Only great experiences using Clear Estimates!

I've been a Clear Estimates subscriber for several years now and couldn't imagine what I'd do without the program.

Pros

I'm not very technologically advanced and struggle greatly with estimates as well. Clear estimates was as easy to work with as possible and the real selling point for me is their amazing customer service. I will never be great at using any software but several times I have emailed questions or called their customer support and I have always been able to speak with a live person who smoothly assists me through my issues. The quick response time is amazing and I have grown to count on their availability to help me with any issues and they have never let me down.

Cons

If I had to choose I guess I'd like it to be a bit cheaper but in all honesty it is a really good value and worth every cent. But who doesn't want everything a bit cheaper?

Best investment in construction

The biggest benefit to this is having accurate quoting. Since I started using it, I was able to increase my profit margins from 10% to 30% and capture more clients along the way.

Pros

This is easily one of the best investments I have ever purchased. With quarterly pricing updates and customization proposal forms, it allows me to stand out from other companies with clear and professional quotes and bids. I've done over 100 bids on here and probably capture 80%-90% of the clients.

Cons

This doesn't have a simple feature to convert my quotes into itemized invoices once completed. If it had that feature, this would be all that I would need. It took a while to get used to and to modify for my needs (and I still need to change a few things), but once I got the templates set up, it was fine. Some of the categories use the wrong labor code so I have to pay attention, but that is relatively a small deal.

Overall a good product

We have been overall happy with the program. It is really hard to teach someone new how to use it though. We have a new employee and there have been several huge mistakes that have costs our company money in the long run due to over seeing some things.

Pros

Produces estimates fast, great to keep track of jobs, easy to change estimates for customers, cuts down on the time spent on the estimate

Cons

The search function is not great at all. It take a long time and rarely find what you need. The organization of parts seems to not be consistent. Sometimes the removal of things are within the right categories and sometimes they are in a general category. It is very time consuming to have to look in both categories. It does not integrate with quickbooks, which would make sending estimates a lot easier. Right now we have to save to word and then go to email and select the document to send to a customer, very time consuming.

Review Clear Estimates

Never heard about web based upgrade. was using old version till saw Wyatt's presentation using the upgraded system. Would have been nice to hear from CE that this was available. Much better application for my business.

Pros

Keeps me organized and on track, I dont miss anything on quote.

Cons

Very glitchy, many time need to get out of program and sign back in when it freezes or fails to respond

Personal Review

I have used the software and do appreciate the way it does the calculation. There are some areas that could use improving. Most of my estimating is for outdoor structures and may be it is me but it is hard to find a set of items that I use in my work. We do structures for outside like water features, fire features, Pergolas... It may be because i do not know where to look to find these items. I know I can construct my own I just do not have the time. I have also found that the prices our a tad high for my region even though I use a local area for cost estimating. If it is possible for there to be an area for the above items to be added would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy using the software.

Pros

Help out a good bit in my estimating . Like how items are arranged in there categories. I need to attend a call to help me set up some of the line items listed above. Love how the customer support is always there to help!!!! Love the way that allows you to go in and change/manipulate the results.

Cons

Could have categories in other areas. What I do not like about the software has it benefits as well . When you input the customer info it draws on past results which is awesome but at the same time it can be a issue. Not that much of a bigge

Super time saver

The customer service is outstanding. I had a one-on-one call with CSR to help with a few questions I had, and he was extremely helpful - patiently explaining those things I was confused about. With the new search feature, I am now extremely happy with this product and am very glad to have found it.

Pros

How much faster it is to put accurate estimates together. I also like ability to adjust the labor rates and hourly multiplier for bigger crews. The templates help make sure I don't miss including necessary parts to the proposals, and the ability to edit items for individual jobs is easy and convenient.

Cons

At this time, it does not integrate with QuickBooks Online, something that I have been told they are working toward. I found adding Alternates to the quote to be a little confusing with all the different areas that they can be entered, and still do to a certain extent.

What I Was Looking For

After setting up our company info and playing with it a bit, I had a few issues to work out. I was able to call and have someone walk me through what I had missed in instructions. I like the formatting of the invoices and this is what I was looking for.

Pros

Ease of use once the company basic info has been set up.

Cons

Monthly fee is a little pricey for smaller companies like ours.

Well put together estimating program.

I've been happy with it, the cost is a bit high for the amount of bids that I am currently doing, but I'm sure that will change over time.

Pros

Having not come to the business with an extensive construction background, this program has been very useful is establishing a benchmark for my work bids.

Cons

Learning the terminology...some is not intuitive.

