4 Min. Read

5 Best Plumbing Estimating Software for Contractors

January 16, 2024

When you’re working as a contractor, you want to be able to provide your potential clients with accurate estimating.

When estimating projects, you’ll want to give your client an idea of roughly how much they should be spending. You can do this by creating accurate estimates so that you don’t run out of money halfway through a project.

Estimates are an important part of the bidding process. That’s why it’s vital that you get them right. This is the reason that so many contractors use estimating software for their projects. Using software goes a long way to eliminating human error from estimates and allows you to provide accurate labor and material costs.

But what is the best plumbing estimating software for contractors currently available? Here’s a list of our top 5 best plumbing software.

Here’s What We’ll Cover:

1. FreshBooks

FreshBooks services are perfectly tailored for small business owners. It is smart, manageable software that is easy to use.

FreshBooks is software that provides accounting solutions for any type of small business owner. This includes contractors in the plumbing sector.

With invoices, payments, credits, and other financial information in one place, it’s easy to keep track of your employees and your clients. FreshBooks allows you to set clear expectations with your cost estimation and proposals.

Their key features and digital tools help you to take the guesswork out of your planning. It also goes some way to making sure that you and your client are on the same page.

FreshBooks offers a free trial with no credit card required. This means you can try it out to see if it fits your business before putting any money down.

Once your trial is up, FreshBooks’ basic plan offers its ‘lite’ services for just $19.00 per month.

2. Buildertrend

Buildertrend is a construction management system for builders, remodelers and contractors. It’s an estimating tool that combines all types of management into a single suite.

It’s a cloud-based solution that can be accessed online by computer or through your mobile device.

Buildertrend also provides pre-sale tools. This includes an integrated customer relationship management system, bids and proposals.

They offer a free trial so that you can test out the software before you commit to buying. They also offer a reduced fee for the first two months of either package.

The standard monthly rate is $299 per month for their basic package and $499 per month for their premium package.

3. RSMeans Data

RSMeans Data Online is a cloud-based software. It gives you access to an intuitive database of construction pricing estimation. It has a simple setup and it details costs for materials, workforce, assembly and the square foot level of detail.

It’s a perfect software choice for contractors who execute a variety of different construction or plumbing projects.

They also offer a free trial, then their subscription pricing costs $230 per user per year.

4. Sage Estimating

Sage Estimating is a building-based estimating software. It is specifically tailored to serve contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry.

It’s a solution that provides interactive tools to create and share accurate estimates. This is for both commercial and residential plumbing contractors.

Sage allows you to forecast labor, raw materials and a number of other costs to help you prepare accurate estimates.

They offer a free trial and then charge $115 per month per user.

5. Knowify

Knowify provides construction professionals and contractors with a number of tools. They give you the ability to manage your projects and estimates with ease.

It is a cloud-based all-in-one construction and cost management solution. It is perfect for residential plumbing businesses and medium-sized commercial contractors.

They offer a free trial so you can test the software before you purchase. Their basic package then costs $54 per month. You could scale all the way up to their enterprise package which costs $264 per month.

Key Takeaways

When you’re approaching clients with a plumbing estimate, you want to make sure that they are as accurate and detailed as possible.

The best way to do that is through any number of software packages that are specifically designed to make the process easy and manageable. By moving away from manual estimating, you can approach the entire process of any plumbing project with confidence.

Are you looking for more business advice on everything from starting a new business to new business practices?

Then check out the FreshBooks Resource Hub.