Guides
Practical and short. Useful whatever software you use.
What to include in a contractor estimate
Ten items. If your estimate has all ten, the customer has nothing left to ask before they say yes.
Updated October 12, 2026
How to write a scope of work that stops arguments
The scope is the part of the estimate that gets argued about later. Here is how to write one in five minutes that does not.
Updated October 17, 2026
How to write an estimate on your phone, in the driveway
The estimate that wins is the one that arrives while the customer is still interested. That means from your phone, before you drive off.
Updated October 17, 2026
Eight estimate mistakes that lose jobs
None of these are about the price. All of them are fixable on the next estimate you send.
Updated October 17, 2026
How to write a bid that gets signed
Seven things that separate the bids homeowners accept from the ones they leave sitting in their inbox.
Updated September 14, 2026
Good, better, best: how to put options on an estimate
Three prices on one page beat one price with a follow-up call. Here is how to build the tiers so the customer picks the middle.
Updated October 12, 2026
Estimate vs quote vs proposal: which one should you send?
The three words mean different things to a customer and to a court. Pick the right one and say so on the document.
Updated September 14, 2026
How to price a job: a method you can do on your phone
Hours, materials, markup. Three numbers, and the one most contractors get wrong is the first.
Updated October 12, 2026
Should you charge for estimates?
Free is the default for a reason. Here is when to break it, what to charge, and the one sentence that makes a fee sound fair.
Updated October 12, 2026
How to write the warranty line on an estimate
One or two sentences. Labor from you, parts from the manufacturer, and the two things it does not cover.
Updated October 12, 2026
How to send an estimate by text message
Texting the estimate is the fastest way to get a yes, if the thing you text is a document and not a number.
Updated October 12, 2026
How to follow up on an estimate without being pushy
The schedule that gets replies, the three messages to send, and the one thing to never write.
Updated October 12, 2026
Why customers don't respond to your estimates
Six reasons a homeowner goes quiet after you send a price, and which ones you can fix before you send the next one.
Updated October 12, 2026
When a customer asks for a discount
Never cut the price without cutting something else. Three answers that keep the job and the margin, with the words.
Updated October 12, 2026
How to write a change order that gets accepted the same day
Four lines, sent from the job site, accepted before you pick the tool back up. That is the whole system.
Updated October 12, 2026
How to ask a customer for a review without it feeling like a form letter
Ask once, by text, within two days of the final payment, with one link. The words are below.
Updated October 12, 2026
How to get paid faster as a contractor
Most late payments were set up on day one. Seven habits that move the money from "when I get to it" to the same week.
Updated October 17, 2026
How much deposit should a contractor ask for?
What is normal by trade, what customers accept without pushback, and how to collect it without chasing.
Updated October 12, 2026
Estimate vs invoice: what to send and when
One asks for a yes. The other asks for money. Mixing them up is how a job ends with an awkward conversation about the bill.
Updated October 12, 2026
The best estimating apps for small contractors, with what they cost
Seven apps, one honest line on who each is for, and the real price for one person. We make one of them and say so.
Updated October 17, 2026
How much does Jobber cost in 2026?
Jobber's real monthly prices for one person and for a small crew, what the number on their pricing page means, and how to tell if you need it.
Updated September 20, 2026
How much does Housecall Pro cost in 2026?
The monthly bill for one person, what the annual price on their page means, what the bigger plans add, and who should pay for them.
Updated October 12, 2026
How much does Joist cost in 2026?
Joist's four plans, what the cheap ones leave out, and when a $10 estimating app is the right buy.
Updated October 12, 2026
Also free: 84 sample estimates, proposal templates for 24 trades, three pricing calculators, and a proposal generator you can use without signing up.