Manual Estimate Tutorial
Manual Estimate Tool inside ProBuilderNet exists. It’s designed for the way most builders actually estimate: straight from site measurements.
Every builder has their own way of pricing jobs. But if there’s one method that still dominates, it’s the tape measure and notepad.
You walk the site, measure the walls, floors, or pipe runs, jot it down, and later you turn those figures into a quote. It’s simple, it’s practical, and it works.
The trouble comes after. Those neat measurements have to be turned into an actual estimate. That usually means firing up a spreadsheet, multiplying lengths by rates, checking that your overheads are covered, and then pulling it all together into something that looks professional enough to send to a client.
It’s slow. It’s error-prone. And for many builders, it means losing evenings to admin when they could be working on the business — or spending time with family.
That’s exactly why the Manual Estimate Tool inside ProBuilderNet exists. It’s designed for the way most builders actually estimate: straight from site measurements.
Instead of juggling numbers later, you can input your measurements directly into a clean, spreadsheet-style estimator.
Here’s how it works.
First, you fill in the basic project details – things like the estimate name, the location, and your client’s name. This keeps the job organised from the start.
Next, you move on to the estimating itself. Let’s say you’re on site and you’ve measured up 5 metres of piping. To add it in:
Select Materials from the category line.
Give the item a clear name – for example, “Piping for Room One.”
Choose your unit of measurement – in this case, metres.
Enter the quantity – 5.
And finally, set your rate – let’s say £1.50 per metre.
As soon as you’ve done that, the system calculates everything for you.
The estimate summary instantly shows the total cost, your expected profit, and even gives AI-powered feedback on your margin. So you can see straight away how much you’re actually taking home.
It’s quick, it’s accurate, and it turns site measurements into professional estimates in minutes — without the late-night spreadsheets.