Quoting by builders and tradies takes a lot of time. It’s the main reason tradies complain about working every night and not having enough time to run their business or get time to finish jobs on schedule. Families miss out. Quality checking of work suffers, so rework is a risk. Errors in estimating can eliminate job profit in a flash. No wonder that software for estimating that can save 75% of the quoting time and ensure consistent quality and T&C’s is an obvious need in the construction industry.
So Estimating software is the number one tool every builder, tradesman and contractor needs. If you aren’t using an estimating software package you are wasting valuable time and money. By streamlining your estimating, you will save countless hours at your computer while improving the accuracy of all your estimates. After you set up your own pricing and templates or use supplier prices, you can expect to save over 70 to 80% of the time it now takes to produce quotes. Templates are really based on your first good looking quote so it doesn’t take long to get started.
Tradies can now stop spending valuable time with measuring tapes, calculators, spreadsheets and messing around searching for files. Using excel or spreadsheets helps a bit but doesn’t organise your quotes, documents, plans, take-off measurements or jobs, purchasing profits and work schedules and is nowhere near as productive as well designed estimating software.
A new generation of cloud based estimating and job management (like Buildxact) that integrates with cloud accounting like Xero or MYOB is changing the way businesses get more jobs and manage greater profitability. And they cost much less (normally just a low monthly subscription fee) than past estimating systems that usually required a $5,000 to $10,000 initial investment upfront by the builder. That’s no longer the case with cloud software typically costing just $100 to $200 per month depending on what you use. That’s less than the maintenance fee for support normally charged by older systems so there is no good reason to avoid the switch.
Plus the best breed of software now has easier to use functions that dramatically improve ease of use and speed in quoting. Its simpler and faster now. Streamline estimating with Buildxact by scanning and loading your plans straight into your estimating software. Take-offs are fast and efficient because you’re not physically measuring anything. Use your pdf plans on the screen to estimate accurately. Calculate and estimate materials needed for each job with precise accuracy.
Measuring roof areas, bricks or wall areas, or volumes of concrete, painting areas, tiling or landscaping elements straight from plans now are done in minutes not hours using a mouse and the inbuilt auto-calculator in Buildxact.
Multiple price lists are managed with prices updated as you go or supplied by yourself or suppliers. Items and prices are easy to manage for any type of trade.
No more guessing measurements, amounts and giving vague numbers. Approximates aren’t professional and often result in losing money on jobs. What your customers want is accuracy and confidence, and they will appreciate your rapid submission of a quote and your professionalism with no mistakes and surprises. Your customers will recommend you because they didn’t get nasty surprises.
Build your business by getting more estimates and quotes via email straight to your customers faster and with a very professional look. It’s a big factor in winning more business.
So you win more jobs with the best tool. Then its time to organise and manage jobs much more efficiently than before. Jobs are also easily managed in the dashboard in Buildxact so you can stay on top of your work profitability and use your estimates as budgets. A tool like Buildxact goes all the way with cost plus and fixed price job management, wastage, variations, purchasing, contract invoicing, task scheduling and organising work, notifying tradies for site work and deliveries, and reporting on job progress.
Here at Buildxact we want you to focus on the more important matters in your business. If your crystal ball isn’t working that well, which we are sure it isn’t, use an estimating software package like Buildxact. Don’t get left behind. Get your free trial now! to check it out for yourself.
