Looking for a better way to get estimates done as summer and fall work line up? Clear Estimates software is designed to save users both time and money, thanks to pre-loaded details for 12,000 parts, including regionally-focused material and labor costs. The software covers exterior projects including decks, additions, exterior wall systems, painting, and more, as well as the interior kitchen-and-bath projects you'd expect.
When it comes to formatting estimatse, "if you have a list of 50 or 100 parts for a project, no one want's to type all that out," says Jack Dean, director of sales for Clear Estimates. "Some people have set up good workarounds with copy-and-pasting Excel cells, but that's still cumbersome." By selecting parts from the Clear Estimates' pre-loaded list, users can create an estimate with almost no typing needed, and can customize reports with company logo, contact information, and payment schedules.
The products database is further customizable for users that want to call out items they use on a regular basis. Clear Estimates' partner company RemodelMax updates the data on material prices and labor every quarter for 400 regions around the U.S. so users can be sure they're estimates are accurate for their area. "If you have templates set up the way you like, you can create an estimate in 5 minutes," Dean says. "That's the biggest thing we hear - that people are sick of spending hours to put together an estimate. Getting the work done quicker gives a better chance of winning the bid."
Other features include:
- Subcontractor bid requests
- Change order processing to show how changes will affect project cost
- Cost Status Reports to track the changing cost of the project and payments made by your customer
- Detailed line-item or summarized tabular reports
- Integration with Quickbooks Pro
- Customer contacts management
- Multi-platform functionality so users can create estimates on their tablets before they leave their client's house
