Getting started with QuoteCloud

Construction quote software, built stage by stage

Price every stage and trade from your cost book, keep the plans, allowances and insurances in the same document, and get every owner's signature and the deposit online.

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QuoteCloud is quoting and proposal software that builders, renovators, subcontractors and fit-out companies use to send estimates and contracts. Price tables group labour, materials and subcontract work by stage, with PC and provisional sums and optional upgrades. Plans, site photos and a build schedule sit beside the price, and clients sign online and pay the deposit through Stripe or PayPal.

Two pages of a sample estimate from a fictional builder, Corbel Building Co., for a rear extension and kitchen: a ground floor plan whose walls and dimension lines draw in (8,400 by 4,200 mm, a 3,600 mm stacker door, the island bench and an optional skylight), and in front the price table, grouped by stage, with a provisional sum for rock excavation.

Where a building estimate usually comes apart

The work is in the pricing, the paperwork and the changes. Here is what moves into one QuoteCloud document.

The jobTodayWith QuoteCloud
Pricing the job Rates copied from the last job's spreadsheet, retyped into a Word quote. Stages and trades priced from one cost book; subtotals, tax and the total calculate as you build.
Allowances PC and provisional sums buried in a note on the last page. Tagged on the line and listed in their own allowances schedule, so the client knows what can move.
Plans & photos Drawings, site photos and a schedule sent as separate attachments. Plans as PDF pages, marked-up site photos and a Gantt build schedule inside the estimate.
Licences & insurances Certificates hunted down and pasted into every contract. One locked company block with your licence and insurances in every document (content locking, Business plan).
Signing & deposit A printed contract, a second visit for the other owner, then chasing the deposit. Every owner signs online and the deposit is paid on signing through Stripe or PayPal.
Variations Agreed on site, written up later, disputed at the final claim. Each variation is its own document with the revised contract sum, signed in person on site before the work starts.

What a QuoteCloud implementation covers

Anatomy of a builder's estimate

A rear extension and kitchen for two owners, read top to bottom. Every part is a QuoteCloud content block, and the price table works: tick an upgrade and the deposit below follows.

  1. Open on the finished job

    A branded cover with the owners, the scope and the validity date, from your own construction template.

    Construction templates
    Corbel Building Co.Estimate & building contract CB-2318 Sample · fictional business
    A bright kitchen with white cabinets, hexagonal wall tiles and a marble island

    Estimate & building contract

    Rear extension & kitchen

    Prepared for Ellie & Marcus Doyle · 12 February · Valid 30 days

    A 35 m² single-storey extension across the back of the house: a new kitchen with an island bench, a dining area and a 3.6 m stacker door to the garden, built in five stages over about 15 weeks.

  2. Client chooses

    Priced in stages, by trade

    Section headings follow your stages, with group subtotals. Lines come from your cost book with a note on each, and the upgrades are optional rows the owners tick themselves.

