Residential builders are under growing pressure to quote faster, track costs in real time, and keep clients updated without drowning in paperwork. A decade ago, spreadsheets felt revolutionary. Today, voice-activated AI, live materials feeds, and instant PDF quote generation are the new baseline. In this CountBricks review, we explore how our platform is changing the day-to-day of small-to-medium residential contractors who used to juggle multiple disconnected tools.
CountBricks was built around a simple field-tested idea: most builders think out loud on site. Instead of forcing you to type notes back at the office, our mobile app listens, understands construction language, and turns your spoken scope into a detailed estimate—right down to the last box of decking screws.
• Natural-language capture of dimensions, tasks and labour allowances
• Automatic match to a live materials price database sourced from national and local suppliers
• Instant calculation of mark-ups, overhead and contingency
• One-click conversion from estimate to branded invoice
Most “voice notes” apps merely record audio. CountBricks recognises framing terms, plumbing fixtures, even the difference between LVL and F17. The result is structured line items you can edit, price or bundle into assemblies—no manual transcription required.
Uploading a PDF plan to CountBricks triggers our computer-vision engine. Within minutes you receive:
• Room-by-room square metre areas
• Wall lengths tagged with timber sizes
• Door and window schedules
• Concrete volumes and reinforcement counts
All quantities flow straight into the estimate, reducing human error and letting you price alternatives in seconds.
Lumber and insulation prices rarely stay still for long. CountBricks connects to supplier catalogues each morning, refreshing costs so your margins aren’t wiped out by mid-project spikes. For specialty items, simply enter your contract rate and lock it to shield yourself from volatility.
• National timber and hardware chains update nightly
• Local boutique suppliers can upload CSV price books
• Custom pricing tiers for preferred customers
A commercial tower uses different workflows than a family home extension. CountBricks’ default library focuses on:
• Foundations, slab prep and waffle pods
• Timber or light-steel framing assemblies
• Roofing profiles common to suburban builds
• Cladding, insulation and energy-rating upgrades
• Detailed finish schedules for kitchens, bathrooms and alfresco areas
After you approve quantities and margins, click “Generate Quote” and let CountBricks create a polished PDF complete with scope of work, inclusions, exclusions and payment milestones. Personalise colours, logo placement and legal footers once—our template engine remembers your brand forever.
1. Voice or type a variation on site
2. CountBricks updates quantities and cost impact instantly
3. Client receives a change order to e-sign before work proceeds
Builders can lose money between accepting a job and finishing it. Live dashboards compare budgeted quantities to actual supplier invoices and timesheets captured in the field. When overspend flags red, you get an alert—before it erodes your profit.
Spotty coverage on rural sites? CountBricks caches the cost database and syncs once you’re back in range. All voice commands work offline, so measuring a truss layout in a metal roof cavity won’t stall your workflow.
• Cut estimate prep time by up to 70 percent
• Reduce quantity take-off errors by 50 percent
• Win jobs faster with professional, on-brand quotes
• Protect margins through live price feeds and change control
• Capture every site task and variation with your voice
Our customer success team is staffed by former site supervisors and quantity surveyors. Whether you need help setting up composite decking assemblies or aligning our take-off engine with your architect’s layer naming, real tradespeople are on the other end of the phone.
Create a free measurement demo at CountBricks.com/consultation or dive straight into a 14-day full-feature trial from your browser. No credit card required, just a set of plans and your best site voice.
This CountBricks review shows that modern residential builders no longer have to choose between speed and accuracy. With voice AI, computer-vision take-offs and live cost data in one platform, you can deliver client-ready quotes before some competitors finish entering wall lengths into a spreadsheet. If you’re ready to bring your estimating workflow up to speed with the rest of the jobsite, CountBricks.com is the next tool to add to your belt.
Coastal Tradelines, a five-person builder operating along the Sunshine Coast, recently migrated from spreadsheet estimating to CountBricks. Their first project on the platform was a 62 m² double-storey extension with a new kitchen, deck and ensuite.
1. Manual take-offs in CAD, exported to Excel
2. Supplier phone calls for current timber pricing
3. Word-processed quote formatted from scratch each time
Total admin time: 28 hours across four evenings
1. PDF plan uploaded; AI take-off completed in 12 minutes
2. Voice walkthrough on site to confirm fixtures and finishes
3. Quote auto-generated and emailed before leaving the driveway
Total admin time: 4 hours, all during standard site breaks
• 85 percent reduction in pre-construction admin
• Quote accepted within two days, beating competing builders still pricing the job
• Variation requests processed in under five minutes on site
• Record measurements clearly: “Frame internal wall, 2.7 metres high, 4.2 metres long” helps AI map quantities correctly
• Save bundled assemblies for common tasks like 10 m² bathroom renos—next time, one voice command populates all labour and materials
• Lock pricing on custom stone or imported tapware to protect budget exposure
• Use the dashboard alert thresholds to trigger a cost review once spend exceeds 80 percent of budgeted line items
If Coastal Tradelines could claw back an entire week before pouring footings, imagine what CountBricks can do for your pipeline. Explore sample projects at CountBricks.com/portfolio or book a personalised walkthrough at CountBricks.com/consultation.
