Blogs | General | Groundplan

What is Takeoff Software and How Has it Changed Construction Estimating?

Designed to save time and improve accuracy, online takeoff software has become an invaluable solution in the modern construction industry.

Natalie Bogdanski

January 29, 2025

General

These Are the Biggest Trade Industry Trends & Tech for 2025

The trade industry is on the cusp of exciting advancements in 2025, from smarter tools to greener practices and innovative technologies. These trends offer opportunities to work smarter—not harder.

Natalie Bogdanski

January 2, 2025

General

Three Groundplan Features Saving Sparkies Hours Every Week

Whether you're creating a clear, concise plan or you're looking for ways to save time on takeoffs and estimates, here are three Groundplan features that save you loads of time.

Natalie Bogdanski

December 16, 2024

General

Six Common Tender Submission Mistakes to Avoid Losing a Bid

Whether you're a seasoned pro or learning as you go, here are six common mistakes MEP trades make when submitting tenders—and how to avoid them.

CE Estimating

December 8, 2024

General

‍Lighting the Way With Groundplan at The Light House Noosa

At The Light House Noosa, helping clients illuminate their homes and businesses is both an art and a science. Before Groundplan, they relied on paper plans; nowadays, it's a different story.

Natalie Bogdanski

November 21, 2024

Case Studies

Work Smarter With TradiePad’s Smart Tech Solutions

TradiePad takes the time to truly understand your business’s unique needs and identify areas for improvement. With this insight, they recommend tailored software solutions that make your job easier.

Natalie Bogdanski

November 5, 2024

General

The Unlikely Places You Can Find Your Ideal Trade Staff

Sometimes the best hires are right under your nose. Tap into your personal network—friends, family, and even people you know socially. You’d be surprised how often the ideal candidate comes from someone in your personal circle.

Natalie Bogdanski

October 22, 2024

General

Popular Strategies Tradies Use to Master Job Costing

Job costing is crucial for tradies to balance costs and stay competitive. The two main approaches—fixed pricing and calculated estimates—each come with unique benefits and challenges across different trades.

Natalie Bogdanski

September 30, 2024

General

Groundplan Software Update Highlights for 2024

If you’re an existing user, it's worth making sure you’re getting the most from these features. For anyone who’s considering Groundplan there may just be something in the list you’ve been waiting for.

Brad Halcrow

September 23, 2024

General

Become a Groundplan Superuser!

Join our Trainer for a FREE 5 part Groundplan training series to speed up your takeoff process and become a Groundplan superuser.

Groundplan

August 12, 2020

Training

Spreadsheets vs Estimating Software: When It's Time to Switch

Still estimating in Excel? Compare spreadsheets with estimating software and find out when it makes sense to upgrade your process.

Brad Halcrow

July 17, 2026

General

Construction Quotes That Win More Jobs: Templates, Tips and Best Practices

This guide covers what a winning construction quoting template includes, how to choose the right format for the job and how to price without undercutting yourself.

Brad Halcrow

June 30, 2026

General

Markup vs Margin: The Guide Every Contractor Needs to Read

Markup is what you add to cost, but margin is the amount you keep in terms of revenue. The gap between them can lead to the annual profit quietly disappearing.

Brad Halcrow

June 10, 2026

General

The Complete Guide to Electrical Estimating: Best Practices for Sparkies

In this guide, we cover the best ways to estimate electrical jobs accurately in the Australian market.

Brad Halcrow

June 4, 2026

General

Two Big Improvements to the Groundplan Fergus Integration

Thanks to an API update by Fergus, we’re able to bring some significant improvements to the Groundplan Fergus integration.

Brad Halcrow

March 9, 2026

General

The New Plan Editor - Everything In Its Right Place

We want everyone to enjoy the new editor's benefits. On 23 June, everyone will be switched to the new editor by default.

Brad Halcrow

June 10, 2025

General

Bridge Communication Between the Office and the Field with Comments

As your project progresses, even as it is nearing completion, Groundplan allows your staff on-site to leave comments on specific locations of the plan.

