I use a lot of apps. Nothing has made it possible to tell customers anything close to start dates. It drives people nuts honestly because I wont tell them a date and we’re always behind. If anybody has advice on that let me know.
With RoofSnap, in 20 minutes i can make a highly detailed bid and send it to the customer for signature using docusign… I typically send it out with my iPad from the roof. No paper or math required. I sometimes print the thing out with a mobile printer and leave them a postage paid envelope in case they want to proceed.
From the info gathered on-site I can generate a material order for the delivery and the guys use it as a work order. theres also a sketch report that can include pictures of problem areas or notes to the crew. I hide material pricing from the guys on the work order so they don’t start thinking about money.
EVERYTHING can be broken down into labor and material per item. i.e. Labor per foot of gutter, valley, starter, metal. tearing off wood shake and 2nd layers and 3 tab. If all the numbers are good it’s possible to estimate the labor on a roof really accurately.
On the bid, people are impressed with how every material, manufacturer, and the quantities are listed(if selected) (I have a stipulation that we might substitute comparable products if a specific item is not available)
I sketch the roof, label every line, set the pitch and drop pins for the plumbing boots and roof vents.
With that it’s easy to generate a material order I can email to the supplier.
I have had scabs use my contract as a material order. Idiot left my contract on his clippboard and left it on top of his truck. Another tradesman found it and called me cause my number was on the contract.
Pros:
customizable for any item
templates save time
walk away from the roof with your estimating done,
Cons:
Takes a while to set up all the material prices
takes hours and hours of dedication to learn how to use and setup.
I also use a complicated spreadsheet to figure out how we did on each job using a summary report with labor and material budgets. I almost never complete it.
I track time with Quickbooks Time (gps location “on”) Payrol is super easy and I can see where the guys go during the day and if there are any irregularities visually with how its laid out. For example if one guy clocks in early every day or if they take different length lunches. ALSO, can run reports on each job and it’s total hours and cost of labor.
I track the trucks with Verizon Reveal and I can see exactly where the vehicles are and where they’ve been. I get alerts if they are speeding, when they go to the supply house or when they start the truck in the morning. Also two trucks have dash cams and the trailers have trackers in case they were to get stolen.
Also, Arlo security cameras all over the yard that send notifications and video to my phone when triggered.
All this stuff takes some learning and has subscriptin fees but it saves TONS of time and keeps the guys accountable. I couldn’t imagine going through paper timesheets and tallying up hours. Or doing a paper sketch of a complicated roof. A big one is knowing if my equipment is where it is supposed to be.