    Price tables and product catalogue: Essentials and up

    Staged estimates & building quotes

    Your extension, stage by stage

    ItemQtyRateAmount
    Stage 1 · Site works & demolition$7,450
    Site establishmentFencing, amenities and skip bins
    		1 lot $2,850 $2,850.00
    Demolition & waste removalRear deck, laundry and the existing rear wall
    		1 lot $4,600 $4,600.00
    Stage 2 · Base$13,480
    Excavation & footingsTo the engineer's design
    		1 lot $5,200 $5,200.00
    Reinforced concrete slab100 mm, with vapour barrier
    		32 m² $165 $5,280.00
    Rock excavation Provisional sumIf rock is found in the footings
    		1 lot $3,000 $3,000.00
    Stage 3 · Frame & lock-up$34,750
    Wall & roof framingLVL beam to the engineer's detail
    		1 lot $14,800 $14,800.00
    Metal roofing & guttersPitched roof over the extension
    		34 m² $145 $4,930.00
    Stacker door & windows PC sumSupply, your selection
    		1 lot $9,500 $9,500.00
    Cladding & sarkingFibre-cement weatherboards
    		46 m² $120 $5,520.00
    Stage 4 · Services & fix-out$46,060
    Electrical rough-in & fit-offLicensed subcontractor
    		1 lot $7,900 $7,900.00
    Plumbing & drainageLicensed subcontractor
    		1 lot $8,400 $8,400.00
    Plasterboard & corniceWalls and ceilings
    		120 m² $48 $5,760.00
    Kitchen joinery & benchtops PC sumSupply and install, your selection
    		1 lot $24,000 $24,000.00
    Stage 5 · Finishes & handover$13,010
    Wall & floor tiles PC sumSupply, your selection
    		1 lot $3,200 $3,200.00
    TilingKitchen splashback and floor
    		28 m² $95 $2,660.00
    PaintingTwo coats, internal and external
    		1 lot $6,200 $6,200.00
    Builder's clean & handoverFinal inspection with you
    		1 lot $950 $950.00
    Optional upgrades Tick to add
    		 1 ea $2,180 $2,180.00
    		24 m² $145 $3,480.00
    		1 ea $4,300 $4,300.00
    Subtotal
    $116,930.00
    Tax (10%)
    $11,693.00
    Total
    $128,623.00
    Deposit on signing (10%)
    $12,862.30

  3. Allowances nobody can miss

    Prime cost and provisional sums are tagged in the price table and listed again in a table block with what each one covers, so a later adjustment is no surprise.

    PC sums, provisional sums & selections

    Allowances in this estimate PC and provisional sums

    • PCPrime cost (PC) sum: an allowance for items you choose, such as joinery, tapware or tiles. If your choice costs more or less, the difference is adjusted.
    • PSProvisional sum: an allowance for work that can't be priced until it's uncovered, such as rock in the footings.
    ItemTypeAllowance
    Kitchen joinery & benchtopsSupply and install PC $24,000
    Stacker door & windowsSupply only PC $9,500
    Wall & floor tilesAbout $65 per m², supply only PC $3,200
    Rock excavationOnly if rock is found PS $3,000
    Total allowances in the contract sum$39,700

    If an allowance is overspent or underspent, the difference (plus 15% builder's margin on any increase) is set out in a variation for you to sign before the work goes ahead.

  4. Plans and site photos beside the price

    Drop in the drafter's plan as a PDF page and the site photos from your visit. The owners see exactly what the price is for.

    Image and gallery blocks: Starter and up

    Plans, site photos & build schedules

    Ground floor plan PDF · Rev C

    1. Kitchen bench along the side wall
    2. Island bench, 2.1 m
    3. Skylight over the island (optional)
    4. Window to the side boundary
    5. New LVL beam where the rear wall is removed

    Site photos & selections

    • A kitchen under renovation, with cabinets covered in plastic and paper
      Existing kitchen, before
    • Timber wall framing of a new building, with scaffolding
      Frame stage on a recent job
    • Architectural plans with drafting pencils, a metal ruler and a plan tube
      Approved plans, Rev C
    • A bright kitchen with white cabinets, hexagonal wall tiles and a marble island
      Your joinery selection

  5. The build schedule, week by week

    A Gantt chart from site works to practical completion, with the optional skylight shown as its own bar.

    Gantt charts: Business and up

    Build schedule

    StageW1W2W3W4W5W6W7W8W9W10W11W12W13W14W15
    Site works & demolition Week 1 to 1
    Footings & slab Week 2 to 3
    Frame Week 3 to 5
    Roof & lock-up Week 5 to 7
    Skylight optional Week 7 to 7
    Services rough-in Week 7 to 9
    Plasterboard Week 9 to 10
    Kitchen install Week 11 to 12
    Tiling & painting Week 12 to 14
    Practical completion Week 15
  6. Locked block

    Licences and insurances, locked

    Your licence number, insurances and safety documents live in one company block. Locked, it can be used in every estimate but not edited.

    Content locking: Business plan

    Compliance content for commercial work

    Licences & insurances Company block

    Locked company block
    • Builder licenceContractor licence 284519CSample number · fictional business
    • Builder's warranty insuranceCertificate attached to the contractFor residential building work
    • Contract works insurancePolicy CW-77120Covers the works to the contract value
    • Public liability$20 millionPolicy PL-55318
    • Workers compensationPolicy WC-30981Every employee on site
    • Site safetySafety plan & method statementsSafety method statement for each trade

    Sample details for a fictional builder. Written once by the office and locked, so every estimate and contract carries the same current wording.

