You have been pricing jobs in Excel for years. It works – until you are quoting 3 jobs a week and each one takes a full day to put together.
You lose jobs because you are too slow. Or worse, you win them because you underpriced. A quoting tool does not just make you faster – it makes your estimates more accurate and your quotes more professional.
This guide compares 8 quoting and estimating tools for UK builders – from simple quoting apps to full takeoff and estimating suites – with real pricing and feature comparisons.
Quoting vs Estimating: What Is the Difference?
These terms get used interchangeably but they solve different problems:
- Quoting – producing a price for the client. It is the external document that wins (or loses) you the job. Professional presentation matters.
- Estimating – calculating your actual costs from drawings using material quantities, labour rates, and supplier pricing. It is the internal process that determines whether the job is profitable at the price you quote.
Some tools do both. Some specialise in one. If you do detailed takeoffs from architectural drawings, you need estimating software. If you quote from templates or experience-based pricing, a simpler quoting tool may be enough.
Key Features to Look For
- Takeoff from drawings – measure quantities directly from PDF or CAD files
- UK material price libraries – up-to-date costs from UK suppliers
- Labour rate calculations – hours multiplied by trade-specific rates
- Template-based quoting – reuse previous estimates as starting points
- Professional quote output – branded PDFs that look credible to clients
- Integration with accounting – sync accepted quotes to Xero or QuickBooks
- CIS-aware pricing – factor CIS deductions into subcontractor cost calculations
The 8 Best Quoting and Estimating Tools for UK Builders
1. Buildxact – Best All-in-One for Residential Builders
Buildxact combines estimating, takeoff, scheduling, and basic accounting integration in one platform. It is designed for residential builders who want to go from drawings to quote quickly, with a UK material price library and Xero integration.
Best for: Residential builders (2-15 staff) who want estimating, scheduling, and job tracking in one tool.
Key features: On-screen takeoff, UK supplier pricing, quote templates, scheduling, Xero sync, purchase orders.
Pricing: From 149 AUD per month (approximately 80 GBP). UK pricing available.
Strengths: All-in-one approach, good UK material library, combines estimating with delivery.
Limitations: Jack of all trades – estimating depth is less than dedicated tools, cost tracking during delivery is basic.
2. EstimatorXpress (HBXL) – Best for UK House Builders
EstimatorXpress is a UK-specific estimating tool built around NRM (New Rules of Measurement) pricing libraries. It is particularly strong for house builders and extension specialists who need detailed material and labour calculations based on UK building regulations.
Best for: UK house builders and extension specialists who need NRM-compliant estimates with detailed material schedules.
Key features: NRM pricing library, automated takeoff, material scheduling, labour calculations, quote generation, specification writing.
Pricing: From approximately 70 GBP per month.
Strengths: Deep UK-specific pricing data, NRM compliance, detailed material schedules, well-established in UK market.
Limitations: Steep learning curve, desktop-based (not cloud), dated interface, overkill for simple quoting needs.
3. PriceAJob – Best Budget Option for Small Builders
PriceAJob is a simple, affordable quoting tool for UK tradespeople and small builders. It uses pre-built pricing templates for common job types (extensions, loft conversions, bathrooms) so you can generate quotes quickly without doing full takeoffs.
Best for: Sole traders and small builders (1-3 staff) who quote common residential job types and want speed over detail.
Key features: Pre-built job templates, quick pricing, basic material lists, client-ready quote output.
Pricing: From 10 GBP per month. Limited free tier available.
Strengths: Very affordable, fast to learn, UK-specific templates, good for tradespeople.
Limitations: No takeoff from drawings, limited customisation, basic output, not suitable for complex projects.
4. PriceBuilder – Best for Quick Quote Generation
PriceBuilder focuses on speed – generating professional quotes from templates in minutes rather than hours. It includes UK labour and material rates that update regularly, and produces branded PDFs for client presentation.
Best for: Builders who need to produce professional-looking quotes quickly from standard templates.
Key features: Template-based quoting, UK material and labour rates, branded PDF output, quote tracking.
