward.

“Love the overlay feature

Pros

I love the overlay feature because it saves me from having to fully re-count every time drawings are revised.

Cons

Honestly, it's annoying that I can't create multiple, separate takeoffs to track different updates within the same project. I also wish assigning line items to specific takeoffs was quicker and more user-friendly.

“easy to understand

Pros

It has been really user-friendly. After one hurried session where I had to learn it quickly, I picked it up and eventually became the go-to expert at my company. I spent time developing and reworking assemblies until we landed on a system that functions well and is simple to use. We slashed our estimating time from roughly 8-10 hours down to about 2-4 hours per estimate and that level of time savings is absolutely worth it.

Cons

My biggest gripe is that I can't change numbers at the project level without opening the spreadsheet-style worksheets or risking changes to the central database. There also isn't an audit trail that shows when someone altered something in the database. Both of these shortcomings have caused real problems for us because we handle very customized scenarios. When I changed a number for one project it ended up updating every project that used that assembly. Since we depend heavily on assemblies, I can't simply add a new custom item every time something unique comes up.

“Nothing complicated about it

Pros

Using this software feels amazingly simple. After just a single walkthrough with the Stack support team (which was an excellent bonus), I quickly became confident moving around the interface. I especially love the assemblies feature.

Cons

I'd appreciate a guide (if one isn't already available) explaining how to transfer or make my data interchangeable from Stack to estimating tools such as Sage and to project management platforms like Procore. I expect this kind of integration will probably be the company's next move.

“Fair pricing

Pros

I've found the takeoff tools to be amazing, the training and support top-notch and it was one of the earliest cloud-based takeoff platforms I used, all offered at a very reasonable price.

Cons

Honestly, I can't think of any meaningful drawbacks to STACK and none of our users or I have been able to point to any real negatives.

“Made me more productive

Pros

By using the takeoffs, items and assemblies, I can put together precise proposals and get them out quickly. It's made me far more productive in ways I can't even fully measure. Tasks that used to take me several days doing manual takeoffs are now wrapped up in just a few hours.

Cons

On very large projects, I notice the system can become sluggish at times. This only seems to occur with the biggest plan files I work on, especially when dozens of takeoffs are being calculated simultaneously.