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Live Cost Database

M
Written by Marc Dellosa
Updated over 2 months ago

Watch time: 6 minutes

Builderbid’s Live Cost Database allows you to pull real-time pricing for materials and labor directly into your budget. These prices are powered by OneBuild, which updates tens of thousands of construction items every 30 days (or more frequently in some markets).

This guide walks you through how to:

· Identify live cost items

· Adjust live cost pricing

· Look up new live costs

· Use the Snag Tool to add products from vendor websites

Watch this video to learn more(6 minutes):

Steps

1. How Live Cost Data Works (Powered by OneBuild)

  • Based on the project’s ZIP code

  • Pulls pricing from local suppliers and vendors

  • Updated every 30 days at minimum

  • Pricing reflects market averages for regional clusters (usually a group of counties)

  • This provides highly relevant pricing but is not a replacement for verifying local vendor quotes—especially when first using the tool.

2. Identify Items Linked to Live Costs

  • In Builderbid’s standard template, many line items are already linked to live cost data.

    • Blue text = linked to Live Cost Database

    • Black text = manually entered or overridden

  • If you type over a live cost value, it becomes unlinked and turns black.

3. Adjust an Existing Live Cost

  • If a line item is already linked (blue):

    • Click the unit cost on the line

    • Select Adjust Live Cost

    • A widget will open

  • Adjust:

    • Unit type (if needed)

    • Material price

    • Labor price (if applicable)

  • Not all items include labor—you’ll only see labor if available.

  • Use the slider or type to update the price (e.g., $0.48/sq ft).

  • Click Confirm to apply the update.

4. Look Up a New Live Cost Item

  • To replace or add a live cost to any line item:

    • Click the line item

    • Select Look Up Live Cost

    • Browse categories or use the search bar (recommended)

    • Example: “Drywall 4x8”

    • Choose the correct item

    • Adjust pricing or remove labor if needed

    • Click Confirm

  • The line item will turn blue, indicating that it's now linked to the live cost database.

5. Access Live Costs from the Search Library

  • You can also look up live costs directly in the Search Library:

    • Click the Search Library button

    • Use the OneBuild database (far-right button)

    • Search for materials, equipment, fixtures, etc.

  • This allows you to add products to your project even without being inside a line item.

6. Using the Snag Tool for Items Found Online

  • The Snag Tool Chrome Extension lets you capture products from any supplier’s website and save them to your account or project.

  • In the Search Library:

    • The Snag Tool library is the second button from the right

    • Items you’ve captured from online stores will appear here

    • These can be inserted into your project with their product info and pricing

  • A separate guide explains the Snag Tool in detail.

7. Tips for Using Live Pricing Effectively

  • Live costs provide local, updated numbers—but always verify high-impact items

  • Pricing accuracy improves over time as you adjust line items to match your specific vendor rates

  • You can override any live cost at any time

  • Linked costs always appear blue so you know they’re linked

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