Estimate Software Built for Decorators

An estimate is different from a quote — it is a rough price to help a client decide whether to go ahead with a job. But even a rough estimate needs to be in the right ballpark, or you will waste time quoting jobs you cannot win or, worse, win a job at a loss.

Trade Assist is estimating software built specifically for painters and decorators. It helps you produce quick, accurate estimates with proper calculations — room dimensions, paint quantities, labour costs — so your rough prices are actually realistic.

When the client wants to proceed, convert your estimate into a full, branded quote with one click. Then convert the quote to a job and the job to an invoice. The full chain from estimate to payment is tracked in one system.

Quick Estimates with Real Calculations

The Trade Assist estimate builder lets you add rooms with their dimensions and get instant area and paint calculations. Enter the length, width and height, and the system calculates wall area, ceiling area and total paintable surface automatically.

Choose your paint product, enter the coverage rate and price per litre, and the system calculates how many litres you need and what it costs. Specify the number of coats and the quantities adjust automatically.

This means your estimates are based on real calculations, not guesswork. Your ballpark prices will be in the right range, so you do not waste time quoting jobs you cannot win or commit to jobs you cannot profit from.

Labour Estimates Based on Room Size

Trade Assist supports three labour pricing methods: per square metre, fixed price or hourly. For estimates, the per-square-metre method is often the quickest — enter your rate per square metre and the system calculates the labour cost from the room area.

Factor in the surface condition — Good, Fair, Poor or Bare — which affects prep time and labour. A room in poor condition needs more filling and sanding, and your estimate should reflect that.

Save your default labour rates so every estimate is priced consistently. You can adjust individual rooms if a particular space needs more or less work.

Convert Estimates to Quotes

When a client wants to proceed after seeing your estimate, convert it into a full, branded quote with one click. The estimate becomes a professional proposal with your logo, scope of work, room-by-room breakdown, terms and deposit requirements.

You can adjust the quote after conversion — add more detail, refine the pricing, add terms and conditions. The estimate and the quote are linked, giving you a record of the original ballpark and the final agreed price.

Send the quote via the online client portal where the client can approve with one click. You are notified the moment they view or approve.

From Estimate to Quote to Job to Invoice

Trade Assist tracks the full decorating workflow: Estimate to Quote to Job to Invoice to Payment. Every step is connected, and data flows automatically from one to the next. You never re-enter data, and the full chain is tracked.

This connected workflow means you can take a client from initial enquiry to final payment without ever leaving the system. The estimate gets them interested, the quote wins the work, the job tracks the progress, the invoice gets you paid.

No more estimates in one system, quotes in another and invoices in a spreadsheet. Everything is in one place.

Material Calculator for Accurate Quantities

The material calculator within Trade Assist helps you work out exactly how much paint, primer, filler and other materials you need for any job. Enter the room dimensions and paint coverage rate, and the system calculates the litres required and the cost.

This accuracy means your estimates are realistic, your material orders are right the first time, and you do not run out of paint mid-job or waste money on over-ordering.

Add additional materials — masking tape, rollers, fillers — with quantities and unit prices. Everything is totalled automatically into your estimate.

AI Quote Generator for a Head Start

The AI Quote Generator can build a complete estimate from a few simple questions. Describe the job — what rooms, what surfaces, what condition — and the AI suggests rooms, dimensions, paint products, labour estimates and professional scope descriptions.

This is particularly useful for new decorators who are still learning to price jobs, or for experienced decorators who want to speed up the estimating process without sacrificing accuracy.

The AI does the heavy lifting and you review, adjust and approve. You are always in control of the final price.

Works on Your Phone for On-Site Estimates

Trade Assist is built mobile-first, so you can produce an estimate on site while you are still at the property. Measure the rooms, enter the dimensions and give the client a ballpark price before you leave.

This speed impresses clients and helps them decide quickly whether to proceed. If they want to go ahead, convert the estimate to a full quote on the spot and send it via the online portal.

No more going home, typing up an estimate and sending it days later. The client gets their price while you are still fresh in their mind.

Frequently Asked Questions