Great product

Overall happy with products. Just have a few kinks they can work out.

Pros

They continually update cost of materials

Cons

The invoicing could be more user friendly. The proposal is already done and payment schedule is already in so i would like for the invoice to already be ready. I have tongo back in and insert numbers. Somewhqt annoying but its better than most. Just think for the cost that part could be improved on.

Very helpful for bidding jobs!

Accurate job estimates with detailed pricing and flexibility. Up to date pricing info. Professional estimates.

Pros

The constantly updated materials and labor costs based on my geographical area is invaluable! I also like the flexibility to adjust pricing.

Cons

Can be a bit time consuming putting all the bid pieces together. Would also like to see an invoicing option based on the bid.

My Clear estimate review.

I've been using Clear estimates software for about 4 years and the Program is very compatible with other programs out there. What makes Clear estimate different is that it is user-friendly and the layout of the program is very professional. When I hand my estimate over to my customer it's very well laid out and detailed . What I like most about Clear estimate Besides it's layout it pretty much covers all the trades. But the best thing is that it's very affordable for contractors like me that runs a small business.

Pros

What I like most about this software is being able to set up Parts & Templates which makes putting together an estimate a lot faster which means you have more time to oversee your business.

Cons

The thing I least like about this software is not being able to use it for insurance work. What I mean by that is some jobs I get may be from insurance companies and the estimate might call for dehumidifiers and fans board ups stuff like that. But I can get by with it.

Great product it has helped my business.

I do not like the estimating side of my business cause I am bad at it and I tend to be optimistic which causes me to short myself in the long run. I started using this product to help me with the process to get estimates out faster and to know I am giving a good estimate that doesn't short me. It has helped me in that aspect for sure. The customer service is superb. There is this little icon u click and send them a msg with your questions and they get back to you in a timely fashion. The nice thing is the msg comes back in the program and they also send me an email. So if I am in the field working I know they have responded with an answer when I get the email. I love how you can email the estimate right from clear estimates and the estimate looks very professional. You can customize the formal estimate to how ever you like. Also if you don't like the prices they give you, you can easily adjust them for that estimate per item. Or you can customize that item to show up every time with your adjustment in price on every estimate. The customization to the items and pricing is endless. I have had to add very few new items they have so much to chose from already. The program is easy to use. I could teach my 11 year old to use it if I needed to. I have had nothing but great success using there program. They also give u a free trial to use it first. Take the free trial and try it you won't be dispointed. I am surprised this program does not cost more. I have made up for its cost monthly in the more money I am making due to its estimates. Thank you clearestimates.

Pros

Easy of use, price, use on any device, customer support, the quarterly updates for pricing, and formal look of the estimates, and being able to email the directly from clearestimates to my customers.

Cons

Does not import directly in to quickbooks online. If it did that it would be perfect for me. I prefer using quickbooks online so I can use the program from any where like clearestimates.

Worth every dollar!!!

I used this software when it first came out. Now it has come a long way on appearance and functionality. As far as learning a new software, the curve was easy for me. If you are a small contractor this is a must for speed of quoting and accuracy. Also with the reports function you look as professional as the big guys. If you want to step up your company, get Clear Estimates!!!

Pros

Easy to learn. Professional looking reports. The ease of updates prices for material and labor. Customer support is spot on. And the software was created by remodelers that understand the struggle. They are always striving to make the software better.

Cons

Some minor software updates could be done. A mobile version could also help a lot more small business.

Perfect Answer to Estimating

Been with them from the start up , great customer service and always striving to make things better for remodeling estimating . We searched and tried many other software options for estimating our large projects , maintenance , and repairs and were pleased to find CE nailed it for quoting everything we do and almost instantly made our estimating chore quick and painless.

Pros

User Friendly / Excellent adjustable database / Easy to make proposal changes for re-submittal /Proposals that Clients Complement Every time

Cons

No Cons with this software , we adjusted to fit our needs .

Easy to use, unassuming software for remodel estimating - Saves hours of work.

After using both the downloaded and cloud versions of this software for about 4 years, I can't imagine how I ever did without it. Previous to this we used QB to estimate our projects, which was a time consuming and tedious process that seemed like it always being done from the ground up on every project. Once the initial time of a 1/2 day to a day is invested to set this software up to fit your business needs, even the most complicated proposal or estimate can be completed in an hour or less, with many of our standard proposals being generated in 15-30 minutes.

Pros

Easy to use, great support, cloud storage

Cons

Little technical items like having to manually fill and delete lines in individual categories

estimating basics

I bought this after trying several others. As a small business, I couldn't afford to spend a lot of money up front.