Pricing: From approximately 20 GBP per month.
Strengths: Fast quote generation, professional output, regularly updated pricing, easy to learn.
Limitations: No takeoff, limited for complex projects, template-dependent, not a full estimating tool.
5. EasyEstimate – Best for Live UK Material Prices
EasyEstimate connects to UK material suppliers for live pricing, meaning your estimates use current costs rather than outdated price books. This is particularly valuable in periods of material price volatility.
Best for: Builders who want estimates based on current, live material prices from UK merchants.
Key features: Live supplier pricing, material takeoff, labour calculations, quote generation, supplier links.
Pricing: From approximately 30 GBP per month.
Strengths: Live pricing reduces risk of material cost surprises, direct supplier connections, UK-focused.
Limitations: Smaller supplier network than EstimatorXpress, limited scheduling features, less established.
6. esti-mate – Best for Trade Contractors
esti-mate is designed specifically for UK trade contractors – electricians, plumbers, roofers, and similar specialists. It includes trade-specific pricing templates and generates quotes formatted for trade work rather than general building.
Best for: Trade contractors (electricians, plumbers, roofers) who quote trade-specific work.
Key features: Trade-specific templates, UK labour rates by trade, material lists, professional quote output.
Pricing: From approximately 15 GBP per month.
Strengths: Trade-specific focus, affordable, designed for specialists not general builders.
Limitations: Not for general builders or main contractors, limited project management, no takeoff.
7. RenoCalc – Best for Renovation and Refurbishment Specialists
RenoCalc targets the renovation and refurbishment market specifically. It includes pricing templates for common renovation work types and helps builders produce detailed quotes for refurbishment projects where standard new-build pricing does not apply.
Best for: Renovation specialists and refurbishment contractors quoting retrofit, extension, and conversion work.
Key features: Renovation-specific templates, room-by-room pricing, client-facing proposals, basic scheduling.
Pricing: From approximately 25 GBP per month.
Strengths: Niche focus on renovations, good for the growing refurb market, client-friendly output.
Limitations: Not for new-build, limited material libraries, smaller user base means less community support.
8. Buildern – Best for Builders Wanting Estimating + Project Management
Buildern combines estimating with full project management, client communication, and basic financial tracking. If you want one platform that handles the quote and then manages the job through to completion, Buildern covers both stages.
Best for: Small-to-mid residential builders (1-15 staff) who want estimating and project delivery in one platform.
Key features: Estimating, bid management, client portal, scheduling, subcontractor coordination, basic budget tracking.
Pricing: From approximately 80 GBP per month.
Strengths: Quote-to-completion in one tool, client portal, combines estimating with PM.
Limitations: Estimating less deep than dedicated tools, US-oriented, limited UK localisation, no CIS.
Comparison Table
| Tool | Takeoff | Material Library | Quote Templates | Xero Sync | Price (from GBP/mo) | Best For |
| Buildxact | Yes | UK + supplier | Yes | Yes | ~80 | Residential builders |
| EstimatorXpress | Yes | NRM library | Yes | No | ~70 | UK house builders |
| PriceAJob | No | Templates | Yes | No | 10 | Sole traders |
| PriceBuilder | No | UK rates | Yes | No | ~20 | Quick quoting |
| EasyEstimate | Basic | Live pricing | Yes | No | ~30 | Live material prices |
| esti-mate | No | Trade-specific | Yes | No | ~15 | Trade contractors |
| RenoCalc | No | Renovation | Yes | No | ~25 | Renovation specialists |
| Buildern | Basic | Basic | Yes | No | ~80 | Estimating + PM |
What Happens After the Quote? Cost Tracking
Winning the job is only half the battle. The question that separates profitable builders from busy ones: did the job actually make money?
