Plumbing Estimating Software

To expand your plumbing business, you have to think of ways that will help you close more sales and take on more jobs. The best way to achieve this is through plumbing estimating systems. These technology-driven tools improve estimating accuracy and time, helping plumbers ensure they are bidding new projects in a profitable manner. They are made for contractors and plumbers who need to accurately estimate costs of part upgrades, pipe replacement, or repairs for plumbing projects.

That said, we understand that the vast landscape of plumbing estimating software options makes it challenging for users to understand what they really need. So, we have put together this buyer’s guide to help you make the right software purchase decisions for your plumbing business and team. The purpose of this guide is to present an overview of the “key requirements” for software systems in this market. We will walk you through the core features that you should consider while evaluating plumbing estimating software platforms, helping you save time and money. The guide also lists down top vendors and suggests a direction to move when selecting the right tool. 

What you'll find inside:

• Understanding plumbing estimating software
• Benefits of plumbing estimating software 
• Tips on how to identify your needs
• Salient features of plumbing estimating software
• Assessing the expenses
• Considerations when purchasing plumbing estimating software
• Popular plumbing estimating software

Understanding Plumbing Estimating Software

What is plumbing estimating software? Plumbing estimating software is designed for general contractors or plumbers who renovate, fix, or maintain commercial, residential, and industrial plumbing systems. These robust and dynamic tools offer multiple advanced features that are not offered with general estimating software platforms. Plumbers can easily rely on them to keep track of industry developments and current prices. The estimating software platforms also help increase sales and cash flow coming into your plumbing business. Moreover, they make it easier for users to determine quantities of fittings and measure lengths of plumbing runs. Plumbers also get estimate templates with these systems, which help them create accurate bid proposals and increase workflow productivity. 

Benefits of Plumbing Estimating Software

The key benefits of estimating software for plumbers include, but are not limited to:

• Cost control and efficiency
• Improved efficiency
• All-inclusive estimates
• Reduced rework
• Flexible measurement types
• Anytime, anywhere project access
• Reduced waste and material costs
• Faster results
• Improved team collaboration
• Organized work orders and invoices
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Professional bid proposals

Goal Setting: Areas You Want to Improve

Before you invest in any plumbing estimating software application, sit down with your team and decide what exactly you are looking for in a solution. What kind of plumbing projects do you deal with, and what plumbing software features would help your team win more bids? Before reaching out to the vendor, you should make a list of all  the must-haves and set smart business goals. Also have a solid plan while you shop for plumbing estimating software. This will help you measure if a software perfectly aligns with your team’s requirements and can help you close more sales in a way that boosts professionalism and maximizes profits for your business. Dig deeper to research about your options, talk to peers for recommendations, and know your budget. We’d also suggest that you do that necessary leg-work on the popular features and technological advancements surrounding estimating software for plumbers.  

Define Your Current Problems Before Seeking a Solution

Plumbing estimating software solutions come in all shapes and sizes. What may look like a perfect fit at the beginning turns out to be a complete disaster later on. You have to start your search process with an honest and transparent assessment of why you need it. Begin by identifying the current problems in your existing processes and then outline your needs. This can be followed by a deep-dive into your current work processes to highlight the deficiencies and pain points. This will help you understand your current plumbing estimating challenges. 

Wherever the problems lie, try to be as specific as possible. By understanding the shortcomings, you can find the estimating tool that best fits your needs. You will be able to find out which of the options aren’t worth your attention and which ones are potential fits. Also consider the key features and functionality of a software solution, so that you can identify the ones that correspond the most to your workflows. Lastly, we’d recommend that you ask detailed questions during the product demos and sales discussions. 

Vendor Shopping: Features to Look For

Before arriving at a decision, make a list of all your team's needed features. You should always start your plumbing estimating software shopping with a concrete understanding of what feature you would require to improve your workflows. Not all features are created equal, which is why you’d want to know which ones will serve you the best. As a plumber, you would like it to have all the functionalities that simplify the process of submitting and winning bids. We highly recommend that you keep a few plumbing software features in mind as you evaluate the shortlisted options. A rule of thumb says that you should sit down with your team to know what features they need to improve performance. Always ask around before finalizing any software features. 

