Switched to digital estimating software and my bids got way more accurate

I spent 20 years doing all my bids on a clipboard with a pencil and graph paper. Finally broke down last March and bought a license for PlanSwift after my buddy in Atlanta kept raving about it. First job I ran through it I found I was undercounting siding by about 12% on every job for the last decade. Has anyone else found a huge difference switching from paper to digital takeoffs?

3 comments

3 Comments

theas941mo ago

Yeah, the 12% undercount thing hit me hard lol. I was doing the same dance with paper takeoffs for siding and roofing for like 8 years. Switched to a cheap tablet app and realized I was leaving like $2k on the table every single job because my eyeball math was way off on the little triangles and dormers. First digital takeoff I did felt like cheating honestly. It's wild how you get so used to a certain routine you don't even question if it's working right. Clipboard guys hate hearing it but digital just catches all those weird angles and overhangs paper misses.

julia921mo ago

12% though? That feels kinda high. Maybe if you're winging it totally but most guys I know get pretty close with paper.

park.troy1mo ago

Dang @theas94, wait until you hear about my buddy who did the same thing for siding jobs but on a farmhouse with like seven gables. He figured out he was missing nearly 3% on just the flashings and drip edges, not even the main siding. Those little details really sneak up on you.