# Contractor estimating software that quotes on site and chases every open estimate

Contractor estimating software builds a priced quote for a job, sends it to the customer and tracks whether it is won. BRIX builds quotes on site, then follows up every open estimate automatically by text and email. When the customer says yes, the quote becomes a job, then an invoice, then a synced QuickBooks entry.

## Key takeaways

- Most estimates aren't lost on price. They're lost to silence: nobody followed up, and the customer booked whoever called back.
- A good quote shows scope, line items, price, what's not included and how long the price holds.
- BRIX quotes on site and follows up every open estimate by text and email until the customer answers.
- A won quote flows into the job, the invoice and QuickBooks, so nobody retypes numbers.

## What does contractor estimating software do?

Contractor estimating software turns what you see on a job into a priced, professional quote the customer can say yes to. The basic jobs are the same for every trade: list the work, price labor and materials, add your markup, send it, and track whether it closes. Where tools differ is what happens after you hit send.

Most estimating apps stop at the PDF. The quote goes out, sits in the customer's inbox, and the owner means to call back on Friday. Friday turns into next week. By then the homeowner has signed with the company that followed up. That's the gap BRIX is built around: the quote is only half the job. The other half is chasing it.

## Why do contractors lose estimates they should win?

Contractors mostly lose winnable estimates to slow or missing follow-up, not to price. Customers who ask for three quotes rarely compare them line by line. They pick the company that answered their questions, showed up on time and checked in after the visit. If you never follow up, you're asking them to chase you.

- **The quote goes out late.** You walk the job Tuesday and type the estimate Thursday night. A competitor sent theirs from the driveway.
- **Nobody owns follow-up.** The owner is on a roof, the office is on the phone, and open estimates live in a sent folder.
- **The numbers are guesses.** Without your real labor rate, burden and overhead, a quote can win the job and lose money. See [how to price a job](https://www.brix.so/tools/job-pricing-calculator).
- **The customer has a question and no one to ask.** "Does that include haul-away?" goes unanswered, so they call someone else.

> **Illustrative example: what silent estimates cost**
>
> Say a roofing contractor sends 20 estimates a month at an average of $9,000 each and closes 5 of them.
>
> If steady follow-up wins back just 2 more of the 15 that went quiet, that's $18,000 more booked work a month, with no extra ad spend and no extra site visits.
>
> These are example numbers, not industry averages. Plug in your own estimate count, close rate and ticket size.

## How BRIX handles quotes and estimates

1. **Build the quote on site.** Walk the job, add the line items and price it while you're still standing in the customer's kitchen or driveway. The customer gets the quote before you've backed out of the driveway, not three days later.
2. **Send it with a clear scope.** Spell out what's included, what isn't, and how long the price holds. Clear scope cuts the back-and-forth that kills deals and heads off disputes after the job. Our [estimate template](https://www.brix.so/templates/estimate-template) shows what to include.
3. **Follow up automatically.** BRIX follows up every open estimate by text and email on a schedule you approve, so no quote dies in an inbox. When the customer replies with a question, you see it in the customer's record.
4. **Turn the yes into a job.** A won quote becomes a scheduled job on the calendar, so the office doesn't retype the scope, the address or the price.
5. **Invoice and sync.** When the work is done, the job becomes an invoice, and the customer, invoice and payment sync to QuickBooks.

**Sample estimate follow-up (illustrative)**



**BRIX (automatic follow-up):** Hi Dana, it's Mike's Plumbing. Just checking you got the quote for the water heater swap. Any questions about it?

**Customer:** Got it. Does the price include hauling the old tank away?

**Mike (owner):** Yes, haul-away and disposal are on line 4. Want an install date this week?

**Customer:** Thursday works.

That exchange is the difference between a quote that sits and a job on the board. BRIX sent the nudge without anyone remembering to; the owner only had to answer one question from his phone. The timing and wording of follow-ups are set with you during setup.

## What should a contractor estimate include?

A contractor estimate should include your business details, the customer and job address, a plain-language scope, itemized labor and materials (or a flat price per task), taxes where they apply, the total, payment terms and an expiration date. Exclusions matter as much as inclusions, because most job-site disputes start with "I thought that was included."

