1build
$$Live localised construction cost data via API or spreadsheet
Best for: Contractors and software teams who need current localised cost data in an existing workflow
Software directory · 44 tools
📐 Estimating, Takeoff & Price Books
Estimating software exists to stop you from guessing. At the simple end it produces a clean, branded quote with good-better-best options. At the serious end it does takeoff from plans or aerial imagery, carries a maintained material and labour cost database, and calculates a sell price from your actual overhead and target margin. Flat-rate price books belong here too: they pre-price common repairs so a technician quotes consistently without doing arithmetic in a crawlspace.
Before you buy in this category
- Decide whether you need speed (same-day quotes from the truck) or depth (line-item takeoff from plans). Tools that do both well are rare.
- Make sure the sell price is driven by your overhead number, not a vendor default markup.
- If it includes a cost database, ask how often it is updated and whether it covers your region.
- Check that options and change orders survive a customer saying "what about the other finish?"
- Confirm the quote pushes into your job management system rather than needing re-entry.
Working with no budget? 2 tools here have a free or freemium tier: Contractor+, OpenSolar.
25 tools for this job
Listed alphabetically. We do not rank — the right pick depends on your trade, your headcount, and what you already run.
ArcSite
$$Draw a scaled site plan on a tablet and price it instantly
Best for: Linear and area-based trades that quote from a site sketch
Aurora Solar
Quote onlyRemote solar design, shading analysis, and production modelling
Best for: Solar installers and sales organisations designing systems before a site visit
Buildxact
$$Digital takeoff plus estimating for builders and remodelers
Best for: Custom builders and remodelers who estimate from plans
Cedreo
$$Fast 2D and 3D home design for selling remodels
Best for: Home builders and remodelers who sell design-led projects
Template-based remodeling estimates with regional cost data
Best for: Small remodeling contractors who want credible numbers without building a cost database
EagleView
Pay per useAerial roof measurement reports without climbing
Best for: Roofers and solar installers needing defensible measurements, especially on insurance claims
Handoff
$AI-drafted remodeling estimates from a scope description
Best for: Remodelers and handyman businesses who lose evenings writing estimates
Houzz Pro
$$Proposals, project management, and a lead source in one
Best for: Design-led remodelers and specialty trades already getting leads from Houzz
Hover
Pay per usePhotos of a house become a measured 3D model
Best for: Exterior contractors who sell in the home and want measurements plus visualisation
Joist
$Free phone-based estimates and invoices for new contractors
Best for: Brand-new contractors who need to look legitimate this week
MeasureSquare
Quote onlyFlooring takeoff with seam and cut layout planning
Best for: Flooring contractors and retailers quoting material-heavy jobs
OpenSolar
Free / freemiumFree solar design and proposal platform
Best for: Small and mid-size solar installers who want capable design tools at no subscription cost
PaintScout
$$Painting estimates priced from production rates
Best for: Residential and commercial painting contractors who want consistent, defensible pricing
PlanSwift
$$Long-established desktop takeoff, now subscription-only
Best for: Estimators who want mature local desktop takeoff and work mainly offline
Maintained flat-rate price book for the mechanical trades
Best for: HVAC, plumbing, and electrical shops moving from time-and-materials to flat rate
Instant online quoting with automated follow-up sequences
Best for: Window cleaning and pressure washing companies that quote online and lose follow-up
Roofr
$Fast roof measurements and good-better-best proposals
Best for: Small and mid-size roofers who want same-day measured proposals without enterprise pricing
RoofSnap
$Sketch-based roof measurement and estimating
Best for: Roofing sales teams that would rather sketch on site than order reports
STACK
$$Cloud takeoff and estimating for commercial and residential trades
Best for: Contractors bidding plan-based work who need defensible quantities
Branded, visual quotes that sell options
Best for: Exterior contractors competing on presentation and trust rather than price
Menu pricing that lets the customer choose the price
Best for: Service companies whose technicians are good at the work and uncomfortable selling
Togal.AI
Quote onlyAutomated plan takeoff using machine learning
Best for: Estimators doing high volumes of plan-based takeoff who want a faster first pass
Trusso
$One flat-priced app for jobs, AI, leads, reviews, and your website
Best for: Contractors who want AI-drafted estimates priced off their own price book, with Scanstead LiDAR room scanning included free on every subscription so quantities come from a real measurement rather than a guess
Xactimate
$$$The insurance claim estimating standard
Best for: Restoration and insurance-funded repair contractors
Also covers this
Tools from other categories that do this job as part of a wider platform. Often the cheaper answer, because you are already paying for them.
AccuLynx
Quote onlyRoofing-specific CRM and production management
Best for: Roofing companies with a sales team and meaningful insurance restoration work
Arborgold
Quote onlyLong-established software for tree care and plant health care
Best for: Arborists and plant health care companies managing recurring programmes
Buildertrend
Quote onlyThe established platform for builders and remodelers
Best for: Custom builders and remodelers running multi-week projects with homeowner selections
Commusoft
Quote onlyService contract and compliance depth for mechanical shops
Best for: Shops managing service contracts, compliance certificates, and equipment histories at scale
Broad construction management at a budget price
Best for: Price-sensitive small contractors who need many modules and can accept rough edges
Contractor+
Free / freemiumFree-tier estimating and job tracking for small contractors
Best for: New and part-time contractors who need professional documents before they need a system
FieldEdge
Quote onlyLong-established service management for mechanical contractors
Best for: Established HVAC and plumbing companies that live on maintenance agreements
FieldPulse
Quote onlyMid-market depth at small-business pricing
Best for: Growing shops of roughly five to forty staff that need real options selling and job costing
JobTread
$$Estimating-led construction management with aggressive pricing
Best for: Remodelers and builders who want Buildertrend-class capability for less
Leap
$$Digital in-home sales presentation, pricing, and contract
Best for: Replacement contractors running an in-home, one-visit close process
LMN
$$Budget-driven estimating and crew time for landscapers
Best for: Landscape contractors who suspect their pricing is guesswork and want the maths fixed
3D scans that become a measurable record of a space
Best for: Restoration and remodeling contractors who need a measurable record of a space
Polycam
$Phone-based 3D scanning and floor plan capture
Best for: Small remodelers and designers wanting quick measured existing conditions
RFMS
Quote onlyBusiness system for flooring dealers and installers
Best for: Flooring dealers and larger installation companies carrying inventory
Sera
Quote onlyScheduling engine aimed at raising revenue per technician
Best for: Ambitious small-to-mid mechanical shops focused on revenue per truck
ServiceTitan
Quote onlyThe enterprise platform for established mechanical trades
Best for: HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies with office staff and roughly ten or more technicians
Simpro
Quote onlyProject and service in one system for commercial trade contractors
Best for: Commercial and mixed project-plus-service contractors with 10+ staff
SingleOps
$$Green-industry job management with mapped estimating
Best for: Tree care and landscape companies that quote from measurements and want fewer site visits
Estimating, contracts, and project management with a desktop heritage
Best for: Builders and remodelers who want solid contracts and documentation alongside estimating
What the price bands mean
Free / freemium
Free / freemium A usable free tier, or free with payment processing
$
$ — under ~$100/mo Solo operators and very small teams
$$
$$ — ~$100–400/mo Small teams, usually priced per user
$$$
$$$ — ~$400+/mo Multi-crew shops with office staff
Quote only
Quote only No public pricing — expect a sales call
Pay per use
Pay per use Per lead, per measurement, or per transaction
Bands are our judgement of what a small team actually ends up paying, not the headline price on a pricing page. Always confirm current pricing with the vendor.
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