# Iphone/Mobile device Estimating system



## MartyDukes

Hey Guys,
I've kicked this around a bit before but I haven't had a lot of time to work on it. I've always thought it would be sweet to have an phone/ipad app that would make estimating easy. 

I was messing around a few weeks ago and threw this little web app together. 

http://www.theconstructionmarketingpro.com/iphonetest

(it works in most browsers but is made to look the best on mobile devices)

Keep in mind that this is just a prototype to get the feel for it. If there is enough interest I would obviously expand it with a lot of features, the least of which will be exterior estimating. 

Anyway, give me some feedback if you have time and let me know what you think. What features would you like to see in something like this? How would you want the system to work?


----------



## AbsolutePainting

Looks like a good start. I've been wanting to initiate a project very similar to this. Hoping to expand in to full blown desktop software with integrated accounting capabilities, etc. I'm having difficulty finding the time, though. Interested in your progress. Keep posting updates.


----------



## LocalPaintPros

MartyDukes said:


> Hey Guys,
> I've kicked this around a bit before but I haven't had a lot of time to work on it. I've always thought it would be sweet to have an phone/ipad app that would make estimating easy.
> 
> I was messing around a few weeks ago and threw this little web app together.
> 
> http://www.theconstructionmarketingpro.com/iphonetest
> 
> (it works in most browsers but is made to look the best on mobile devices)
> 
> Keep in mind that this is just a prototype to get the feel for it. If there is enough interest I would obviously expand it with a lot of features, the least of which will be exterior estimating.
> 
> Anyway, give me some feedback if you have time and let me know what you think. What features would you like to see in something like this? How would you want the system to work?


I've been using a beast of an Excel spreadsheet for my quotes. I surveyed what was available when I got in the business 6 years ago and concluded that there were either features I wanted that were lacking, or they were out of my price range (lots of start-up expenses).

I have an architecture in mind for a full-blown tablet app (I don't think a phone -- even my Droid X -- has a big enough screen for what I want to do). Here are some things I figured out along the way when developing my Excel version that will translate to the tablet version:

Make things table-driven. Especially if you have pricing info that you want to apply to multiple "areas". If a customer calls you back in 6 months and you need to update his quote for new pricing, you want to just point to a new pricing table and have everythng re-calculate for you. Another place to use tables is for spread rates of different products. By simply selecting a different product, you will get updated materials estimates.

Use drop-downs for everything you can. I have a section for "trim" that has space for several different line items, and each line item has a drop-down with (the same) several dozen choices. Same for Doors, Windows, etc. If I want to add a new item, I just add it to my pricing table, and the place my drop-downs get defined, and I'm in business.

Make some provisions for "offsets" An "L" shaped room doesn't need anything special for walls, so you can just enter widest/widest (L/W), but you will need to deduct a ceiling offset.

As you get more sophisticated, you can deduct door widths from base runs, window and door widths from chair rail, etc.

Export user-entered data, and you will save space and can later re-import and re-construct the quote. This is where my Excel spreadsheet based tool falls down. Every room is a separate worksheet (and I allow for 25 rooms), and every one has its own drop-downs and essentially the same calculations (yes, I could probably make it more efficient with some VBA programming), so I store an 868KB (I told you it was a beast) file for every interior quote I write and a 409KB file for every exterior. The actual data entered is only a small fraction of that. On my laptop, with oodles of GB on the disk, space isn't an issue, but on a tablet where memory is more limited, different rules apply.

Hope this helps, and have fun with it!


----------



## dercy

Class already....keep up the great work


----------



## MartyDukes

Thanks for the input guys. 

Ideally this would be a native tablet/phone app but it may be easier to build it online. There will be a "back end" that you can access via your computer to make changes to your rates and prices and what not. Obviously every job would be able to be saved and called back up and adjusted as needed. 

Anyway, just seeing if there is any interest in community for something like this. I will probably still put it together for my own use but if people are interested I could make it available.


----------



## dercy

Put me down for it...an app would be great


----------



## mn01

I am unable to open the site. http://www.theconstructionmarketingpro.com/iphonetest


----------



## MartyDukes

mn01 said:


> I am unable to open the site. http://www.theconstructionmarketingpro.com/iphonetest


Seems to be working for me. Are you trying to open it in your computer browser or on a mobile device?


----------



## Ultimate

Wow just wow


----------



## Different Strokes

yep, that the stuff right there! :thumbsup:


----------



## eb02038

MartyDukes said:


> Hey Guys,
> I've kicked this around a bit before but I haven't had a lot of time to work on it. I've always thought it would be sweet to have an phone/ipad app that would make estimating easy.
> 
> I was messing around a few weeks ago and threw this little web app together.
> 
> http://www.theconstructionmarketingpro.com/iphonetest
> 
> (it works in most browsers but is made to look the best on mobile devices)
> 
> Keep in mind that this is just a prototype to get the feel for it. If there is enough interest I would obviously expand it with a lot of features, the least of which will be exterior estimating.
> 
> Anyway, give me some feedback if you have time and let me know what you think. What features would you like to see in something like this? How would you want the system to work?