If you know someone who also runs a plumbing business, ask them because they might help you make a good decision. The best estimating systems for plumbers offer all the tools needed to submit accurate bid proposals for projects while optimizing the workflow efficiency. Conduct due diligence to make sure that you don’t lock yourself up with an estimating application that doesn’t let you close more sales or lacks any fundamental features.

Estimating software platforms for plumbers come neck to neck with diverse range of functionalities. You should pick the software features based on your unique estimating needs and the type of your plumbing business. Make sure that the software solution you choose to implement for your business allows you to generate reliable estimates and collaborate efficiently with the team before you lock yourself into a contract with the vendor. 

When exploring plumbing estimating tools for your projects, be sure it comes with the following features: 

• Plumbing item database
• Plumbing-specific Pricing Integration
• Plumbing assemblies
• 3D modeling
• Estimate templates
• Reporting and analytics
• Change order management
• Project management
• Time and materials billing

Feature Details

Plumbing item database: Plumbers need instant access to every fitting, pipe, valve, mount, flange, and more, which is why their plumbing estimating program should include a vast database that provides fast access to approximately 150,000 items.

Plumbing-specific Pricing Integration: A professional-looking bid helps businesses close more sales. The best plumbing estimating application will let you export all of your bid information to a customizable template that includes your business logo and information. This will also help you reinforce your plumbing brand through the bid. 

3D modeling: This is one of the staples of estimating software for plumbers. It allows you to draw up pipe plans in 3D, so that you can have a realistic representation of what the end result ought to look like. 

Plumbing assemblies: Each plumbing project you take on uses most of the same items. “Assemblies” means the groupings of all the items you’ll need for each plumbing task. You can easily customize these as standard for each individual job, but standardizing this information won’t require you to reinvent the wheel every time you submit a bid. 

Change order management: This feature allows you to facilitate the customer requests for sudden changes required for remodeling projects, materials, or schedules. 

Reporting and analytics: The best plumbing estimating platform will give you valuable insights into your past plumbing projects so that you can identify areas of improvement. 

Estimate templates: You can create custom templates to easily calculate costs on remodeling projects.

Project management: You will want to track job documents and manage project schedules if your business has more than a few subcontractors. An estimating software with project management capabilities can save you a considerable amount of time and energy, maximizing your use of labor resources and ensuring efficient scheduling. .

Time and materials billing: Plumbers bill their clients based on the materials used and time spent on each plumbing task, so keeping correct accounts of both is crucial for effective billing. Therefore, you must consider this feature carefully as you go on to select your plumbing solution.

Assessing the Expenses

The plumbing estimating software deployment method you choose to implement will increase or decrease the amount you end up paying for these systems. You can choose between the two deployment methods: cloud-based and on-premise. When you purchase a cloud-based software with subscription pricing model, you are typically required to pay a monthly fee that is often determined by the number of features you wish to have access to, or by the size of your business. With an on-premise software and a perpetual license, you own the system outright and pay one large fee upfront.

The cost of purchasing these estimating systems also varies according to the following factors:

• Setup fees
• Training
• Customer support
• Contract terms

Considerations When Purchasing Plumbing Estimating Software

There are a few things you should keep in mind as you evaluate the plumbing estimating software solutions: 

• Do the technology providers I’m considering have clients that are similar to me? 
• Does this application specifically address the unique needs for the plumbing projects I do (e.g., commercial, residential, or industrial)? 
• What will be the total cost of ownership of this software? 

Be sure to request demos for several different software from different vendors so that you can get tangible proof of which has the features you need most and is easiest to use. You should also ask the vendor for customer references and be sure to go through user reviews for each product you’re looking at. 

Choosing What's Best for Your Company

Picking the right plumbing estimating platform for your business isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s better to deal with the process before making any costly estimating errors. To take on more jobs, you have to make sure your plumbing estimates are as accurate and detailed as possible. The best way to do that is through a robust software package that is specifically designed to simplify the estimating process and make it more manageable than ever. Say goodbye to manual estimating and start growing your business with the right plumbing estimating software!