  7. Client signs

    Both owners sign, the deposit is paid

    Each owner signs in their own browser, no account needed. The 10% deposit is paid on the same page through Stripe, and the invoice can go to Xero through Zapier or Make.

    Payments: Essentials and up · eSignatures: every plan

    Contracts, deposits & progress claims

    Accept, sign and pay the deposit

    2 of 2 signed

    • Ellie DoyleOwner Signed18 Feb, 8:14 pm
    • Marcus DoyleOwner Signed18 Feb, 8:21 pm

    Deposit on signing (10%)

    $12,862.30

    Paid via StripePay with card or PayPal

    Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached

    Activity

    1. Estimate openedEllie Doyle
    2. Skylight added+$2,398.00 inc tax
    3. Signed by both ownersCertificate of authenticity attached
    4. Deposit paid$12,862.30 via Stripe
    5. Invoice created in XeroThrough Zapier

Not just the first estimate

The same QuoteCloud account sends the documents that come after it: a commercial proposal, a variation in the middle of the job, and the quote a trade sends the builder.

Corbel Building Co.Fit-out proposal CB-C-0412 Sample · fictional business

Fit-out price, by trade package

ItemQtyRateAmount
Preliminaries$36,300
Site management & supervisionFull-time site manager
10 wk $2,950 $29,500.00
Hoarding, protection & cleaningLift, lobby and common areas
1 lot $6,800 $6,800.00
Strip-out$11,400
Demolition & make-safeExisting office fit-out removed
1 lot $11,400 $11,400.00
Partitions & ceilings$57,340
Stud partitionsSet and painted, to ceiling
86 lm $410 $35,260.00
Suspended ceilingsWith access panels
240 m² $92 $22,080.00
Joinery$48,600
Reception counter & surgery joineryFour surgeries, sterilisation room
1 lot $48,600 $48,600.00
Services (subcontract)$138,400
Electrical, data & lightingIncluding surgery circuits
1 lot $52,800 $52,800.00
Mechanical servicesAir-conditioning and exhaust
1 lot $46,900 $46,900.00
HydraulicsWater and waste to each surgery
1 lot $38,700 $38,700.00
Finishes$28,520
Vinyl & carpetSheet vinyl to clinical areas
240 m² $78 $18,720.00
PaintingWalls, doors and frames
1 lot $9,800 $9,800.00
Options Tick to add
 1 lot $8,600 $8,600.00
86 lm $65 $5,590.00
Subtotal
$329,160.00
Tax (10%)
$32,916.00
Total
$362,076.00
Mobilisation payment on signing (5%)
$18,103.80
A corridor between glass-walled rooms in a new office fit-out

Trade packages for a commercial fit-out

A dental surgery fit-out priced by package, from preliminaries to hydraulics, with after-hours works as an option. Two directors sign, and a 5% mobilisation payment is taken on signing.

  • Preliminaries and site management as their own package
  • Options for after-hours works and acoustic upgrades
  • Several signers on one proposal

Price tables: Essentials and up

Commercial fit-out proposals & tenders
Corbel Building Co.Variation CB-2318-V03 Sample · fictional business
Variation V-03

To contract CB-2318 · Raised 11 March (week 3) · Requested by Site supervisor and the owners

Rock was found in the footings, and while the frame is open the owners asked for more power and pendant lights at the island.

ChangeAs contractedAs variedPrice
Rock excavation Provisional sum: $3,000 allowance Actual cost $4,850, plus 15% margin on the difference +$2,340.25
Kitchen power 4 double power points 6 double power points +$440.00
Pendant lights Not included 3 pendant points over the island; fittings by the owners +$462.00
Island position 1,100 mm from the back bench 1,200 mm from the back bench No change
Original contract sum
$128,623.00
Variation V-01 · Extra circuit to the garage
+$1,045.00
Variation V-02 · Laundry tub supplied by the owners
−$385.00
This variation (V-03)
+$3,242.25
Revised contract sum inc tax
$132,525.25
Effect on time
+2 working days (rock removal)

Signed before the changed work starts. Added to the next progress claim.

