6 minute read 

As a business owner in residential construction, you know that you need a competitive edge to win more business. While your project portfolio is impressive in attracting business, you’re only as good as your first impression, and generally, you only have one chance to get it right. To win the job, your customer is expecting an accurate and professional quote. Yet to be competitive, you also need to be quick in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven environment. To help you achieve accurate and professional quotes in a fraction of time, invest in construction quotation software.

What is construction quotation software?

Construction quotation softwarefor the residential builder is a tool that takes information from your estimate and automates all the expected costs, in line-by-line detail, including overhead and materials costs, all in one document.

Accuracy is critical because the quote, once signed, is considered a binding agreement to start work. The best construction estimating software is all-in-one software solution that provides software to ensure accurate estimates to go along with effective project management and professional quotes.

Because of the fluctuation in material costs, quotes typically have an expiration date. With building quotation software, any updates are quickly and precisely made. One of the biggest headaches in the construction industry is constant price fluctuations that will affect your quotes. Our cloud-based software makes estimating material and labor costs quick and easy, and making updates is also just as easy.

The estimating process in construction projects should not be a grueling task. The right cost estimating software allows construction professionals, from carpenters, painters to roofers, to work quickly and accurately so they can make a profit and take on more work. 

The combination of an effective estimating tool paired up with top-notch project management tools will set you up for success. It’s tough to compete with large construction companies who have unlimited resources and people, but construction estimating software products like Buildxact, help you work smarter, not harder at a very high level.

The benefits of construction quotation software

Are you tired of spending time doing your takeoffs, estimating, and quotes by hand, Word or Excel? Not to mention the back-and-forth communication with subs and suppliers? There is a better way, and construction quotation software can help. Speed up your process from job inquiry to winning more jobs with building quotation software like Buildxact, specifically designed for the residential builder. We’ve outlined essential benefits a quotation builder software solution brings to your business:

1. Higher win rates: you’ve heard the term “the early bird gets the worm.” The same is valid for getting your quote to the customer first. Speed up your quoting time by adding construction quotation software to your business and increase your chances to win more work ahead of your competition.

2. Fewer errors and more accuracy: the odds of mistakes in your quote increases if you’re doing them manually or in multiple programs. Using construction quotation software offers a more accurate quote, even when material prices change because it’s all automated.

“Accuracy becomes more and more important every day for us as builders because a little mistake five years ago is a big mistake now when it comes to materials. And as far as for our clients, no one likes surprises,” said Matthew McCrimmon, owner of Sabado Homes.

3. Streamlined communication: quoting a construction project requires a lot of external communication for accurate pricing. Construction quotation software will help you manage the RFQ process with your subs and suppliers.

“Our drywall subcontractors would only bid on a house once they completed the framing. Now, they can do it ahead, saving us all time,” said Jeremy De Paz, project manager at Waterloo City Construction.

4. Showcase your brand: building quotation software allows you to generate a beautifully branded quote for a professional first impression in front of your customers.

5. Professional and organized presentation: earlier, we mentioned you only have one time to make a first impression. Your detailed quote is one of the most critical documents to win the job. Compare your manual or current quote to an automated construction quotation software quote — and the accompanying documents — and we bet you’ll consider the move to a quotation builder software.

Construction quotation software features you can count on

For many residential builders, the quote, once signed by your customer, is the binding document to start work on a project. As such, the features of construction quotation software should be robust enough to handle all the details yet simple enough not to overwhelm you or your customers. We know it can be a struggle to balance hands-on job site work and running the day-to-day business, but there’s a better way. Here are the top features’ builders like you are using when they choose Buildxact, the best quoting and invoicing software to simplify their business operations.

1. Takeoff to quote: create accurate quotes using information directly from your takeoffs and estimate. By entering in data once, you’ll have peace of mind that the numbers are accurate from takeoff to quote.

2. Pre-formatted quote template: look for construction quotation software that has pre-formatted and templated quotes with all the detailed specifications, images, and line-by-line-item breakdowns. Buildxact offers a quality end-product for you to impress your customers and win more work. It’s easy to update without the need for a graphic designer or creative skills.

3. Simplified RFQ process: cloud-based construction quotation software like Buildxact, allows you to submit one request to multiple subs and suppliers, making it a cinch to price shop. You can also keep track of who has quoted on your inquiry and view and accept their response.

4. Accounting integration: never miss a beat and keep track of your financials from quote to invoice with quotation invoice software. Connect to your accounting software — Quickbooks or Xero — as well as Deputy time management, reducing administration time and increasing accuracy through to your final invoice.

“I still utilize QuickBooks and it integrates with Buildxact,” said Dustin Ballew, owner of Blue Bexar Construction.

Choose Buildxact – the best quoting and invoicing software 

Quoting your projects doesn’t have to be difficult, nor does it need to take days. Run your residential construction business smarter, win more work and save time by investing in building quotation software. Save yourself the time to search and try Buildxact, cloud-based construction quotation software specifically designed for the residential builder.

Are you ready for a better way to quote your projects?

Learn more or try our 14-day risk-free trial, or book a one-on-one demo with one of our expert team members today.