Quoting can eat a tradie's evenings, and slow quotes can mean losing the job. Quoting software helps get a clear price in front of a customer sooner, so you can spend less time rebuilding the same quote after work.
What quoting software handles
A quoting app can keep reusable quote templates and price lists together, turn accepted quotes into jobs or invoices, and remind you when a customer has not replied. Tradify describes these tools on its quoting features page. Some apps also let you record site photos and notes with the job; check whether they appear on the customer quote or stay in the job record.
For electrical, plumbing or building work, reusable labour and material items can make repeat quotes easier to prepare and keep your assumptions visible. A customer may be able to accept online or sign on a screen, so approval is recorded with the quote. Tradify supports online approval and mobile signatures, and accepted quotes can flow into a job or invoice (Tradify quoting features).
Spreadsheet or quoting app?
A spreadsheet can be enough when you quote a small number of similar jobs and already have a reliable way to track replies. You control the layout and avoid moving customer details into another system, but you also maintain the formulas, copy details between files and remember to follow up yourself.
An app is useful when repeated items, customer approvals, job photos or quote follow-ups are getting scattered across messages and documents. Before moving, try one real job from first site notes through customer approval and invoice. Make sure the app fits the way you price work and that you can export or find your records later.
What to check before choosing
- Templates and price lists: Can you reuse common labour, materials and job descriptions, then adjust them for the actual site?
- Photos and notes: Can you keep site details with the right customer and job, and include the useful context in the quote?
- Customer approval: Can a customer accept the quote online or sign on a device, and can you see the decision later?
- Follow-up: Can you see which quotes are waiting for a reply and send a reminder without rebuilding the message?
- Quote to invoice: Does acceptance carry across the agreed work and pricing, or will you have to re-enter it?
- Team and price: Check who needs a login, how charges scale as the team grows, and whether the workflow is simple enough for everyone to use.
- Accounting fit: Test the connection to your accounting software with a real quote and invoice before committing.
You can also use Tradeflow's free invoice generator if you need a simple invoice without adopting a full job app.
How Tradify handles quotes
Tradify combines quote templates and saved price lists with customer approval, reminders and a path from an accepted quote to a job or invoice. It also supports job photos and notes, which can keep site context beside the work. See the Tradify quoting features for the current feature details.
Per-user pricing means the subscription grows as more people need access. The NZ pricing page currently lists Lite at $48 NZD per user per month before GST. Tradify covers a lot of the workflow in one place, but some reviewers report a learning curve; try building and sending a real quote before moving your templates and customer records (Tradify customer reviews).
A low-risk way to decide
Pick a recently completed job and recreate its quote in the software you are considering. Check that the price is easy to review, site photos and assumptions stay accessible, customer approval is clear, and the accepted work reaches the invoice without retyping. If the app saves effort on that familiar job and suits the people who will use it, test it on a new quote next.
Sources
Update log
- 25 September 2026 - Published; provider features and pricing checked against the linked Tradify pages.