6 Features Your Estimating Software Must Have

By Evelyn Witterholt.

By understanding the features of a quality estimating software, it’ll be easier for you to decide on which software to buy. 

When it comes to running your contracting company, estimation is everything! There are many estimation software brands out on the market to choose from, so much so that the decision itself is as stressful as making an estimation for your customer. But seeing as that estimation figure is what will determine whether you’ll secure your bids or not, it’s worth it to find a software that works for you. 

In a recently published white paper from Estimating Edge, they break down the factors you need to consider when choosing an estimating software. Here are the six features they recommend your software has: 

1 – Customization 

The way your company might prepare estimates could be completely different from other companies, that’s why you must choose a software that is customizable. You shouldn’t have to adjust your business practices to the software. A good software company will adjust their services according to your needs.  

2 – Implementation 

How a software will be customized, and how you will even use it at all, comes down to implementation. When researching estimating software companies, you must understand how their software will be implemented. You could go with a less expensive option, but these will sometimes take valuable time to set the system up. Good software companies will be like consultants, where they understand what your business needs are and how their software will be best implemented.  

3 – Training and support 

After you have the software set up for you, a good software company would offer training on how to use it. While some companies may send a user guide or even offer classroom-style sessions, these are not always the best way for everyone in your company to learn. The best style of training is one-on-one training either online or in person. And once the training is done, a good software company will continue to offer support for any additional questions. 

4 – Storage and security 

After you get the estimating software, you’ll need a place to store it. You could store it locally in your office, but then the security of the system is in your hands. Some software companies provide cloud storage, but in this case, you should make sure that they are using a reliable cloud system. You’ll also want to be sure that your software can set accessibility levels accordingly so that your company data is protected internally as well. 

5 – Integrations and reporting 

If you use other softwares for your business, a good estimating software will be able to be integrated with these existing tools. You also want to determine what kind of reporting the software can offer. This can be done by figuring out what kinds of reports each department needs and seeing if the software can provide them. 

6 – Company experience 

A final and crucial consideration to make when choosing an estimating software is to look closely at the companies you are considering. You’ll want to go with a company with a good track record and solid references. You could even ask other contractors you know which software they use and go from there! 

Check out the entire white paper to learn more about high-quality estimating software. 

Learn more about Estimating Edge in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.estimatingedge.com. 

About Evelyn  

Evelyn works as a writer for RoofersCoffeeShop, MetalCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When she isn’t writing about roofing, she’s either at the gym lifting weights or curled up on the couch watching a movie.