Estimating & Quoting
Choosing a tool for quotes and estimates
A quote for a repair and a bid from a set of building plans involve different work. Estimating tools vary just as much. Some help you measure materials; others handle prices, paperwork, and follow-ups.
Start with the part of estimating that takes you the most time. That will help you decide whether to improve a price book, use the quoting features you already have, or look at a dedicated tool.
Three kinds of estimating tools
"Estimating software" is three different products sold under one label.
- Digital takeoff software measures quantities off a plan set and prices materials and labor against a cost database. STACK lives here, and Knowify partly does.
- Job-costing and project-management software comes with an estimating module attached. Buildertrend and Contractor Foreman fit here.
- Field service software treats "estimating" as a quote builder tucked inside a scheduling and invoicing tool. That's Jobber and Housecall Pro.
These categories overlap, but the work they support differs. A simple quote form may be enough for service calls; a tool that measures drawings is more useful when a bid starts with plans.
Working out your rates
Whatever tool you choose, the rates you put into it need to cover the work. It helps to review those rates alongside the jobs you have recently completed.
Include wages, payroll tax, workers' comp, vehicle costs, insurance, tools, and time spent traveling. Some estimating systems help organize these costs, but the inputs still need to reflect your business. A spreadsheet can be a useful place to work them out.
Check whether a pricing field uses markup or margin. On $1,000 of cost, a 30% markup produces a price of $1,300. The $300 gross profit is about 23% of that price, so the gross margin is 23%, not 30%. The distinction matters when setting a default that will be reused on future quotes.
Takeoff software, price books, or a spreadsheet
The type of work is a useful starting point.
When digital takeoff earns its keep
Digital takeoff means measuring quantities straight off an uploaded plan set. It pays off when two things are both true. First, the work is material-heavy: roofing, drywall, concrete, flooring, anything priced mostly by the square foot or linear foot. Second, you bid against plan sets over and over, ideally against other bidders.
A roofing contractor bidding fifteen commercial jobs a month off architectural drawings gets real value from a tool like STACK. The software does what a person would otherwise do with a scale ruler and a legal pad, only faster and with fewer transcription errors. That time saving adds up every month.
For service calls and smaller jobs
For repairs and routine service calls, you may not work from plans at all. If an electrician is quoting a panel swap or a plumber is replacing a fixture, measuring quantities from drawings may add little to the job.
Full project-management platforms like Buildertrend are the same story. They're built for builders running several multi-phase jobs at once, with subs, draws, and change orders. A single-truck shop doing $5,000 repair jobs doesn't have that kind of complexity, and it would be paying for a system sized for much bigger operations.
For repeat service work, a price book can be a useful starting point: a list of common jobs with labor, materials, and margin worked out in advance. You can keep it in a spreadsheet for $0 and use the same figures in your quoting app. Review entries when your costs or the work involved change.
Buildertrend uses custom quotes rather than a published flat price. Ask which features, users, and setup services the quote includes so you can compare the total with other options.
Plans and prices
Prices below were recorded on 21 July 2026. Visit the vendor pricing pages for current plans and billing terms.
| Tool | Entry price | What it's built for | Worth it for a small shop? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowify | $99 to $149/mo, 1 user (Core plan) | Job costing, contracts, and estimating for fixed-price and AIA jobs | Only if you do contract-priced work with change orders, not service calls |
| STACK (Takeoff & Estimate) | $249/user/mo, billed annually (Premium) | On-screen digital takeoff from plan sets, quantity and material estimating | Only if you regularly bid from plans (roofing, drywall, concrete, and similar trades) |
| Contractor Foreman | $49/mo, 1 user (Basic, annual billing) | Broad project management: estimates, invoicing, scheduling, crew tracking | Cheapest all-in-one here. Fine for a small crew that wants one system, not just quotes |
| Buildertrend | Not published (custom quote only) | Full project management for builders and remodelers running multi-phase jobs | Most relevant to builders and remodelers managing multi-phase work |
| Jobber | $29 to $49/mo, 1 user (Core plan) | Field service scheduling and invoicing with a quoting module built in | Yes, if you already need scheduling and invoicing. Quoting comes along with it |
| Housecall Pro | $59 to $79/mo, 1 user (Basic plan) | Field service management with quotes, price book, and job costing built in | Yes, same logic as Jobber: a quote tool riding on software you'd buy anyway |
Following up after the quote
A follow-up reminder can be as useful as a quicker way to prepare the quote.
Once a quote is sent, it is easy to lose track of it among the next day's jobs. Jobber and Housecall Pro offer automated follow-ups on some plans. Check whether the plan you are considering includes them and whether the messages can be adjusted to suit your customers.
A reminder on your phone can also do the job. The useful part is knowing which quotes are still open and when you last spoke to the customer.
From quote to completed job
An accepted quote becomes a scheduled job and then an invoice. Keeping those steps connected can reduce repeat entry. The all-in-one vs. separate tools guide looks at the cost and convenience of each approach.
Choosing what to try
For service and repair work, try a price book alongside the quoting features in your existing app. You may already have most of what you need.
If you regularly bid material-heavy jobs from plans, try a digital takeoff tool such as STACK on a recent set of drawings and compare the time involved.
For multi-phase builds with subs and draws, compare Buildertrend and Knowify's job-costing tools. Include the user allowance and setup costs when requesting a quote.
Run a recent quote through the tool before committing. You'll see how easily you can change the scope, check the price, and follow up afterward.