From Site Walkthrough to Signed-Off Quote in Minutes
TradesMan Quote is built around how you actually work - on site, on a phone, with a client waiting for a price. Here's the complete process from registration to PDF.
Register & Set Up Your Profile
Create a free account at app.tradesmanquote.co.uk (or launch our single-click Sandbox Test Drive to try the app instantly with no registration). Add your company name, trading name, phone number, and company logo. Select the trades you work in - Tiling, Electrical, Plumbing, Painting & Decorating, or Brickwork. Your logo and company details will appear on every PDF quote you produce.
You get 15 credits on registration (no payment card required), or try the app instantly in sandbox mode.
Create a Job & Add Client Details
Create a new job and link it to a client from your client list (or add a new client on the spot). Give the job a title, select which trades are involved, and choose the UK region - London Inner, London Outer, South East, South West, Midlands, North West, North East, Scotland, or Wales. Regional pricing multipliers are applied automatically.
The region selection matters. Inner London rates run approximately 30% above Midlands baseline.
Describe the Job (Optional but Powerful)
Enter the client's own description of what they want done - you can paste a WhatsApp message verbatim. Add your own scope-of-works notes from a site inspection. Both fields feed into the Smart Scanner as context. If you have both text and media, all of it is used together. If you only have text and no files, the Smart Scanner works from text alone.
The more context you provide, the more accurate the output. You can paste client notes or descriptions in any language-the system automatically translates it.
Upload Your Site Media
Upload up to 3 videos (MP4, MOV, WEBM - max 50MB each, max 3 minutes), 5 PDF drawings, and 10 photos (JPG, PNG, WEBP - max 10MB each). Record your walkthrough at 720p HD for best results - standard HD produces a 3-minute video around 20–40MB, well within the limit. Walk through every room, speak out loud about what needs doing, and point the camera at the specific areas of work.
Set your iPhone or Android camera to 720p or 'HD' before recording. 4K and 1080p produce files that are too large.
Trigger Smart Scan
Click 'Smart Scan' to start the analysis. The system processes your files and text inputs through the two-step smart analysis pipeline. You'll see named progress steps: uploading to analyser, scanning media, building your quote, done. Total time is typically 30–80 seconds depending on how many files you uploaded.
The system fully supports multi-language inputs. Whether you or the client narrates the walkthrough video in Polish, Spanish, or Romanian, the final quote is generated in clean English.
Review & Edit Your Draft Quote
Your draft quote opens automatically in the interactive quote editor. Each line item shows the item name, quantity, unit, and three price tiers: LOW, AVG, and HIGH. AVG is selected by default. Switch any line to LOW for a competitive tender, or HIGH for premium or urgent work. You can also type a custom unit price directly. Drag items to reorder, add notes per line, or search the pricing database to add items manually. You can also copy quote items directly to any active job under any selected client, reusing your best estimates as templates instantly.
Yellow warning icons flag lines where the system estimated quantity but couldn't confirm on site. Always verify these before approving. Use the 'Copy' icon on the jobs page to replicate quotes to another job.
Generate Materials List & Execution Plan
Once you're satisfied with the quote, generate a companion materials list with estimated merchant costs and wastage allowances per trade. Optionally generate an execution plan - a Gantt chart showing task sequence, durations, and calendar dates based on your start date and workforce count. Both are available as PDF downloads.
Materials lists consume two credits, and execution plans consume one credit. They can be regenerated if you change the quote.
Approve & Download Your Branded PDF
Click 'Approve Quote' to lock the quote and generate a branded A4 PDF. The PDF includes your company logo and contact details at the top, full client details, an itemised line items table with a total, any notes, and a valid-until date. Download it and send it to your client - by email, WhatsApp, or any channel you use.
Approved quotes can be reverted to draft if you need to make changes. A new PDF is generated on re-approval.
Video Recording Best Practice
Before You Record
- → Set camera to 720p HD (not 1080p or 4K)
- → Maximum 3 minutes per video, 50MB per file
- → Make sure your phone has enough storage
- → Good lighting helps - open blinds before recording
While Recording
- → Walk slowly through each room
- → Speak out loud: "This wall needs retiling, about 3 metres wide"
- → Point at specific areas - corners, floors, ceilings
- → Show existing fittings (radiators, sockets) if they need work
If your video exceeds 50MB: Set your phone camera to Standard HD (720p) and re-record. A 3-minute video at 720p is typically 20–40MB and will be accepted.
What Happens During Smart Scan
Files sent to analyser
Media scanned for scope
Quote structured from pricing DB
Draft saved & ready
Total time after clicking Smart Scan: typically 30–80 seconds
Still have questions?
Our FAQ covers everything from file formats and credit usage to billing and data privacy.
Read the Full FAQ