A room under renovation with temporary steel props, debris and tools on the floor

The change, the price and the new contract sum

Rock in the footings and two late requests, written up as variation V-03: the scope as contracted beside the scope as varied, the revised contract sum and two extra days. The owner signs it on the supervisor's tablet.

  • Its own document, from your variation template
  • Signed in person on site or online
  • Large variations can need approval first (Business)
Variations & change orders
Sparrowhill ElectricalSubcontractor quote SE-0917 Sample · fictional business

Electrical, Doyle rear extension

ItemQtyRateAmount
Rough-in$3,480
Cabling to new pointsPower, lighting and switches
18 pts $145 $2,610.00
Kitchen circuitsOven, cooktop and rangehood
3 ea $290 $870.00
Fit-off$4,420
Power points & switchesWhite, standard range
18 pts $55 $990.00
LED downlightsDimmable, warm white
14 ea $95 $1,330.00
Switchboard upgradeNew board with RCBOs
1 ea $1,650 $1,650.00
Smoke alarmsInterconnected, hard-wired
3 ea $150 $450.00
Options Tick to add
 3 ea $140 $420.00
1 ea $980 $980.00
Subtotal
$7,900.00
Tax (10%)
$790.00
Total
$8,690.00

Licence & insurance

  • Electrical contractor licenceEC 48213Sample number · fictional business
  • Public liability$10 millionPolicy PL-20457
  • On completionCertificate of complianceIssued for all new work
  • Site safetyMethod statement for electrical workSupplied before starting on site
An electrician testing a switchboard with a multimeter

A trade's quote the builder can accept in a minute

An electrician quotes the builder for the same extension: rough-in and fit-off by the point, options priced but not included, licence and insurance attached. The builder's estimator accepts it online.

  • Rates by the point, the metre or the lot
  • Options the builder can add
  • Licence and insurance in the quote

Price tables: Essentials and up

Quotes for trade subcontractors

Send your next estimate from QuoteCloud

Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Send us your current estimate template and we'll convert one for you during the trial.

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Sample contract · CB-2318

The deposit on signing. Every stage claim set out.

The contract carries the payment schedule from deposit to practical completion. QuoteCloud takes the deposit when the owners sign; each later stage is your own progress claim, invoiced from your accounting software.

Contracts, deposits & progress claims
Corbel Building Co.Estimate & building contract CB-2318 Sample · fictional business

Payment schedule Stage payments, inc tax

StageShareAmountHow it's paid
DepositOn signing the contract 10% $12,862.30 Paid on signing via Stripe
BaseSlab poured 15% $19,293.45 Progress claim, invoiced by Corbel
FrameFrame inspected 20% $25,724.60 Progress claim, invoiced by Corbel
Lock-upRoof, windows and doors in 20% $25,724.60 Progress claim, invoiced by Corbel
FixingPlasterboard, joinery and tiling done 25% $32,155.75 Progress claim, invoiced by Corbel
Practical completionFinal inspection and handover 10% $12,862.30 Progress claim, invoiced by Corbel
Contract sum100%$128,623.00

Only the deposit is paid online, on signing. Each later stage is a progress claim Corbel invoices as the stage is reached; variations are added to the next claim.

Big jobs checked before they go out

A commercial proposal over your threshold, or a residential estimate with a deeper discount than your policy allows, can wait In Review until the construction manager and a director approve it.

Approvers see the whole document, approve or decline it, and only then can it be sent. Costs and margins stay in your team's view of the price table, never the client's.

  • Triggers on total value, discount percentage, team, role, template or customer
  • Every named approver can be required
  • Cost and margin kept internal on every line

Approval workflow: Business plan

Cost book, rates & margin control
Corbel Building Co.Fit-out proposal CB-C-0412 Sample · fictional business

Document workflow

In Review

Triggered when Total value greater than $250,000

  • Tessa GrayConstruction managerApproved
  • Ruth HammondDirectorWaiting

Must be approved by all approvers before it can be sent.

