Estimate app, spreadsheet or paper: which fits a small contractor?
Published
Short answer
Paper is the fastest to start, a spreadsheet is flexible and cheap, and an app does the math, numbering and PDFs for you. Choose by how many estimates you write each month, how often your prices repeat and whether you need records. Try your next three jobs with one method before you switch.
There is no single right way to write an estimate. A pad and a pen can be enough for a few jobs a month, while a busy week of quotes is easier with a tool that does the arithmetic. This guide compares the three common options and gives you a simple test, so you pick by your own numbers and not by habit. For the content of the estimate itself, see how to write a contractor estimate.
What does each option do well, and where does it fall short?
| Option | Strong at | Weak at |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | No setup, works anywhere, quick for a one-line job | Math by hand, hard to search, easy to lose or smudge, copies need effort |
| Spreadsheet | Flexible layout, formulas, cheap, you own the file | You build and maintain it, a broken formula stays hidden, numbering and PDFs are manual |
| Estimating app | Totals, tax, numbering and PDFs handled for you, price list reused | Learning curve, limits in free versions, less freedom in layout |
None of the three is better in every case. The right one is the one you will actually use after a long day on site.
How many estimates do you write each month?
If you write fewer than five a month and each one is simple, paper or a basic template is often fine. If you write ten or more, or you reuse the same prices again and again, the time spent retyping starts to cost more than any tool.
A useful check: time your next estimate from the first note to a finished copy in the customer's hands. Multiply by the number you write in a month. If that is more than a few hours, a tool is worth testing.
Where do estimating mistakes usually come from?
- Arithmetic slips on long lists of lines
- Tax added twice, or not at all
- An old customer's name or address left in a copied file
- Two estimates with the same number
- A price list that is out of date because it lives in three places
- A version sent to the customer that is not the version you saved
Paper is exposed to the first and last items. A spreadsheet is exposed to the middle ones when a formula or a copied row goes wrong. An app removes some of these by design, but you still need to read the totals before you send them.
What about records, photos and backups?
Whatever you use, keep a copy of every estimate you send and every one the customer accepts. Paper copies need a folder and a place to store it. A spreadsheet needs a file name rule and a backup. An app should let you export your documents so you are not stuck if you change phones.
How long you must keep business records depends on your country and your tax rules, so check your local rules. The official sources below explain the principle for two countries.
How do I test a method before I switch?
- Pick your next three real jobs, not a made-up one
- Write each one in the new method and time it
- Check the totals against a calculator
- Send the PDF or copy to yourself and read it as the customer would
- Ask yourself whether you could find the estimate again in a year
Worked example: a job has 12 hours of labor at 60 and 380 of materials. The subtotal is 720 + 380 = 1,100. With 8% tax added on top, tax is 88 and the total is 1,188. Any method you test should give you these same figures, and the tax rate here is only an example.
To price the job itself, read markup vs margin. For a layout to copy on paper or in a spreadsheet, see the contractor estimate template.
Where does SiteReporta fit?
SiteReporta is an estimating and invoicing app for iPhone and iPad. It keeps a catalog of your labor and materials, adds tax on top of prices or inside them, shows cost, profit, margin and markup to you only, and exports a clean PDF. There is no account and your data stays on your device.
The free version lets you create 3 estimates and keep 2 active clients and 15 catalog items, so you can run the three-job test above without paying. Nothing already created is locked. SiteReporta does not take payments or track whether an invoice was paid, so keep your own record of what has been paid.
Frequently asked questions
Is a handwritten estimate acceptable?
Often yes, if it is clear about the scope, the price and the terms and the customer receives a copy. Some places have written-contract rules for certain jobs, so check your local rules.
Is a spreadsheet good enough for estimates?
It can be, if you build it carefully and test the formulas. The risks are a hidden formula error and the manual work of numbering, PDFs and backups.
When is an estimating app worth it?
When you write estimates often, reuse the same prices, or want totals, tax, numbering and PDFs handled consistently. Time one estimate first to see how much work it would save.
Can I try SiteReporta without paying?
Yes. The free version includes 3 estimates, 2 active clients, 15 catalog items and the Minimal PDF template. Site reports, invoices and backups are not limited.
How long should I keep copies of estimates?
It depends on your country and tax rules, so check your local rules. Keeping accepted estimates with the matching invoice is a sensible habit anywhere.
Sources
Official sources for the rules and figures mentioned in this guide. Rules change and differ by place, so check the current text and your local rules.
- New Zealand Consumer Protection: Quotes and estimates
- IRS: What kind of records should I keep
- GOV.UK: Business records if you are self-employed, how long to keep your records
General guidance, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and trade.