**What a strong estimate covers**

| Section | What to put in it | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scope of work | What you'll do, in plain words, room by room or system by system | Sets expectations and protects you on change orders |
| Line items | Labor, materials, equipment, permits, disposal | Customers trust prices they can see |
| Exclusions | Drywall patching, painting, code upgrades found later | Stops "I thought that was included" |
| Options | A repair price and a replace price, or a standard and a premium unit | Gives the customer a choice besides yes or no |
| Terms | Deposit, payment schedule, how long the price holds | Protects your cash flow and your margin when material prices move |

_Learn the difference between an estimate, a quote and a bid in [estimate vs. quote vs. bid](https://www.brix.so/learn/estimate-vs-quote-vs-bid)._

## How do you price a quote so it actually makes money?

Price a quote from your true costs up, not from what the last guy charged. Start with labor hours times a loaded labor rate (wage plus taxes, insurance and benefits), add materials at cost, add a share of overhead, then add profit. The common mistake is marking up costs by a percentage and calling it margin. A 50% markup is a 33% margin, not 50%.

**Quote price from target margin**

```
Price = (Labor + Materials + Overhead share) ÷ (1 − Target margin)
```

Where:
- Labor = hours × loaded hourly labor cost
- Materials = parts and supplies at your cost
- Overhead share = the slice of rent, trucks, insurance and office this job must cover
- Target margin = the profit share of the final price you want, as a decimal

> **Worked example**
>
> An electrician quotes a panel upgrade: 10 hours at a $55 loaded labor cost ($550), $900 in materials and $250 of overhead. Cost is $1,700.
>
> For a 30% margin: $1,700 ÷ 0.70 = **$2,428.57**, so quote about $2,430. Marking up $1,700 by 30% gives only $2,210, a 23% margin.

Check your numbers with the [markup and margin calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/markup-margin-calculator) and read [markup vs. margin](https://www.brix.so/learn/markup-vs-margin) if the two still blur together. If you're not sure what your labor really costs, start with the [labor burden calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/labor-burden-calculator).

## Should you give customers good, better and best options?

Offering two or three options on a quote gives the customer a choice between your options instead of a choice between you and a competitor. A repair-or-replace pair, or a standard and a premium unit, works well for HVAC, water heaters, roofing and panels. Keep it to three options at most, and make the middle one the one you'd recommend to your own family. More in [good-better-best pricing](https://www.brix.so/learn/good-better-best-pricing).

## What happens after the customer says yes?

This is where BRIX differs from a standalone estimating app. Most quoting tools hand you a signed PDF and leave the rest to you: retype it into the schedule, retype it into the invoice, retype it into QuickBooks. Every retype is a chance to drop a line item or fat-finger a price.

1. **Call.** The [AI receptionist](https://www.brix.so/features/ai-receptionist) answers, qualifies the caller and books the estimate visit.
2. **Quote.** You build and send the quote on site.
3. **Follow-up.** [Sales automation](https://www.brix.so/features/sales-automation) chases the open estimate by text and email.
4. **Job.** The won quote goes on the calendar and [scheduling and dispatch](https://www.brix.so/features/scheduling-dispatch) assigns the crew.
5. **Invoice.** The finished job becomes an invoice, and [invoicing and payments](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments) chases it until it's paid.
6. **Books.** Customers, invoices and payments sync to [QuickBooks](https://www.brix.so/integrations/quickbooks).

## How does BRIX compare with quoting in other field service apps?

Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan all include quoting, and all three are solid choices if you want a full field service app and are happy to run follow-up yourself. The differences that matter for estimates are what's included in the base plan and what costs extra.

**Quoting-related details from vendor pricing pages**

| Tool | What the pricing page shows | QuickBooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jobber | Plans from $29/mo billed annually (Core, 1 user). Pipeline is a $49/mo add-on, included in Plus. | QuickBooks Online sync starts on the Connect plan |
| Housecall Pro | Plans from $59/mo billed annually (Basic, 1 user). A Sales Proposal Tool is listed on Max. | QuickBooks Online sync listed from Essentials |
| ServiceTitan | No published prices. Mobile estimates appear in the Essentials package. | QuickBooks Online and Desktop integrations, per its help center |
| BRIX | Quotes on site, automatic estimate follow-up by text and email, quote to job to invoice. | Syncs customers, invoices and payments |

_Competitor details verified 2026-10-12 from each vendor's pricing page and help center (see sources). Plans and prices change; check the vendor's page before deciding._

Already happy with quoting in another tool? You don't have to switch. BRIX connects with [Jobber](https://www.brix.so/integrations/jobber), [Housecall Pro](https://www.brix.so/integrations/housecall-pro) and [ServiceTitan](https://www.brix.so/integrations/servicetitan) and can add call answering and follow-up on top.