Pros

The estimates seem to be right on for both Materials costs and the labor hours. As my own fault, I don't put enough overhead in the projects.

Cons

I wish I could edit the markups on the alternates individually I wish I could print out the alternates in detail on a combined report, not separately . I wish the tree would expand based on specifics (more like a windows tree) as opposed to scrolling down the whole thing, then having to scroll back up to close. I wish there was some way to track the projects... i.e. bids submitted, waiting on customer. signed.. completed.

Fast setup, Easy to use, great support

I have used this software online with 5 different companies including my own its very easy to swap back and forth between companies.

Pros

Sign up, you online quickly and its super easy to setup and if you have a question you get an answer and you get it quick.

Cons

could use some more localized things added as different regions have different things they do due to weather for example.

Home Improvement Clear Estimate Review

This is the second time for me using Clear Estimates. After not using the program for a couple of years, I was surprised at the updates made, that made it easier and faster to develop my estimates, and the fact that the cost for the program had remained the same. The support and the new videos are fantastic. I have recommended it to several of my friends, who are also contractors. The nice thing is, the more you use it the faster and easier it gets. I do a lot of the same kind of jobs, and now all I need to do is copy an old estimate when doing a new one. I can see what I estimated on the old one that was high or low and make adjustments and if needed, add or subtract items as needed. This is really made easy with this program, and keeps my estimates more consistent. The Proposal and contract part of the program is great and can be customized with little time and effort. I highly recommend this program over the 3 others I have used. None were this complete or easy to use for the cost.

Pros

Easy to use, and cost.

Cons

I do Wish it had more small Home Improvement cost items.

works FLAWLESSLY

I've been using "CLEAR ESTIMATES" for about 6 months. I put very little time into learning how to use this software, (I basically jumped right in) and the estimates get done flawlessly. If I have a question I go to the tutorial videos and they walk me right thru it, and if there's a question I can't find an answer to. (Hasn't happened yet) I can press the question mark at the bottom of the page and there's someone from "Clear Estimates" there to answer. They did quite a job building this software and putting all the videos and webinars together. I should also add, the videos and webinars are free. I started out using a different estimating software, from a well known company. It was a huge headache. There was zero support, No training videos, just a class that was available once every 6 months for $500. They can't hold a candle to "Clear Estimates" last estimating software you'll ever need.

Pros

Professional looking, easy to use. VERY EFFECTIVE

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Response time to some questions is lengthy. Some functions don't work as easy as you would think. Accessing the drop down box on current customers I challenging, you hit the drop down arrow for the customer list and the list goes away. You have to continue to hit the drop down arrow.

Pros

Easy add change orders and change prices

Cons

Payment schedule sometimes doesn't stay changed when you go back and forth on different job project.

Clear Estimates software review from Wes Ballinger.

The software works great. The templates are very good, but it is also very easy to customize. I am very happy to have the service.

Pros

The fact that you have gone online is great. Not needing to backup my database is wonderful.

Cons

I really don't have any complaints.

Great Etimating Software

We have easily conquered the estimating cross training, easy access from any computer, built in adjustable pricing., as a result, of saving time estimating, we are seeing increased closing rates

Pros

I switched from Xactremodel about 6 months ago, and as a small growing business, I can much easier train Clear Estimate software to other coworkers, plus it is web based which makes it very convenient for any user to access from a web browser. I was a fairly smooth transition, As Clear Estimates is very easy to use. In reference to how the estimating function works it is fantastic. I am able to set my labor rates and multiply by fractions of the hour-the ability to manipulate the clean template make its very easy for our customers to read and understand, as a result, I believe my closing rates have increased by roughy 10%.

Cons

I really can not think of anything I do not like. Sorry, but I love Clear Estimates

Clear Estimates Review

I am a long time user and have been using Clear Estimates since the first revision. I am very happy with the updates, modifications made over the years. Customer support is the best of any SW company I have ever done business with!

Pros

Ease of use, able to put estimate together in a modular form. Jack in customer support.

Cons

I would like to better control the boiler plate items.

Clear Estimates is number 1 of it's kind!

Pros

This software site has a definite ease of accessibility, you can quickly visit the app and input customer information and pull up a detail proposal on you project in a respectively short amount of time

Cons

Only real drawback I've seen is that the templates and available data need to be added to. There is a mountain of data available to provide quotes on projects but there could be much much more, I've many times run into a situation where that pricing simply isn't here. However this app is the best in it's field based on price, accessibility, and output of the required paperwork once you've properly setup your account with your personal information.

