Construction Estimating Software for UK Builders — 2026

Construction Estimating Software Built for UK Builders

EasyEstimate is construction estimating software designed specifically for UK builders, trades and contractors. It gives you live material prices from UK merchants, built-in labour calculators, and professional estimate templates — so you can price jobs accurately in minutes rather than hours.

Whether you’re a sole-trader builder pricing domestic extensions or a growing construction company tendering for commercial work, the software handles everything from initial estimate through to purchase orders and invoicing.

Why Builders Switch to Estimating Software

Most small builders price jobs using spreadsheets, paper takeoffs, or a combination of experience and guesswork. That works — until it doesn’t. The problems are predictable:

• Material prices change and your spreadsheet doesn’t update itself. You quote based on last month’s prices and lose margin before you start.
• You miss items because there’s no checklist or template prompting you to include DPC, wall ties, lintels, or the dozen other small items that add up.
• It takes too long — manually looking up prices, calculating quantities, formatting documents. Hours per estimate that could be spent on site earning money.
• Your quotes look unprofessional next to competitors using proper software. Clients judge your competence by the quality of your paperwork.

Construction estimating software solves all of these. EasyEstimate gives you a structured process with live UK pricing built in, so you produce faster, more accurate, more professional estimates every time.

How EasyEstimate Works

You build an estimate by selecting materials from our UK price database (over 60,000 items from Jewson, Travis Perkins, Selco, Wickes and more), adding labour using built-in calculators or your own rates, and the software handles the rest — quantities, totals, VAT, profit margins, and professional output documents.

For common job types like extensions, loft conversions, new builds and refurbishments, pre-built templates give you a starting point with all the standard elements already included. Adjust quantities and specifications to match the actual job, and you’ve got an accurate estimate in a fraction of the time.

The software is entirely cloud-based — no installation, no downloads. It works on your PC, Mac, phone or tablet. Many builders price jobs on their phone during a site visit and send the estimate before they leave the property.

2026 UK Material Prices Built In

Material costs have shifted significantly heading into 2026. Timber prices stabilised through late 2025, but insulation, copper, and concrete products have seen increases driven by energy costs and supply chain adjustments. Keeping estimates accurate means having up-to-date prices — not last quarter’s figures from a spreadsheet.

EasyEstimate’s price database is updated regularly with live trade prices from major UK merchants. When you create an estimate in 2026, you’re working with current costs, not outdated data. This matters most on larger jobs where a 5–10% price shift on key materials can wipe out your profit margin entirely.

Construction Estimating Software for Every Trade

EasyEstimate isn’t just for general builders. The software includes trade-specific material libraries and calculators for:

• Builders and main contractors — full multi-trade estimating from groundworks to finishing, subcontractor management and BOQ output
• Carpenters and joiners — timber, sheet materials and fixings with first fix, second fix, kitchen and flooring calculators
• Electricians — cable, containment and accessories from UK electrical wholesalers
• Plumbers and heating engineers — pipework, fittings, boilers and underfloor heating with live prices
• Plasterers and renderers — boarding, skimming, rendering and dry lining with area-based calculators
• Groundworkers and landscapers — excavation, drainage, concrete, block paving and landscaping with volume calculators
• Roofers — tile, slate, felt, batten and lead calculations with pitch-adjusted quantities

Each trade gets relevant material categories, standard labour rates, and calculation methods built in.

From Estimate to Job Management

Unlike basic quoting tools, EasyEstimate doesn’t stop at producing an estimate. Once a job is won, the same data flows through to:

• Purchase orders — convert material schedules into orders for your merchants, with your account numbers pre-filled
• Merchant price comparison — enter quantities once, compare prices across suppliers to find the best deal
• Cost tracking — monitor actual costs against your estimate as the job progresses
• Invoicing — generate invoices from accepted estimates, with stage payment support
• Accounting integrations — send invoices directly to Xero, QuickBooks or Zoho Books in one click, no double entry
• Variation tracking — when the client changes the spec mid-job, update the estimate and see the cost impact immediately

This is what sets EasyEstimate apart from spreadsheet-based estimating — everything is connected, so you know whether each job is making money before it’s finished.

