Clear Estimates

4.5 (114)
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Cloud-based contracting estimation tool for builders

Overall rating

4.5 /5
(114)
Value for Money
4.5/5
Features
4.2/5
Ease of Use
4.4/5
Customer Support Software
4.6/5

89%
recommended this app
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114 Reviews

Verified Reviewer
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 201–500 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

You are in control!

Reviewed on 2019-01-09

Overall this is a good product. The ideal end user would be a small to midsize company.

Overall this is a good product. The ideal end user would be a small to midsize company.

Pros

With Clear Estimates, every thing is customizable. There are a lot of templates available all of which can be tailored to your specific needs.

Cons

Clear Estimates is a fairly need product so some users may find that the system doesnt integrate with popular accounting software.

David
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Streamlining the biding process

Reviewed on 2020-10-23

I am very grateful for Clear Estimates. It has more than paid for itself in the past couple of...

I am very grateful for Clear Estimates. It has more than paid for itself in the past couple of months I have been using it. It has helped me realize how low my estimates have been. I am better able to test the market for the going rates on projects so that I can be more competitive with the current market without underselling myself.

Pros

Clear Estimates has made the estimation process of my business so much easier. I save a lot of time, now that I have learned how to navigate the software. I do so many different types of projects, it is hard to keep up with the changes in pricing of supplies as well as labor rates. Before using Clear Estimates, I would routinely underestimate the cost of materials and time necessary to complete a project. Clear Estimates has helped put me in a much better place financially.

Cons

The downside to Clear Estimates is that it takes a while to really understand what it is capable of doing, as well as how to adjust it to fit my needs when a project requires estimating something that the software doesn't contain. I have only been using it for a few months, so I am sure there are lots of things I have yet to understand, but being a small company, I don't really have the necessary time it would take to figure it all out.

marty
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 6.0 /10

Review Clear Estimates

Reviewed on 2016-07-25

Never heard about web based upgrade. was using old version till saw Wyatt's presentation using the...

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

Response from Clear Estimates

Marty, thanks for writing us a review. I'm sorry that you were not notified when our software became cloud based. This is something we should have alerted you to. With that said, we are happy that our software keeps you on track and organized. Thank you for being such a loyal customer of Clear Estimates. - The Clear Estimates Team.

Mark
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Perfect Answer to Estimating

Reviewed on 2018-11-02

Been with them from the start up , great customer service and always striving to make things...

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 .

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Mark! Thank you for taking the time to write this. We've appreciated your support over the years. It means a lot to us to know that Clear Estimates has been a helpful solution for your estimating needs. We do our best to continually update the program based on customer feedback. We hope you are enjoying the new changes! - The Clear Estimates Team

Sheen
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

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

Reviewed on 2016-07-25

After using both the downloaded and cloud versions of this software for about 4 years, I can't...

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

Response from Clear Estimates

We are thrilled to hear that Clear Estimates has saved you hours of work, Sheen. You have been with us for a few years now and we appreciate your loyalty very much. Happy estimating! - The Clear Estimates Team

Walter
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Personal Review

Reviewed on 2016-08-02

I have used the software and do appreciate the way it does the calculation. There are some areas...

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

Response from Clear Estimates

Thanks for the kind words, Walter. We are glad to hear that our software has improved your estimates. As you know, Clear Estimates is fully customizable, allowing you to create as many line items as you wish. I would be happy to set up a call with you to explain how to create some custom outdoor features. Be on the look out for an email. - The Clear Estimates Team.

Keith
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

estimating basics

Reviewed on 2016-07-27

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

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.

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Keith, thanks for taking the time to review our software. We are happy to hear that Clear Estimates pricing is accurate for your area. Individual markups is something we would like to implement in the future. Thanks for the input. - The Clear Estimates Team

kimberlie
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

New kid in town

Reviewed on 2020-11-03

Since opening my buisness Jan 2020 . This has been my saving grace. Thank you for the free.trial...

Since opening my buisness Jan 2020 . This has been my saving grace. Thank you for the free.trial thank you for writing a program I can learn on the fly . I love it

Pros

I would describe this software as organized and simple. Being an electrical contractor the ease of converting this program into what I need was easy. Any questions I had either my teenager would figure it out for me or an email to Support and they are back with you that day sometimes within the hour. Very friendly and they speak on my level.

Cons

My only request for a change is the ability to accept payments. I would also like a way to see more than 4 items on my list at a time. I really don't many complaints

Barry
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Home Improvement Clear Estimate Review

Reviewed on 2017-02-27

This is the second time for me using Clear Estimates. After not using the program for a couple of...

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.

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Barry,

We're happy you've found our support articles and videos to be helpful. We do our best to provide as many resources as we can to make sure our customers succeed.

Thanks for the home improvement part suggestion - we will look into it.