Brad Halcrow

April 14, 2025

General

How Construction Estimating Has Evolved Over the Decades

Today, digital tools are changing how people approach estimates and takeoffs, setting new standards for efficiency and accuracy.

Natalie Bogdanski

February 20, 2025

General

The Power of Networking in Trades: Five Reasons Networking is Key for Tradies

Networking helps you find talent, increase brand awareness, stay ahead of industry trends, and generate referrals.

Natalie Bogdanski

February 4, 2025

General

Episode 5: How Groundplan brings remote teams together

Despite the distance, he remains the central point of contact for all things estimating, project management and documentation.

Brad Halcrow

July 3, 2026

Case Studies

Episode 4: Getting the Project Manager onboard

In episode 4 of our 5-Part series we asked Brent how he’s incorporating the project manager into the process so that the above walkthroughs from site can be clearly documented back to the office and vice versa.

Brad Halcrow

July 1, 2026

Case Studies

Episode 3: Documentation for the builder

In this episode, Brent walks us through the process for tracking changes on site and how it benefits all future trades.

Brad Halcrow

June 29, 2026

Case Studies

Episode 2: From Tendering to Walk Through Stage

In episode 2, Brent reveals how he manages project revisions to help project managers understand the project’s history.

Brad Halcrow

June 26, 2026

Case Studies

Episode 1: Keeping Your Projects Organised

In this five-part series, Brent Drew from Modern Vision Contractors has been generous enough to show us exactly how he estimates projects 1000 km's from head office.

Brad Halcrow

June 25, 2026

Case Studies

When day spills into night, something’s gotta give

Building a serious electrical business and spending time with the family can potentially conflict, until you put the right infrastructure in place.

Brad Halcrow

May 29, 2026

Case Studies

How J-Tech Systems Supercharged Estimating and Quoting

Scaling a business in the trades isn’t just about winning more projects—it’s about smart decisions & smart systems. Enter Groundplan & Simpro.

Brad Halcrow

May 18, 2026

Case Studies

Profit Visibility: The Key to Keeping Cool

The end of a project should be cause for celebration. Instead, one significant question often remains unanswered even after all those weeks of physical labor: "Did I actually make money on this job?"

Brad Halcrow

March 31, 2026

Case Studies

The Ultimate Toolkit for an Electrical Business to Thrive

No integration is more popular than our connection to Simpro. But how does it actually benefit your workflow?

Spreadsheets vs Estimating Software: When It's Time to Switch

Still estimating in Excel? Compare spreadsheets with estimating software and find out when it makes sense to upgrade your process.

Brad Halcrow

July 17, 2026

General

Construction Quotes That Win More Jobs: Templates, Tips and Best Practices

This guide covers what a winning construction quoting template includes, how to choose the right format for the job and how to price without undercutting yourself.

Brad Halcrow

June 30, 2026

General

Markup vs Margin: The Guide Every Contractor Needs to Read

Markup is what you add to cost, but margin is the amount you keep in terms of revenue. The gap between them can lead to the annual profit quietly disappearing.

Brad Halcrow

June 10, 2026

General

The Complete Guide to Electrical Estimating: Best Practices for Sparkies

In this guide, we cover the best ways to estimate electrical jobs accurately in the Australian market.

Brad Halcrow

June 4, 2026

General

Two Big Improvements to the Groundplan Fergus Integration

Thanks to an API update by Fergus, we’re able to bring some significant improvements to the Groundplan Fergus integration.

Brad Halcrow

March 9, 2026

General

The New Plan Editor - Everything In Its Right Place

We want everyone to enjoy the new editor's benefits. On 23 June, everyone will be switched to the new editor by default.

Brad Halcrow

June 10, 2025

General

Bridge Communication Between the Office and the Field with Comments

As your project progresses, even as it is nearing completion, Groundplan allows your staff on-site to leave comments on specific locations of the plan.

Brad Halcrow

April 14, 2025

General