Time saver software

We went from producing our own excel sheets to the Clear Estimates program. What a difference that made in time savings to produce estimate, as well as producing a more accurate estimate.

Pros

There is a huge database of options with fairly accurate starting points for labor estimates. We are "Jacks of all Trades", so it's difficult to estimate labor without these guidelines.

Cons

I need to educate myself more on templates for time savings. I'm looking forward to watching the free Webinars to learn how to set these templates up.

Review of software

I have recommended you to Residential Services of Tulsa - not sure if they are using your software ****

Pros

Ease of use and easy to train - great access - very little trouble with the functionality - support is very good

Cons

Very little customization in the reports

Best So Far

I don't don't think any estimating program out there is exactly a perfect fit, but this this one comes as close as I've tried.

Pros

Flexibility, customizable, great support and now on the cloud.

Cons

There is a number of things I would like to change to fit us better but it is excellent for the most part.

Overall good estimating software but lacks estimating for larger projects.

Pros

Easy to learn and use then customize the quotes. Does feature pre-built estimate groups for certain projects. Customer support is great, and after hours questions or concerns are addressed first thing next morning.

Cons

Spend a lot of time adding custom line items. Prices for planning and permitting are grossly underestimated, planning is about half of what it should be and permitting is a third of what it should be. Online based so it becomes slow at times when the servers have a lot of users on at the same time.

I have used this product for greater than 8 years.

Pros

I have enjoyed the added features which have evolved over time. The product support team is great! hey actually listen to the voice of the customer and have continuous exchange of dialog. I don't believe I have experienced this much with software companies. Just recently i borrowed a tablet with a keyboard and brought it with me to look at a potential job. I was able to quickly generate the majority of the estimate in real time. When I returned to my office, I completed within 1/2 hour. Saved myself alot of time. Using touch screen also helps moving around.

Cons

For the online version, I would like to be able to save a local copy of the data base and use it off line. If i can

Professional estimating made easy.

Clear Estimates has helped my company write many estimates with ease. A simple drop down menu brings up categories and itemized lists of many things we never considered billing individually for. This has made our proposals look more professional, and has helped close a good amount of projects. I would highly recommend Clear Estimates to anyone looking for a simplified, more professional way to write proposals.

Pros

Easy to use drop down menus. Itemized job descriptions.

Cons

Would love to see a better way to calculate payments, and send paid in full receipts to customers.

Great Software

I use Clear estimates for all my bids and find it is extremely helpful in saving time on my bids. Not only can I use the pricing built in to the software, but if I have something a bit more custom I need to price, I can customize as needed. Whenever I've had questions, they've always been quick to respond and very helpful in bringing me up to speed.

Pros

ease of accessibility from any device

Cons

limited descriptions of work or material items (parts)

Great software getting better everyday!!!

Pretty good for the most part.

Pros

This software is cloud based and pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. The search engine within the data base is pretty good too. If you have a question you can chat with the folks that actually know what they are talking about. The best software I have used to date.

Cons

I would like to see the search engine get a little better. When searching it seems to give me too much information which is not much better than just searching each section.

Great software

I have had great success with the software. I like how I can log on anywhere and pull up an estimate

Pros

Keeps all my estimates organized. Great price for what you get. Customer service is awesome

Cons

There are so many more things that need to be added to the database. I use xactimate for insurance losses but id like to be able to use this software as xactimate is very pricey

Clear estimates software

I recommend this software to everyone who is any kind of business very easy to use does not need any training

Pros

I have to type anything I just select what I need and all price out labor and materials in the best software

Cons

I do my estimates in five minutes and I am very happy with it and the customer services is very high quality when I ask a question I get the answer right away.

Detailed Awesomeness!!!!!

Professional looking auto generated proposals

Pros

It puts everything automatically together saving me hours of typing, organizes my many projects and helps me every step along the way. The customer support is on point helping answer my 100's of questions to make me look like a pro!

Cons

The rates are off significantly for the auto generated lines but makes it somewhat easy to change them. Just that I have to do it for every single thing is a pain and the changes are not saved for future drafts. But i would have to do that anyways on my own so there is no real Cons

My experience using the clear estimates software okay or not...?

Pros

I think it has a lot of potential. The ability to take information and plug it into a pdf or word document is great. The basic functions are easy to move around and the overall system is straightforward.

Cons

The issue I have with it is the materials/supply markups. I think it could a whole lot easier to get updated product cost for an area and use it in the estimate. Every time I used it the price was always off even from the smallest supplies. It scared me so I could trust the software...

Clear Estimates

Try it, youll love it!