- The Clear Estimates Team

Jon
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

works FLAWLESSLY

Reviewed on 2016-10-01

I've been using "CLEAR ESTIMATES" for about 6 months. I put very little time into learning how to...

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

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Jon, thanks for the kind words! We are so glad to have had you on board for the last several months. Happy estimating! - The Clear Estimates Team

Richard
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Clear Estimates is number 1 of it's kind!

Reviewed on 2016-09-10

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.

Terry
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Overall good estimating software but lacks estimating for larger projects.

Reviewed on 2017-12-06

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.

Wes
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Clear Estimates software review from Wes Ballinger.

Reviewed on 2016-07-21

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

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.

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Wes,

Thank you for the review. We strive to provide you with a great estimating tool. When you have success, we do to!

Richard
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Clear Estimates

Reviewed on 2017-09-14

Try it, youll love it!

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.

Cory
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Great product

Reviewed on 2019-07-03

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

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.

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Cory! We appreciate the review. It's great you are finding the updated material pricing useful. We do our best to provide you with accurate information when creating bids. As far as invoices go, we are actually in the process of updating those. Soon, you should see additional functionality that improves how invoices are created and what is included. Be on the lookout! - The Clear Estimates Team

Cirilo
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Clear estimates software

Reviewed on 2017-04-16

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

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.

Ceolus
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 4.0 /10

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

Reviewed on 2017-11-12

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...

Tony
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Great Support and Great Service

Reviewed on 2017-07-04

Its easy for my customers to understand

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

Response from Clear Estimates

Tony, thanks for taking the time to write this. We're thrilled your clients find your estimates easy to understand. Please let us know if anything comes up! - The Clear Estimates Team

Ricardo
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Happy

Reviewed on 2021-03-20

I can estimate a price with out worry to check on material price at stores

I can estimate a price with out worry to check on material price at stores

Pros

Pricing updated , costumer support. Able to convert to a written estimate

Cons

Able to track a job proses , send invoice ,

Neal
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

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

Reviewed on 2017-08-23

One of the nice things is to be able to see materials and labor calculated at the same time and see...

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.

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Neal - Thanks for the kind words. We do our best to help our clients through the learning process. When searching for a part, I would recommend using the "search" feature, allowing you to type in key words that relate to a part. This might help save you some time. Material and labor calculation is one of our favorite parts of Clear Estimates. It allows you simply enter the amount of something you need, not worrying about calculations. Please do let us know if any other questions come up! - The Clear Estimates Team

Jonathan
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Great software for the price & user friendly!

Reviewed on 2020-12-30

My Overall experience with Clear Estimates is great! If you're not using it then you should be!

My Overall experience with Clear Estimates is great! If you're not using it then you should be!

Pros

I love the fact that it prices the materials & labor for me. That takes the guess work out of it & that's a big weight lifted off my shoulders.

Cons

The results on the searches could be narrowed down some. When you search for something you get a wide variety of results for example results from a completely different category than what you search for, which takes longer to go through. Overall it really isn't that big of a deal, but that's all I could think of,lol.

Charles
Overall rating
  • Industry: Real Estate
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Best remodel program

Reviewed on 2018-12-05

Read above

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

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Charles! Thanks for taking the time to write this. Switching estimating tools is never easy and we're glad to have you on board. We'll continue to provide you the best tool we can! - The Clear Estimates Team

Bryan
Overall rating
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

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

Reviewed on 2017-11-17

Providing customers with a quote using Clear Estimates adds credibility and professionalism to our...

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

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Bryan. Thanks for taking the time to write this. First of all, we want to thank you for your continued support over the years. We're happy to hear Clear Estimates helps you provide accurate, professional looking estimates. The sales process of a bid is very important to us, and we want to make sure you can win the most important ones. Know that we will do our best to continue to provide a quality product. Let us know if you have any questions! - The Clear Estimates Team

Troy
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software

Clear Estimates Review

Reviewed on 2016-08-29

Software is user friendly and has a real common sense approach. Been using over a year have found...

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 ;)

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Troy, thanks for the kind words! We're glad to hear that you are happy with the software and find it user friendly.

Joel
Overall rating
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support Software

Have used for about a year

Reviewed on 2017-02-27

This software is the best I've found for my home remodeling business. The price is fair for what it...

This software is the best I've found for my home remodeling business. The price is fair for what it does. I don't use the pre-populated labor prices. I think every business applies a price they think is right. There are some things you don't have the ability to edit however. For example, the font of text isn't adjustable. Also, the title of the proposal isn't adjustable. I'm sticking with this program because it is the best I have found and hope they improve it in the future.

Response from Clear Estimates

Hi Joel,

Thank you for the review. We are always trying to better our tool with client feedback, and very much appreciate yours. As far as the font goes, you can edit that by heading up to "Options" > "Report Settings" > "General".

To update the report title, head up to "Options" > "Report Settings" > Choose the report in question > At the bottom you will see "Report Title".

If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected]

Hope this helps!