Who this is for: Managers | Applies to: Pressure Washing, Painting, Landscaping, Cleaning Service, General Contractor, Contractor, and General verticals
📋 Job Builder — 3-Part Guide
- Part 1: Start a New Estimate: Vertical, Scope, and Line Items — You are here
- Part 2: Add Costs, Allocation, and Markup
- Part 3: Preview, Finalize, and Send Your Estimate
💼 Why this matters
A well-built estimate is what separates contractors who win jobs at a fair margin from those who win jobs and wonder where the money went. This isn’t just paperwork — it’s the record that determines whether the job was worth taking. Every line item, every service, every scope decision you make here feeds the margin calculation that tells you exactly what you’ll pocket when it’s done.
Step 1 — Create a new job #
Tap the + button on the home screen or from your job list. A vertical picker appears — select the trade that matches this job. The job builder opens with the navigation title New Job.
💡 Tip: Choose the vertical that matches the type of work — not the client. Pressure washing for a commercial property is still the Pressure Washing vertical. The vertical determines which SmartScope calculators are available on the Estimate tab.
Step 2 — Fill in the job details #
The Details tab opens first. Fill in the Job Info section:
- Job Name — required before you can save. Use something that identifies the job clearly: client name + address, or a project description
- Job Number (optional) — your internal reference number if you use one
- Job Type — the vertical you selected, changeable here if needed
- Status — defaults to Estimating; update as the job progresses
Fill in the Client section. Tap Import from Contacts to pull contact info from your iPhone, or start typing in the Client Name field — if the client is already in your CRM, they’ll appear as a suggestion. Also enter Company (optional), Phone, and Email.
Add the job address in the Location section — the address field supports autocomplete. Set a Start Date and Due Date in the Timeline section if you want them on the estimate PDF.
Tap Save — the orange button in the top-right corner. The job is now created and the full tab bar appears.
Step 3 — Switch to the Estimate tab #
Tap Estimate in the tab bar. The estimate builder opens with two main sections: Services and Crew / Labor.
Step 4 — Add your service line items #
The Services section is where the scope of the job goes — every service or material line item that determines the job price. At the top of the section is the SmartScope strip: a horizontal row of calculator buttons specific to your vertical. Tap any SmartScope calculator to measure the scope, and the calculated line items insert into the Services section automatically.
Below the SmartScope strip, two buttons let you add items manually:
- Add Item — adds a blank line item you fill in manually: name, quantity, unit (sq ft, lin ft, gal, ea, hr, job, lb, bag), and unit cost
- From Catalog — opens your Service Catalog so you can pick a pre-priced service and pull it into the estimate in one tap. All the pricing and margin data comes with it
Add as many line items as the job requires. The Services Subtotal updates live as you add and adjust items. This subtotal is what drives the job price calculation — every markup and margin figure in the Pricing Controls section is calculated from this number.
Step 5 — Add crew and labor (optional) #
The Crew / Labor section is for tracking the crew hours and labor cost associated with the job — it does not affect the job price. Pricing is driven entirely by your service line items above. Use this section to understand your effective labor rate and track what the job actually cost to staff.
Tap Add Crew Phase to add a labor phase. Enter the number of workers, hours per worker, and rate per hour. Toggle Owner Operator on if you’re doing the work yourself — owner labor is tracked separately and shown as “Owner Labor (not a cash cost)” in the summary so it doesn’t distort your net profit figure.
✅ You’re done with Part 1.
Your job is created, the client is linked, and the scope is in. Now add your costs, overhead, and markup to see your real margin.
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