I like it but...i entered a 12x12 rm with 8' ceiling and it spit out 2.56 gallons of paint for walls only, really, really...


----------



## nigelsandford

MartyDukes said:


> Hey Guys,
> I've kicked this around a bit before but I haven't had a lot of time to work on it. I've always thought it would be sweet to have an phone/ipad app that would make estimating easy.
> 
> I was messing around a few weeks ago and threw this little web app together.
> 
> http://www.theconstructionmarketingpro.com/iphonetest
> 
> (it works in most browsers but is made to look the best on mobile devices)
> 
> Keep in mind that this is just a prototype to get the feel for it. If there is enough interest I would obviously expand it with a lot of features, the least of which will be exterior estimating.
> 
> Anyway, give me some feedback if you have time and let me know what you think. What features would you like to see in something like this? How would you want the system to work?


Looks simple enough but you need metric version, and other currencies, ( I'm UK based), also trims like skirting, panelled, and flush doors, door frames and architraves, window boards and windows, I think your on the right track, keep at it,


----------



## tntpainting

Not bad , what about exterior ? Pretty much spot on nice idea.


----------



## Paradigmzz

eb02038 said:


> I like it but...i entered a 12x12 rm with 8' ceiling and it spit out 2.56 gallons of paint for walls only, really, really...


96 sq ft a wall times 4 walls equals 386. times 2 coats equals 772. If you can get 300 sq. ft out of a gallon (average) that gives you 2.57333333 gallons. Yep Ill bite. The math works. You need to readjust for doors and windows and built ins. 

As a quick estimator, this sounds good enough for me. Whats the problem?


----------



## DeanV

I have never applied a paint that only gets 300 sq. ft. per gallon, unless it is over raw drywall or builder flat clay stuff.


----------



## Mantis

nice app. the figures are a little off for me, but if you made the values customizable, i'd happily pay a few bucks to have it on my iphone :thumbsup:


----------



## Mass Painters

I use the quickbooks app on my iPad do write all of the estimates. Works great for us.


----------



## RGordon

Very cool!!


----------



## Gproinc

I had this very same thought but lack the savvy computer skills to execute. I contacted Josh Abramson in LA the owner of Onestepestimating.com and he and his team have something in the works for the Ipad.


----------



## mustangmike3789

i looked at the app but i did not try it. spread rates are determined by solids by volume,substraight, application techniques, wet or dry film thickness and loss factors, this app does not take this into the formula. higher solids paints will cover more area than a lower solids paint if you are achieving the correct dft. 100% solids paint will cover 1604 sqft @ 1 mil dft. 50% solids paint will only cover 802 sqft @ 1 mil dft. you can make 50% solids paint cover 1604 sqft if you add thinner but it will not be 1 mil dft.


----------



## Jobber

I think the issue (up to now at least) has been that software companies have to try and cater to a broad range of industries if they want to be successful. It's pretty much impossible to create the perfect software. That said, there are a handful of web-based applications that'll help with business management. The trick is finding the most flexible option so that you can customize it to work for you and not have to try and shape your business around a lump of software that cost you an arm and a leg. 

I had a look at the link posted, I like what you've done with your app! Seems to be easy to use, and it's definitely helpful that it'll spit do all the calculations for you and spit out a number.


----------



## PatsPainting

Jobber said:


> I think the issue (up to now at least) has been that software companies have to try and cater to a broad range of industries if they want to be successful. It's pretty much impossible to create the perfect software. That said, there are a handful of web-based applications that'll help with business management. The trick is finding the most flexible option so that you can customize it to work for you and not have to try and shape your business around a lump of software that cost you an arm and a leg.
> 
> I had a look at the link posted, I like what you've done with your app! Seems to be easy to use, and it's definitely helpful that it'll spit do all the calculations for you and spit out a number.



I see you are a software provider? what kind of software do you provide?

Pat


----------



## Jobber

PatsPainting said:


> I see you are a software provider? what kind of software do you provide?
> 
> Pat


We provide business management software. The system's pretty comprehensive, check us out and let me know what you think.


----------



## robapeterson

*More features*

Looks like a good start. Here are some things that would help make it more useful to me:
An area to name the room: Living room, kitchen, billy's BR (would transfer to proposal)
Connection to a CRM to be able to schedule follow ups and add notes of communication
Prime - yes or no
Does this account for a better spread/ labor rate on 2nd coat?
Variable labor rate on different size baseboards
Chair rail?
Size of the windows
Area to pick from possible paints (in your database), area to type in customer (automatically adjusts cost and spread rates) color selection (would transfer on to the proposal)


----------

