EstimatorXpress or Price a Job: Which is best for my building firm?
If you’re considering using Price a Job or EstimatorXpress to estimate your building projects, there are a couple of key factors you need to think about. The most suitable software for your business depends on the type of work you undertake and how automated you want your estimating to be.
What type of projects do you carry out?
The first factor you need to consider is the type of work you undertake. If the bulk of your work is specific to one trade, such as plumbing, electrics, bricklaying or landscaping, Price a Job could be for you. Price a Job is a collection of individual calculators for trade-based tasks.
EstimatorXpress, on the other hand, is designed for complete projects such as extensions, renovations and new builds. If you’re a small to medium-sized builder, chances are the quote templates in EstimatorXpress, which estimate around 200 different types of project from start to finish, are exactly what you need to simplify your estimating.
Here’s how it works. With EstimatorXpress, you select a quote template such as a ‘Rendered Flat Roof Single Storey Extension’, key in the external dimensions, then quickly check the specification options. EstimatorXpress builds the estimate for you, including everything from the foundations to the plastering and decoration. You only have to type in the length and height of the walls once, and the software uses these dimensions, netting off the window and doors areas, to estimate the footing, blockwork, cavity insulation, area of rendering, area of plastering, length of skirting board, area of paintwork and so on. This saves you laboriously inputting the calculations for each separate build phase.
How much do you want the software to do?
The second factor to think about is how much of the work you want the software to do – in other words, how much of the calculating you want the software to handle. If you’re looking for the process to be as automated as possible, EstimatorXpress - with its ready-made quote templates - has the edge. When estimating a pitched roof in EstimatorXpress, the software takes the project dimensions you entered at the start and does the number crunching to work out the lengths of the timbers, the area of the ceiling, the area of tiling, length of fascias, length of soffits – you get the picture. This is how EstimatorXpress enables you to estimate renovation work in thirty minutes or an extension in under an hour.
Pros of Price a Job
Suitable for estimating trade-based tasks.
Enables you to build up your estimate phase by phase.
Pros of EstimatorXpress
Suitable for estimating extensions, new builds, conservatories and renovations.
Job quote templates, pre-filled with relevant resources and calculations, automate the estimate.
Simple and intuitive interface.
The job price updates live on screen as you swap materials or tweak the dimensions.
Keep track of which estimates need completing, which clients need chasing, your percentage win rate and so on, using the onboard dashboard.
Download latest material prices directly into your estimate using HBXL’s PriceTracker+ technology.
Download trade discounts from builders’ merchants.
EstimatorXpress vs Price a Job
EstimatorXpress is a desktop tool not a cloud solution. This means you can use the software anywhere, regardless of whether you have internet connection or not. Price a Job, in contrast, is cloud-based.
EstimatorXpress has subscription and outright buy options. It also has multiple versions so you can choose based on your budget. Price a Job is available on subscription only.
Looking for an end-to-end solution to help with all of your business admin? EstimatorXpress can be fully integrated with HBXL’s other construction software - PlansXpress, Health & Safety Xpert, ContractsXpert and ProjectXpert – all designed for the small to medium sized builder. Price a Job has some integration with other modules.
Get unlimited telephone and email support from HBXL as part of their EstimatorXpress Support & Updates package.
Research is key
Do your research to ensure the estimating software you choose is right for your business. Visit their websites, read customer testimonials and see whether the software has any endorsements or awards. Spend some time reading reviews of the products - for example, check out the Trustpilot reviews for Price a Job and HBXL Building Software (creators of EstimatorXpress).