Most quoting tools stop at the quote stage. Once the client accepts, you need a different system to track whether actual costs match your estimate. This is where job costing software comes in:
- Import your accepted quote as a project budget
- Issue purchase orders to subcontractors and suppliers against that budget
- Track committed costs (what you have ordered) vs budget in real time
- Process invoices and match them to POs
- At project end, compare actual spend to your original estimate
Planyard connects here. It is not an estimating tool – it is what you use after winning the job to track whether your quote was accurate. Import your estimate as a budget, then track subcontractor costs, POs, and invoices against it with everything syncing to Xero or QuickBooks.
The gap most builders have: they are great at quoting but terrible at tracking whether the job made money. Closing this loop – estimate to budget to actual cost to profit report – is how you improve pricing accuracy over time.
"As our projects grew in both value and complexity, it became clear that we needed a system that provided a better financial overview in one central location. While spreadsheets have their uses, they are simply too limited; as the scale of a project increases, you need a dedicated platform that can handle that level of detail without the constraints of a manual sheet."
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Your quote was the plan. See if the job stuck to it.
Import your accepted quote as a budget, then track subcontractor costs, POs, and invoices against it – all syncing to Xero or QuickBooks. Set up your first project in under a day.
How to Choose
Sole trader doing fewer than 5 quotes per month: PriceAJob or PriceBuilder. Keep it simple and affordable. Add cost tracking (Planyard) once you are winning enough work to need it.
Small builder (2-10 staff): EstimatorXpress if you need detailed UK material pricing and NRM compliance. Buildxact if you want estimating and scheduling in one platform.
Growing contractor: Buildern if you want one platform for estimating and project management. Or Buildxact for estimating plus Planyard for cost tracking during delivery – this gives you depth in both stages.
Renovation specialist: RenoCalc for renovation-specific pricing templates and workflows.
"If I were still relying solely on Excel to track and present the financial positions of our projects, I would be losing significant time every single month. By implementing the streamlined processes that Planyard supports, I’m saving at least three to four days of work every month that would have otherwise been spent on manual data entry and reconciliation."
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FAQ
What is the best quoting software for builders in the UK?
For UK residential builders who need takeoff and material pricing, Buildxact and EstimatorXpress are the strongest options. For quick quote generation without takeoff complexity, PriceAJob or PriceBuilder offer simpler alternatives. The right choice depends on whether you do full estimates from drawings or template-based quotes.
What is the difference between estimating and quoting software?
Estimating software calculates your costs from drawings using material libraries and labour rates – it is an internal process to determine whether a job is profitable. Quoting software produces the client-facing document with your price. Some tools do both, some specialise. Know which problem you are solving.
Can quoting software integrate with Xero?
Some tools like Buildxact offer direct Xero integration for syncing invoices and costs. Most quoting tools export to CSV or PDF which you manually enter into accounting software. If accounting integration is important, check before committing – not all estimating tools connect to your bookkeeping.
How much does construction estimating software cost?
Budget options like PriceAJob start from 10 GBP per month. Mid-range tools like EstimatorXpress and Buildxact run 50-150 GBP per month. Full-featured platforms like Buildern cost 80+ GBP per month. Most offer monthly subscriptions with no long-term commitment required.
Do I need separate software for estimating and cost tracking?
Usually, yes. Estimating software helps you price the job and win it. Cost tracking software (like Planyard) helps you track actual costs against that estimate during delivery. The gap between these two is where most builders lose money – they price well but do not track whether the job actually made profit.
What is the best free estimating software for builders?
There is no genuinely free full-featured estimating tool. PriceAJob offers a limited free tier. Some builders use spreadsheet templates as a free starting point but outgrow them quickly. If budget is tight, PriceAJob or Contractor Foreman (which includes basic estimating) are the most affordable options.
How do I track whether a job made money after quoting?
Import your estimate as a project budget in a cost tracking tool like Planyard. As you issue purchase orders to subcontractors and suppliers, committed costs update against that budget in real time. At project end, compare actual spend to your original estimate. This closing of the loop is what separates profitable builders from busy ones.
Won the job? Now track whether it makes money.
Planyard turns your estimate into a live budget. Track subcontractor costs, POs, and invoices against it – with Xero sync. 14-day free trial.