## Quoting by trade

**What makes quoting different in each trade**

| Trade | Typical quote | Follow-up that wins it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HVAC | System replacement with two or three equipment options | Check in within a day; equipment quotes go cold fast in peak season |
| Plumbing | Water heater, repipe, sewer line | Answer the "what's included" question quickly |
| Roofing | Full replacement, often tied to an insurance claim | Follow up around the adjuster's visit and the claim decision |
| Electrical | Panel upgrade, EV charger, rewiring | Explain permits and timing; customers worry about inspections |
| Landscaping | Seasonal contracts and installs | Follow up before the season fills your calendar |
| General contracting | Remodels with allowances and change orders | Track scope changes with a [change order](https://www.brix.so/learn/change-order) |

BRIX builds quotes on site, follows up every open estimate by text and email, and turns the yes into a job, an invoice and a synced QuickBooks entry, so no quote dies in an inbox.

- [Quotes and estimates](https://www.brix.so/features/quotes-estimates): Builds accurate quotes on site and follows up on every open estimate.
- [Sales automation](https://www.brix.so/features/sales-automation): Follows up every lead and open estimate automatically by text and email, and asks every customer for a review after the job.
- [Invoicing and payments](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments): Turns finished jobs into invoices and politely chases unpaid ones until the money is in your account.
- [QuickBooks sync](https://www.brix.so/integrations/quickbooks): Syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks so the books match the jobs.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best estimating software for small contractors?

The best one is the one you'll actually use on site and that follows up for you. Look for fast quoting from your phone, clear line items, automatic follow-up on open estimates, and a clean path from quote to invoice to QuickBooks. A tool that only makes PDFs leaves the hardest part, follow-up, to you.

### How soon should I follow up on an estimate?

Within a day of sending it, while the visit is still fresh. Then check in again a few days later and once more before the price expires. Our guide on [how to follow up on an estimate](https://www.brix.so/learn/how-to-follow-up-on-an-estimate) has a full sequence and wording.

### Can BRIX follow up on estimates automatically?

Yes. BRIX follows up every open estimate by text and email on a schedule you approve during setup. Replies land in the customer's record so you can see the conversation and step in on anything that needs you.

### What's the difference between an estimate and a quote?

An estimate is an approximate price that can change once work starts. A quote is a firm price for a defined scope, usually valid for a set period. Many contractors use the words loosely, so say on the document whether the price is firm and how long it holds.

### How long should a contractor quote be valid?

Commonly 15 to 30 days, shorter when material prices are moving. Put the expiration date on the quote so you aren't stuck honoring an old price, and use the date as a natural reason to follow up.

### Do quotes sync to QuickBooks?

BRIX syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks. Quotes stay in BRIX until they're won; once the work is done and invoiced, the invoice and payment flow to QuickBooks so your books match your jobs.

### Can I use BRIX if I already quote in Jobber or Housecall Pro?

Yes. BRIX connects with Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan, so you can keep quoting where you do today and add BRIX's call answering and follow-up on top. Tell us what you use during setup and we'll connect it.

### Should I charge for estimates?

Many trades give free estimates for standard work and charge a diagnostic or design fee for complex jobs, often credited back if the customer books. Charging makes sense when estimates take hours or when you're getting lots of tire-kickers.

## Related

- [Lead Follow-Up Automation That Chases Every Lead and Estimate for You](https://www.brix.so/features/sales-automation)
- [Contractor invoicing software that sends the invoice and chases the money](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments)
- [QuickBooks for contractors: the right version, real job costing and a sync that keeps the books matched to the jobs](https://www.brix.so/integrations/quickbooks)
- [How to Follow Up on an Estimate](https://www.brix.so/learn/how-to-follow-up-on-an-estimate)
- [Estimate vs. Quote vs. Bid: What's the Difference?](https://www.brix.so/learn/estimate-vs-quote-vs-bid)
- [What Is Good-Better-Best Pricing?](https://www.brix.so/learn/good-better-best-pricing)
- [Contractor Estimate Template](https://www.brix.so/templates/estimate-template)
- [Estimate Follow-Up Templates (Text and Email)](https://www.brix.so/templates/estimate-follow-up-templates)
- [Job Pricing Calculator for Contractors](https://www.brix.so/tools/job-pricing-calculator)
- [Markup and Margin Calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/markup-margin-calculator)

## Sources

- [Jobber, Pricing (plans, add-ons, QuickBooks Online sync from Connect)](https://www.getjobber.com/pricing/) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Housecall Pro, Pricing (plans, QuickBooks Online sync, Sales Proposal Tool)](https://www.housecallpro.com/pricing/) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [ServiceTitan, Pricing (packages, Request Pricing)](https://www.servicetitan.com/pricing) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [ServiceTitan Help Center, Accounting integrations](https://help.servicetitan.com/landing-page/accounting-integrations) (checked 2026-10-12)

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Written by BRIX Editorial Team. Last updated 2026-10-12.
Canonical: https://www.brix.so/features/quotes-estimates