Homeowners increasingly ask contractors for quick, transparent pricing before they sign a contract. Window capping—also called aluminum trim wrapping—protects exterior window frames from moisture and rot, improves curb appeal, and reduces maintenance. Yet pricing it can be tricky because material profiles, ladder time, and waste all change from house to house. CountBricks solves this challenge with our real-time window capping cost calculator, built directly into the CountBricks estimating engine.
Window capping involves bending coil stock around existing wood trim, fastening it, and sealing joints. For residential crews, the scope typically includes:
• Coil aluminum or PVC cladding
• Butyl or polyurethane sealant
• Drip-edge flashing where required
• Labor for metal brake setup, bending, and installation
• Site protection, cleanup, and disposal
1. Opening size and shape — Picture windows demand more lineal feet of trim than double-hungs.
2. Material choice — Painted aluminum is standard; PVC-laminated or custom colors raise material cost.
3. Access difficulty — Second-story ladders or scaffold time adds labor hours.
4. Regional labor rates — Detroit differs from Denver; CountBricks pulls local averages automatically.
5. Waste factor — Brake setups create offcuts; our calculator adjusts waste allowance per profile.
The CountBricks algorithm combines national construction cost databases with live supplier feeds and localized labor benchmarks. When you speak measurements into the app, voice AI converts each dimension into lineal footage, applies waste, then multiplies by:
• The latest coil aluminum price within 25 miles of your site
• Real-time labor rate for a two-person siding crew
• Consumables such as sealant and fasteners
• Equipment rental if scaffold height exceeds set thresholds
Results appear instantly, broken down by materials, labor, overhead, and profit. One tap creates a branded PDF proposal, or pushes line items straight into an invoice.
1. Open the project in CountBricks and select “Exterior Trim”.
2. Choose “Window Capping” and answer the voice prompts for window quantities and sizes.
3. Confirm the automatically suggested material grade or override it.
4. Review calculated labor hours; tweak crew size if you plan multiple teams.
5. Click “Generate Quote” to produce a shareable document with your logo, scope, and terms.
Because every home is unique, the calculator shows a range before you lock the final scope:
• Single-hung window up to 36" x 60": $70 – $110 installed
• 5' x 5' picture window with drip edge: $140 – $195 installed
• Bay or bow assembly (three units): $350 – $525 installed
These figures assume mid-grade painted aluminum, ground-level access, and standard 10% waste. Elevated difficulty, custom colors, or historic profiles can shift totals upward, and the calculator highlights each adjustment in real time so clients understand the delta.
Speed matters. Contractors who email a professional quote within an hour win nearly 40% more residential projects than those who take two days. CountBricks users rarely leave the driveway before the homeowner receives a polished proposal. Additional advantages include:
• One database for framing, siding, and interior tasks—no juggling spreadsheets
• Voice-first data entry that keeps gloves on and tape measures in hand
• Automatic syncing to QuickBooks and other accounting platforms
• Branded portal where clients approve, decline, or request changes in a few clicks
• Capture photos of each elevation; CountBricks attaches them to the line item, reducing change-order disputes.
• Use the “bulk duplicate” voice command when capping identical bedroom windows.
• Add upsell options—like sill pan installation—as alternates; the calculator tracks each scenario.
• Turn on seasonal material escalation alerts so autumn aluminum price spikes don’t erode margins.
• Store reusable assemblies for production builders; one tap populates 30 windows at once, saving hours.
A recent CountBricks customer in Monroe, MI, needed 18 windows capped before listing their home. Measurements captured via smartphone fed the calculator, which produced:
• Material: $1,014
• Labor: $1,560
• Overhead & profit: $548
Total contract: $3,122. The signed proposal arrived the same afternoon, and the crew completed the job in one day—on budget. Review more success stories at CountBricks.com/portfolio.
Create a free contractor profile, upload your logo, and quote your next trim project in minutes. For personalized onboarding, book a demo at CountBricks.com/consultation and see how fast you can move from measurement to money.
The power of any estimator is proven on site. CountBricks engineers designed our window capping cost calculator to mirror actual crew workflows, so the numbers you promise match the hours you burn. Here’s how we close the gap between office and field:
• Enter individual installer speeds once; the calculator remembers and applies them to future projects.
• Seasonal productivity adjustments account for shorter winter daylight in northern climates.
• Coil stock roll lengths vary by supplier. The algorithm stacks cuts to minimize offcuts and shows savings right on the estimate.
• Automatic suggestions for combining small windows into single brake runs reduce handling time.
1. Crew clocks in and out through the CountBricks mobile app.
2. Actual labor hours feed back to the cost database.
3. Future calculator outputs refine, increasing accuracy with every job.
Lakeside Craftsmen, a three-person remodeling firm, slashed estimating time by 78% after adopting CountBricks. By using saved window assemblies, they prepared a 42-window subdivision bid during a lunch break. Their profit analysis revealed a 6% margin dip on second-story work, prompting an access surcharge template now embedded in the calculator. The next phase closed at the desired 18% profit, proving the value of data-driven adjustments.
If you’re ready to merge estimating with production reality, explore CountBricks.com/services or start a no-risk trial inside the app. Accurate numbers today mean stronger margins tomorrow.