Pros

Cheap and Easy to use, and can quickly put together your quote pre-written data base is included with your monthly subscription.

Cons

Needs just a little more added to its data base in way of simplistic handyman project's and more added to the template section.

I was having trouble getting to my past files, customer service agent jumped in and responded immediately and helped.

One of the nice things is to be able to see materials and labor calculated at the same time and see the mark up as well. Normally you have to do these things separately. These figures are generally on the money. Some one has put a lot of work into this program.

Pros

It's very thorough and professional looking. I'm still learning to use the program. I'm not the most computer savvy. so far I have not lost money with the estimates I have done.

Cons

Sometimes I have trouble finding the topics I need, or have to sort through a lot to find the one I need. I time hope to be faster at that part.

Raise your profit margins with Clear Estimates

I was a little skeptical about switching to a new estimating software program but I am glad I did. This software is everything a contractor could every want and everyone needs.

Pros

The best things about this software is the quick learning curve, faster estimating, and detail estimates for you and your customers. The monthly fee is well worth the value and more for this software.

Cons

I wish this software could sync between other software systems but there are ways to work around that.

Been using C.E. since the beginning

Pros

This product too our company easily from doing estimates on a "yellow legal pad" to a customized software that makes our proposals look more professional than any of our competitors.

Cons

Wish that you could have multiple logins to the same parts catalog.

Clear Estimates Review - Quality Renovations

Prior to Clear Estimates I was using Excel spreadsheets to prepare estimates which, looking back, really left a lot of money on the table for me, as a contractor. Using Clear Estimates has not only allowed me to see the "going rates" but it also has allowed me to start charging the going rates. Presenting the professional looking proposal to customers has certainly taken that process to the next level for me and likely was the tipping point on several jobs for my customers.

Pros

Ease of use, customer support, reports look very professional

Cons

Wish there was an easier way to track changes to a proposal which would allow me to see old vs new; an invoicing module would be a great add-on

Best remodel program

Read above

Pros

I was using Hometech for 26 years and was Buggy plus not easy to catorize, switched to Clear Estimate about five weeks ago and was estimating in less than three hours, Representative even called me personally to ask how I was doing, when I had a problem understanding something, they would get back to me almost immediately. I am very satisfied and will never switch to another program

Cons

Nothing just keep on providing superb support and keep the program current

Great program, very well supported with attentive customer service...

Knowledge and process of pricing in areas we don't work in enough.

Pros

The customer service with this software is awesome! There's a lot of feedback from a "Real" person.

Cons

Well, at the beginning, it needs just a little modification on pricing compared to my company's pricing, but overall I believe that tweaking will yield great benefits and quicker turn around time on estimates. We are keeping one of our accounts because we know it will bring about higher quality estimates and a better overall competitive edge in our industry.

Lee Remodling

I am a remodling contractor. I use it to give estimates to my customers. It is accurate and fairly easy to use.

Pros

I like the professional reports it generates. It has accurate costs for labor and products.

Cons

I would like more templates. It is a little difficult to change the wording of the descriptions.

Great Support and Great Service

Its easy for my customers to understand

Pros

I changed from what I was using and will never go back. Great product and I would totally recommend it

Great product

Pros

I loved that this software took guessing out of estimation and helped me to earn far more in projects by helping me to account for all aspects of the projects. Multifaceted and well designed. Very helpful customer service. Highly recommend.

Cons

There is some layout design that could be changed to make using it easier. This being said, I only did minimal training on the program so this may have held me back some.

"Must have estimating software for your business."

I Love the products features and flexibility. I used to leave "money on the table". Now my bids are market accurate. My profitability has never been better. Hope to continue winning business with Clear Estimates.

Pros

Accurate market pricing of labor and materials on a regional and national basis.

Cons

Report layout customization could be a bit more flexible .

Very satisfied with this product -- been using about 10 years.

Providing customers with a quote using Clear Estimates adds credibility and professionalism to our company image. It is easy to create estimates, edit, keep track of customer quotes and projects.

Pros

allows you to provide potential customers with an accurate estimate, including all aspects of the project

Clear Estimates Review

Software is user friendly and has a real common sense approach. Been using over a year have found nothing better for the price. Very Satisfied.

Pros

Drop downs for category of repairs follow normal order of work to be done. Helps to no forget anything. Good function for the cost.

Cons

A tie in with Home Depot or Lowes for materials would be excellent ;)

Great estimating software

Pros

The name says it all. Clear and precise estimates and not too complicated to navigate.

Cons

Takes a good amount of time to be proficient.