Use case ·
Remodelling quotes without the site visit
Remodellers lose whole days driving out to look at jobs that never book. Some charge a quote fee to cover it, and lose the homeowners who won’t pay just to get a price. With CostSnap the client sends photos, a walkthrough video and sizes from a link, and you price the job from the office.
In short
- Every free estimate visit costs you a drive, an hour on site and fuel, and most of them don’t book.
- A quote fee covers the drive but scares off homeowners who are collecting prices.
- Send the client a link instead. They send photos, a walkthrough and sizes, and you quote from the office. Go out once they say yes.
What a free estimate visit really costs
Take one typical visit: 45 minutes there, 45 minutes walking the house with the homeowner, 45 minutes back. That’s over two hours and a tank of fuel for one price.
Now say one in four of those visits books. Every job you win carried about nine hours of unpaid driving and looking. Put your own numbers in. For most remodellers it’s a day or more a week.
Why a quote fee doesn’t fix it
Charging $100 or $200 for an estimate covers the drive. It also tells the homeowner to call someone else. People planning a kitchen or a bathroom usually want three prices, and they start with the contractors who give one for free.
The better fix is to stop needing the drive for the first price.
How it works with CostSnap
- Send the client a link. By text or email, straight from the lead or job.
- They show you the job. They type or say what they want, then add photos, a walkthrough video of up to 90 seconds, sizes, or a floor plan. Nothing to install.
- It lands on the job. Everything they send shows up in CostSnap. AI drafts the labor and materials.
- You price it and send it. Adjust with your own rates, then send the quote with your logo. You see when they open it.
Same day, no drive. The client gets a price while they’re still deciding, and you keep the day for jobs that are booked.
What to ask the client to send
- Each room from the doorway, so you see the whole space.
- Close-ups of what’s being replaced: the vanity, the tub, the cabinets, the floor.
- A walkthrough video where they talk as they go. You hear what they want in their words.
- Rough sizes or a plan, even a sketch on paper with numbers on it.
- The things that change the price: the electrical panel, the water heater, the shut-off valves, the stairs and the parking.
When you still go out
Photos can’t show what’s behind the drywall. Go and look before you lock a price when the job means moving walls or plumbing, touching structure, or there are signs of water damage. And always take your own measurements before ordering cabinets, counters or anything else made to size.
A pattern that works: a price from photos to win the job, then one visit once they’ve said yes. Write what the price assumes on the quote, like “assumes subfloor is sound”, so a surprise is an extra and not your loss.
What it costs
CostSnap is $99 a month, or $949.99 a year. That’s unlimited estimates and quotes, the client links, the AI Call Centre, and the app and web dashboard. Try it free for 7 days. See pricing.
Questions remodellers ask
Can you quote a renovation without seeing it in person?
For most kitchens, bathrooms, basements, flooring and paint, yes, if the client sends wide photos of each room, close-ups, a short walkthrough video and rough sizes. Write down what the price assumes, and measure on site before you order anything made to size.
Should a remodeller charge a quote fee?
A quote fee covers the drive, but it also puts off homeowners who are collecting a few prices. Quoting from photos removes the drive, so you can keep the first price free and save your time on site for clients who have said yes.
Does the client need to install an app?
No. The client opens a link in their phone’s browser, says what they want, and adds photos, a walkthrough video, sizes or a plan. It goes straight onto the job in CostSnap.