# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for estimating software (trades) on 2026-10-24

## In short

On 2026-10-24, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best estimating software for trades". It named 13 brands; the first six, in order, were Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Buildxact, Clear Estimates and STACK.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best estimating software for trades |
| Asked on | 2026-10-24 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 13 |
| Sources cited | 8 |
| Audience | trades |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-24 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/estimating-software-trades-2026-10-24
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-24 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> "Trades" splits into two pretty different buying decisions, so here's how I'd rank it depending on which side you're on.
> 
> ## If you do service work (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, garage doors)
> 
> **1. Jobber - my default pick for 1-10 techs.** $49-$349/mo. Line-item quotes with optional add-on tiers the customer approves online (good/better/best upsells), and quoting flows straight into scheduling and invoicing. Cheapest credible 3-year cost of the big three (~$18-37K for 10 techs).
> 
> **2. Housecall Pro - if you're growing past ~5 techs.** $49-$549+/mo. Slightly stronger estimate presentation and consumer-facing polish than Jobber; the sweet spot is 5-25 techs.
> 
> **3. ServiceTitan - only if you're genuinely big.** Rated best-in-class on estimating and invoicing, but it's $398+/user/mo and runs $143K+ over three years for 10 techs. Don't buy this as a 3-truck shop.
> 
> ## If you do construction/remodeling and bid off plans
> 
> **4. Buildxact - best for residential builders working from architectural drawings.** From ~$199/mo. On-screen takeoff from PDFs plus live supplier pricing, so takeoff → estimate → quote is one motion.
> 
> **5. Clear Estimates - best cheap option for remodelers with no plans

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jobber | mentioned |
| 2 | Housecall Pro | mentioned |
| 3 | ServiceTitan | mentioned |
| 4 | Buildxact | recommended |
| 5 | Clear Estimates | mentioned |
| 6 | STACK | mentioned |
| 7 | Contractor Foreman | mentioned |
| 8 | PlanSwift | mentioned |
| 9 | Bluebeam | mentioned |
| 10 | ProEst | mentioned |
| 11 | Procore | mentioned |
| 12 | RSMeans | mentioned |
| 13 | Projul | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://constructioncoverage.com/estimating-software (other)
- https://projul.com/blog/estimating-construction-software/ (vendor)
- https://www.fuzen.io/posts/servicetitan-vs-housecall-pro-vs-jobber-vs-fuzen-plumbing-software-2026 (other)
- https://www.servicetitan.com/housecall-pro-vs-jobber-vs-servicetitan (vendor)
- https://capterra.com/p/24826/Clear-Estimates/pricing/ (review)
- https://www.capterra.com/p/173135/buildXACT/pricing/ (review)
- https://go.clearestimates.com/vs-buildxact (vendor)
- https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/cost-estimating-software-comparison/ (review)

The question page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/estimating-software/trades

Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection.

Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.