  1. Approval request sent by Dan Okafor
  2. Approved by Tessa Gray

Approval workflow · Business plan

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  • Hosted on AWS
  • GDPR compliant

From site visit to signed contract

Five steps for a renovation or extension, with the estimator, the owners and the office in the same document.

  1. Measure up and take photos

    Mark up the site photos in the image editor and add the drafter's plans as PDF pages.

  2. Price it by stage

    Add labour, materials and subcontract lines from your cost book under each stage, with PC and provisional sums tagged.

  3. Offer the upgrades

    Add a skylight, better flooring or an air-conditioning zone as optional rows the owners can tick.

  4. Send one link

    Owners open it on any device, ask questions in comments and see the total change as they choose.

  5. Signed, deposit paid

    Every owner signs online and the deposit is paid through Stripe or PayPal. Changes later go out as signed variations.

Won jobs go straight to the office

Signed estimates become invoices in Xero or QuickBooks through Zapier or Make, and jobs in simPRO or ServiceM8, or start dates in Google Calendar, through Zapier, from Essentials.

How builders connect QuoteCloud All integrations

Construction templates, ready to make your own

Real QuoteCloud templates for builders, renovators, roofers and subcontractors. Open one, add your logo, stages and terms, and send.

All construction templates Templates for construction

Everything a building business sends

From the first estimate to the last variation, for residential, commercial and trade work.

Construction quoting questions, answered

What is QuoteCloud for construction companies?

QuoteCloud is quoting, proposal and eSignature software for builders, renovators, trade subcontractors and commercial fit-out companies. You build estimates and contracts from templates, price labour, materials and subcontract work from a product catalogue, add plans, photos and a build schedule, and clients sign online and can pay a deposit, in one document instead of a spreadsheet, a Word file and a separate eSign tool.

Can an estimate show stages, trades and PC or provisional sums?

Yes. Price tables take section headings for each stage or trade with group subtotals, and lines come from your catalogue or are added by hand with a note on each. Mark PC and provisional sums in the line name or note and list them again in a table block. Price tables and the product catalogue are on Essentials and above.

How do variations work in QuoteCloud?

Send each variation as its own document from a variation template, setting out the change, its price, the revised contract sum and any effect on time, and have the client sign it online or in person on your phone or tablet before the work starts. To change an estimate before it is signed, Revise Last Version keeps the earlier version in the history.

Can clients pay a deposit when they sign?

Yes, from the Essentials plan. Connect Stripe or PayPal, then set the payment in the document as a percentage of the total or a fixed amount. The client pays straight after signing and the document is marked Paid. A payment gateway is required, and gateway availability and fees vary by region and provider.

Does QuoteCloud send or collect progress claims?

No. QuoteCloud takes the deposit or a full payment when the document is signed. Set out the stage payment schedule in the contract as content, then invoice each progress claim from your accounting software as stages are reached. Signed documents can reach Xero or QuickBooks through Zapier or Make.

Can we include plans, site photos and a build schedule?

Yes. Add drawings as PDF pages or images, site photos in a gallery and mark them up with the built-in image editor; image blocks are on Starter and above. A Gantt chart block shows the build schedule with tasks, durations and milestones on the Business plan.

Can both owners sign, and can a client sign on site?

Yes. A document can have several signers, each with their own signature block, and no account is needed to sign. On site, open the signing view and hand over your phone or tablet. eSignatures are legally binding and eIDAS compliant, included on every plan, and the signed document carries an audit trail and certificate.

Does QuoteCloud connect to Xero, simPRO or ServiceM8?

Yes. Xero, QuickBooks Online, simPRO, ServiceM8, Google Calendar and thousands of other apps connect through Zapier or Make, and the QuoteCloud API is available, from the Essentials plan; API and Zapier document creation has per-document fees.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. QuoteCloud has a free plan and a 14-day free trial of Essentials or Business with no credit card required. During the trial QuoteCloud converts one of your existing templates for free on the Essentials, Business and Enterprise plans, and paid plans include a 45-minute training session.

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