{"question": "best estimating software for trades", "category": "estimating-software", "category_name": "estimating software", "audience": "trades", "audience_name": "trades", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-10-27T02:09:37Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/estimating-software-trades-2026-10-27", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/estimating-software/trades", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Jobber", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "Housecall Pro", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "ServiceTitan", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "FieldPulse", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "STACK", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Clear Estimates", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Buildxact", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Trade-specific", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "McCormick Systems", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 10, "brand": "FastDUCT / FastPIPE", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 11, "brand": "FastPIPE", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 12, "brand": "FastEST", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 13, "brand": "Procore", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 14, "brand": "Commercial GCs", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 15, "brand": "Skip ServiceTitan", "label": "mentioned"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://constructioncoverage.com/estimating-software", "domain": "constructioncoverage.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://dupple.com/learn/best-construction-estimating-software", "domain": "dupple.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.parse.gl/prompts/p/whats-a-good-simple-estimating-software-for-a-trades-business-like-plumbing-or-electrical--b0d43496-28d1-4789-8aca-8d83013b8dcb", "domain": "parse.gl", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://beancount.io/blog/2026/07/16/jobber-vs-housecall-pro-vs-servicetitan-field-service-software-guide", "domain": "beancount.io", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.getjobber.com/academy/housecall-pro-competitors/", "domain": "getjobber.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://go.clearestimates.com/vs-stack", "domain": "go.clearestimates.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://go.clearestimates.com/vs-buildxact", "domain": "go.clearestimates.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://www.capterra.com/hvac-estimating-software/", "domain": "capterra.com", "source_type": "review"}], "answer_text": "\"Trades\" covers two pretty different jobs - quoting service calls fast from a van, vs. doing takeoff from plans to bid a project. Here's who I'd actually name, roughly in the order I'd suggest trying them.\n\n## If you're a service trade (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, landscaping) quoting jobs on site\n\n**1. Jobber** - My default recommendation for a 1-15 person shop. Quote → schedule → invoice → get paid, all in one app, and the quoting side is genuinely fast on a phone with good/better/best option tiers that upsell for you. Starts around $49/mo. The reason it's first: lowest friction to actually adopt, and nobody regrets it at this size.\n\n**2. Housecall Pro** - Very close competitor, slightly more sales-and-marketing flavored (price book, financing offers, same-day card payments from the driveway). $59/mo for one user annually, ~$299/mo for up to eight. Pick this over Jobber if collecting payment on the spot and consumer financing matter more to you than scheduling depth.\n\n**3. ServiceTitan** - Only once you're past roughly 20 techs and have a call center and real dispatch pain. It's the enterprise standard for HVAC/plumbing/electrical, priced accordingly (quote-only, and it's a big n", "answer_truncated": true, "measurement": "One answer from one engine on one date. Not a ranking and not a claim about the world; brands the engine did not name are not recorded.", "limitation": "Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.", "alerts": {"name": "Answer Watch Pro", "price_usd": 79, "period": "month", "gets": "daily change alerts for up to 5 brands in what one AI answer engine says, history, CSV export. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included", "url": "https://bikoosh.com/answers"}}