BuildLab vs manual Excel — keep Excel or switch tools?
Excel is the most common way to build estimates: almost free, familiar and completely flexible. BuildLab keeps the Excel output but replaces manual measuring and keying with quantity proposals from drawings and built-in norms and unit prices.
BuildLab vs manual Excel side by side
The criteria that usually come up when weighing a move from Excel to a dedicated tool — including the points where Excel is stronger.
Cost
- BuildLab
- A Free tier is available for real trials; Pro is 299,000 VND per 6 months
- Manual Excel
- Effectively zero if the machine already has Excel — an Excel strength that is hard to beat
Takeoff from drawings
- BuildLab
- Proposes quantities from DWG/DXF files; the engineer reviews and locks them before the BOQ
- Manual Excel
- Measure and count by hand on the drawing, then key the figures into the sheet
Norms & unit prices
- BuildLab
- Lookup of norms, provincial unit prices and material prices from their issuing instruments inside the system; 2026 legal framework (TT 36/37/38/2026, Decree 206/2026)
- Manual Excel
- Look up the instruments yourself and key rates and consumption figures into the sheet
Error control
- BuildLab
- Review and lock each quantity row; warnings surface when a proposal is missing or off
- Manual Excel
- You check formulas and cross-sheet links yourself — errors slip through easily in large files edited by several people
Flexibility
- BuildLab
- A standard BOQ form, exported to Excel for any further editing you need
- Manual Excel
- Completely flexible: forms, formulas and layout all your own — an Excel strength
Teamwork & versions
- BuildLab
- Projects live in the cloud as a single version: open from any machine, invite members and comment per line item
- Manual Excel
- Files travel over email/USB and versions drift between the copies people send around
Final output
- BuildLab
- Exports the BOQ to Excel/PDF — the end result is still an Excel file that opens anywhere
- Manual Excel
- Already Excel — no export step needed
Estimating workflow comparison
Move from Excel to BuildLab in 3 steps
You do not give up Excel — BuildLab only replaces the manual measuring and lookups, and the output is still a familiar Excel file.
01
Create a Free account
Sign up in the browser — no install, no dongle, no payment card required.
02
Open a project and upload a drawing
Upload a DWG/DXF file so the system can propose quantities, or key work items manually like a familiar sheet.
03
Review, then export the BOQ Excel
Check and lock each quantity row, apply unit prices, then export the BOQ to Excel/PDF — keep working in Excel afterwards if you like.
Where Excel is still stronger than BuildLab
Cost and reach: Excel is already on most office machines and everyone can open and edit a file — no account or extra training needed.
Total flexibility: in Excel you design the forms, formulas and presentation exactly to your organisation's habits; BuildLab follows a standard BOQ form and requires a review-then-lock step before export.
This comparison is based on public information and user reports (09/2026). BuildLab's calculations implement the TCVN instruments but have not yet been reviewed by a domain advisor — cross-check with your design documents before official use.
Related pages
Choose by how repetitive the work is
Keep Excel if projects are small, rarely repeated and you already own a well-tuned template set. Switch to BuildLab when manual measuring and norm/price lookups take most of your time — since the output is still Excel, you lose no flexibility at the final step.
Frequently asked questions
Does BuildLab replace Excel entirely?
No — and it is not meant to. BuildLab replaces manual measuring, norm/price lookups and review control; the final result still exports to Excel so you can keep formatting or adjusting it as you like.
Can I reuse my existing Excel estimate files?
Old Excel files cannot be imported into a project directly. Rebuild quickly by uploading drawings for the system to propose quantities, or key the sheet manually — then export a fresh Excel from locked data.
When should I stay on Excel instead of switching?
When projects are small, rarely repeated, and you already have a standard template set plus a fast personal workflow. BuildLab pays off when takeoff volumes are large, repetitive, or need frequent norm and price lookups.
Can I keep editing in Excel after using BuildLab?
Yes — the BOQ exports as a standard .xlsx file that opens and edits like any Excel workbook, with no lock-in.
Can BuildLab estimates be used in official dossiers?
The BOQ exports to Excel/PDF from data you reviewed and locked. Norms and formulas implement the TCVN instruments but have not yet been reviewed by a domain advisor — cross-check and sign off under your own dossier process, as with any estimating tool.
Try BuildLab on a real project
The Free tier includes a monthly DWG quota — create an account, upload one drawing and compare it with the Excel file you use today.