EasyEstimate Field Assistant — Native Mobile App

EasyEstimate includes a dedicated native mobile app — the Field Assistant — available now on the App Store and Google Play. Unlike browser-based mobile access, the Field Assistant is a standalone app that hooks directly into your EasyEstimate account data. Use it on site to:

• View and update jobs — check estimate details, update job statuses, add notes
• Take and tag site photos — photos attach directly to the relevant job with optional GPS location tagging
• Manage materials — view material lists and create purchase orders from site
• AI assistant — get intelligent suggestions and insights to help you make decisions on site
• Weather forecasting — check job site weather so you can plan around conditions
• Business dashboards — see your pipeline, revenue, and key metrics at a glance
• Stay in sync — everything syncs in real time with the main web platform
• Invoices and payments — track invoice status and payments on the move

The Field Assistant is included with EasyEstimate Premium. It’s built for how builders actually work — quick access to job data while you’re on the tools.

How EasyEstimate Compares to Other UK Construction Estimating Software

Choosing construction estimating software in 2026 means weighing up features, pricing, and whether the software actually fits how UK builders work. Here’s how EasyEstimate compares to the main alternatives:

The information in this comparison is believed to be correct as of 12 March 2026, based on publicly available information including competitor websites, app stores, and published pricing. If you spot anything that needs updating, let us know.

EasyEstimate vs EstimatorXpress (HBXL)

EstimatorXpress is the most established UK estimating software, used by many small and medium builders. It’s a Windows desktop application — you install it on each PC and it runs locally. Since version 2017 it offers cloud-saving via Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive so you can sync estimate files between devices, but each device still needs its own installed copy and its own licence.

Key differences:

• Platform: EstimatorXpress is Windows-only. No Mac version (you’d need Parallels or similar), no mobile app, no browser access. EasyEstimate runs in any browser on any device, plus has a native Field Assistant app for iOS and Android.
• Pricing: EstimatorXpress starts at £899/year for the Plus edition or £1,999 outright (currently discounted to £1,399). The Premium edition is £999/year or £2,399 outright. On top of that, perpetual licence holders pay £349/year for support, updates, and continued access to live pricing. EasyEstimate is £39.99/month with no long-term commitment.
• Takeoff: EstimatorXpress does not include on-screen takeoff — that’s a separate paid product (the Take-off & Estimate Kit, from £899/year). EasyEstimate includes plan takeoff in every plan, including the free tier.
• Accounting: EstimatorXpress has no Xero, QuickBooks, or third-party accounting integration. It only integrates with other HBXL products (PlansXpress, BuildProjex, etc.). EasyEstimate integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, and Zoho Books.
• Collaboration: EstimatorXpress uses file-locking — only one person can work on an estimate at a time. EasyEstimate is cloud-native so your data is always accessible.
• Strengths of EstimatorXpress: Wizard-driven workflow that’s good for less technical users, strong template library for residential projects, established UK phone support (Trustpilot 4.8/5), and it works offline without an internet connection.

EasyEstimate vs Buildxact

Buildxact is a cloud-based estimating and job management platform founded in Australia, with a UK-specific website. It’s well-regarded for its integrated takeoff-to-estimate-to-schedule workflow.

Key differences:

• UK merchant prices: This is the big one. Buildxact’s pricing model relies on individual suppliers uploading their pricelists to the platform. In Australia this works well (Bunnings Trade is integrated), but in the UK no major merchants like Jewson, Travis Perkins, or Selco are confirmed as integrated. You’d need to invite your suppliers individually. EasyEstimate has 60,000+ products from UK merchants built in and regularly updated.
• Pricing: Buildxact starts at approximately £99/month in the UK, with a 12-month contract required — you cannot cancel during the first year. Additional users cost extra. EasyEstimate is £39.99/month with no minimum contract.
• Free trial: Buildxact offers a 14-day free trial. EasyEstimate has a permanent free tier — use it as long as you want before deciding to upgrade.
• Mobile app: Buildxact has “Buildxact Onsite” for iOS and Android, but it’s limited — you cannot create estimates or manage clients from the app, and it has no offline mode. EasyEstimate’s Field Assistant connects directly to your account data for job management, photos, and purchase orders.
• Support: Buildxact is an Australian company. UK users report having to wait for callbacks rather than getting immediate phone support. EasyEstimate’s support team is based in Suffolk with average response times under 2 hours.
• Strengths of Buildxact: Good integrated scheduling with Gantt charts and task dependencies, Xero and QuickBooks integration, and a polished user interface.

EasyEstimate vs Price a Job

Price a Job is a UK-based cloud estimating tool aimed at sole traders and small domestic builders.

