Every residential builder begins an estimate with at least one leap of faith: an assumption about price. Labor availability next quarter, lumber volatility, disposal fees on a tight infill site—each guess influences markup, margin, and ultimately profit. At CountBricks, we call these guesses pricing assumptions, and our mission is to replace them with live data the moment you start speaking your scope of work.
• Underpricing erodes profit, forcing contractors to dip into contingency funds.
• Overpricing pushes homeowners to competitors before you even meet them.
• Inconsistent assumptions confuse crew leaders, causing schedule overruns.
• Manual re-checks drain office hours that could be spent winning new business.
1. You talk, we listen. Our AI voice engine captures the entire job walk or plan review in real time.
2. CountBricks cross-references live material indexes and local wage rates in seconds.
3. The software flags any line item that still relies on an assumption—like an allowance for custom millwork—so you can refine it before sending the quote.
4. A branded PDF estimate is generated automatically, ready to share or convert to an invoice when the client signs.
CountBricks material feeds update nightly from regional suppliers. Labor rates pull from current certified payroll averages and your own historic job costs stored in CountBricks.com/services. Instead of gut feelings, you leverage a living database built for residential contractors.
• Lumber escalation: CountBricks locks pricing for preset windows or alerts you when thresholds change.
• Crew productivity: Import past project timecards from CountBricks.com/portfolio to calibrate realistic labor hours.
• Permit fees: Our municipal fee table auto-fills based on ZIP code the moment you set the project location.
• Waste factors: The AI applies historical waste percentages for drywall, shingles, and concrete, then adjusts as plan details evolve.
• Sub-trade availability: Real-time calendars show which vetted subs are open, updating labor markups automatically.
Residential firms using CountBricks report:
• 38 % faster estimating cycles
• 22 % average increase in accepted proposals
• Reduction of change orders linked to missed scope by 17 %
When your pricing assumptions line up with field reality, every department—from sales to site supervision—operates on the same financial truths.
1. Create a free account at CountBricks.com.
2. Upload recent blueprints or start a live site walk with your phone.
3. Review flagged assumptions in the generated estimate and adjust tolerance bands.
4. Push the quote to your client portal or convert to an invoice once accepted.
• Activate “Auto-Escalation Guard” to receive push notifications when lumber, copper, or asphalt shingles exceed preset percentages.
• Use voice tags like “Provisional” or “Owner-Supplied” during dictation to mark items that should remain variable.
• Share read-only estimate links with subs, letting them input their own numbers without risking your master file.
• Sync your CountBricks dashboard with accounting software via our native connector in CountBricks.com/services.
Residential jurisdictions frequently revise energy codes and inspection fees. CountBricks auto-updates code-driven line items—like blower-door testing or higher R-value insulation—so compliance costs stay visible. Your bids remain competitive and regulation-ready.
A Vancouver-area builder entered a 650 sq ft second-story addition into CountBricks. Initial manual takeoff suggested $212 / sq ft. After the platform replaced broad allowances with live local pricing, the final number landed at $227 / sq ft—still competitive but now protecting an extra 6 % margin the builder would have missed. The homeowner signed in three days, impressed by the data-backed transparency.
Stop guessing and start building with confidence. Visit CountBricks.com/consultation to schedule a 15-minute demo and see how our AI can reinforce your residential margins today.
Even the best estimate needs tuning once ground is broken. CountBricks keeps your numbers honest from demo to punch-out.
• Field supervisors log actual hours in the CountBricks mobile app; variances update the forecast instantly.
• Material deliveries sync with supplier invoices, highlighting cost deltas before they hit your ledger.
1. Dictate scope changes into your phone.
2. CountBricks matches new tasks to current price indexes.
3. A client-ready change order PDF appears for e-signature—no desktop needed.
Each closed project feeds real-world data back into your private cost library at CountBricks.com/services. Over time, the gap between assumptions and actuals narrows, sharpening your competitive edge in the local residential market.
Midway through a kitchen overhaul, tile lead times doubled. CountBricks flagged the spike, suggested alternates, and auto-repriced the allowance. The proactive adjustment kept the schedule on track and preserved a 15 % markup the builder would have surrendered under a fixed bid.
Ready to control your project economics from day one through final walkthrough? Book a personalized onboarding session at CountBricks.com/consultation and put data—not assumptions—at the heart of your residential business.