Key differences:

• Pricing: Price a Job’s estimating module is £35.95/month (inc. VAT). However, project management, accounting, and other features are separate paid modules — the all-inclusive bundle is £89.75/month. EasyEstimate’s Professional plan at £39.99/month includes estimating, invoicing, purchase orders, and accounting integration in one package.
• Material prices: Price a Job claims around 5,000 material prices updated nightly. EasyEstimate has 60,000+ products from named UK merchants.
• Approach: Price a Job uses a room-by-room, element-by-element approach (foundations, walls, roof separately) which can be thorough but time-consuming. EasyEstimate offers both template-based and flexible estimating approaches.
• Strengths of Price a Job: UK-focused with building regulations module, structural engineering calculations built in, and a familiar step-by-step workflow for domestic builders.

EasyEstimate vs Enterprise Software (Procore, RIB Candy)

Enterprise platforms serve a different market but sometimes appear in “construction estimating software” searches:

• Procore is a US-based platform costing an estimated £10,000–50,000+/year depending on your annual construction volume. Estimating is a separate add-on module (formerly Esticom). It has no live UK merchant price integration. Procore is designed for firms turning over millions — around 380 UK companies use it.
• RIB Candy is a desktop-first estimating tool (with a remote-desktop “cloud” option) popular for civil engineering and large commercial projects. Pricing is custom-quoted, estimated from £160+/month. It’s a powerful first-principles estimating tool but has a steep learning curve and no live UK merchant pricing.

Both are overkill for the typical UK builder or trade contractor. EasyEstimate starts free and costs £39.99/month for the full professional version — built for the 90% of UK construction businesses that need powerful tools without enterprise complexity or enterprise pricing.

Quick Comparison: UK Construction Estimating Software 2026

Case Studies: How UK Builders Use EasyEstimate

Ecologic Developments — Winning More Work, Faster

“The software has completely re-engineered our process. We estimate quicker than ever before and are winning more business as a result.” — Alex, Ecologic Developments

By switching from spreadsheets to EasyEstimate, Ecologic Developments cut their estimating time by more than half and improved the professional quality of their quotes — leading directly to a higher win rate on competitive tenders.

Bayfield Electrical Ltd — Saving Thousands on Materials

“We now have a centralized system for all our costs and schedules. We’ve saved thousands with the cost compare and purchase ordering system.” — Kevin Hall, Bayfield Electrical Ltd

The merchant price comparison feature allowed Bayfield Electrical to compare prices across suppliers for every job, identifying savings that added up to thousands of pounds over the course of a year.

Henry Paul Construction — Closing Jobs On-Site

“We’re winning more jobs as we can nail down our prices right there and then. The team are really responsive to any questions.” — Ali Carpenter, Henry Paul Construction

Using EasyEstimate on a tablet during site visits, Henry Paul Construction prices jobs while still on the property — sending professional estimates before competitors have even started theirs.

Construction Estimating Software vs Our Estimating Service

We offer both software and a professional estimating service. They’re designed to work together:

• Use the software when you want to price jobs yourself — it’s faster, you control the process, and you build up experience with UK pricing
• Use the estimating service when you’re short on time, tendering for a larger project, or want an experienced estimator to handle complex work
• Use both — many clients use our service for their first few jobs to get a feel for how estimates should look, then start pricing simpler jobs themselves in the software

Every estimate produced by our service is delivered inside the software, so you can edit it, track costs against it, and use it to manage the job.

Construction Estimating Software Pricing — 2026

EasyEstimate pricing is straightforward with no hidden costs:

• Free Tier — full access to create estimates, live material prices, calculators, templates, and plan takeoff. No credit card required, no time limit. You can build complete estimates but cannot download or send them.
• Professional — £39.99/month or £399.99/year (save 2 months). Everything in Free plus PDF downloads, email estimates to clients, invoicing, purchase orders, and branded documents.

No long-term contracts. Cancel anytime. Compare that to enterprise alternatives charging £100–500+/month with annual commitments — EasyEstimate delivers professional-grade construction estimating at a fraction of the cost.

See our full pricing breakdown for details.

Related Resources

• Builder’s Estimate & Quote Template — free templates and examples for UK builders
• Construction Estimating Service — let our team estimate your projects from £120
• Construction Software Pricing — detailed breakdown of what the software costs
• Free Construction Estimating Software — what’s included in the free tier
• Building Estimating Software — for UK builders
• Xero, QuickBooks & Zoho Books Integrations — connect your estimating software to your accounts
• Plan Takeoff Tool — measure quantities directly from PDF drawings
• 140+ Construction Calculators — free online calculators for UK builders
• How Much Does a House Extension Cost? — 2026 UK cost guide
• How Much Does a Loft Conversion Cost? — 2026 UK cost guide
• Brick Calculator | Concrete Calculator | Blockwork Calculator | Roofing Calculator | Plastering Calculator | Flooring Calculator | Painting Calculator | Fencing Calculator