Construction estimating software that goes from quote to signed job
Short answer: Alori is construction estimating software for small contractors who price work from a list of services and materials. You build a quote from your price list in minutes, email it, and the customer accepts and signs it online from their phone. If they go quiet, Alori follows up for you. Once it is signed, the quote becomes a job on your schedule with its price and length, then an invoice. Alori is not a takeoff tool: it does not measure plans.
The problem: estimates that take your evenings
Most small contractors write estimates at the kitchen table after a full day on site. The prices live in an old spreadsheet, the quote goes out as a PDF attachment, and then nothing. Did they open it? Should you call? When they finally say yes by phone, someone retypes the quote into the schedule and again into the invoice.
Good estimating software for a small shop is less about complex math and more about speed, consistency and follow-through.
How it works in Alori
1. Set your price list once. In Settings › Catalog, add your services and parts with their prices: "Shingle tear-off, per square", "200A panel upgrade", "Labor, per hour". An item can be billed once, or monthly, quarterly or yearly for a maintenance plan. An item can have no price yet and get one on each quote.
2. Build the quote. Click New quote and pick the customer. Click Add from catalog for your saved items, or Add a line with a description, quantity and price. Detail (optional) adds a smaller line under it for scope notes. Add a Note for the customer at the bottom. Subtotal, taxes and total update as you type. Or ask Ask Alori: "New quote for Sarah Chen, panel upgrade," and check the draft.
3. Send it. Click Preview to see what the customer sees, or Print for a PDF. Click Email and Send the quote. The customer gets their own link.
4. Get it signed online. The customer opens the link on a phone or computer, types their name, signs with a finger or mouse, and clicks Accept and sign. The quote turns Accepted right away, with the name, date and signature on it, and you get an email. Said yes by phone instead? Click Mark accepted.
5. Follow up without thinking about it. Turn on Quote follow-up in Settings › Automatic messages. When a sent quote has no answer after the days you pick, Alori sends one reminder by email, text or both, with the link to accept. Alori also makes a task for a quote with no answer, so someone calls.
6. Turn it into a job. Accepted quotes wait in To schedule. Click Pick a date, choose when and who is going, and the job is made with the quote's price and usual length. On site, the crew uses the job's checklist and photos, and everyone on it is clocked in while it is in progress, so you see the job's labour cost and margin against the price you quoted. When the job is done, one button makes the invoice, and customers can pay it by card.
7. Keep bigger work together. For a renovation or a multi-visit build, start a project and link its quotes, jobs and invoices, with tasks and a target date.
What Alori does and does not do
| Alori | Takeoff and estimating suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Price list and quote lines | Yes | Yes |
| Online accept and e-signature | Yes | Varies |
| Automatic quote follow-up | Yes | Varies |
| Quote to job, schedule and invoice | Yes, in the same app | Often another tool |
| Measure from plans, material takeoff | No | Yes |
If you estimate large commercial bids from blueprints, keep your takeoff tool for the measuring and use Alori for the customer, the quote, the follow-up and the work. Offering good, better and best options? Send each one as its own quote for now.
Who it is for
Contractors who quote from a known list of services: general contractors, roofers, electricians and HVAC companies. See the quotes app for the full feature list.
FAQ
Is Alori good construction estimating software for a small contractor? Yes, if you price work from a list of services, materials and labor. You get quotes from your price list, online signature, automatic follow-up and a direct path to the job and invoice. If you need takeoff from plans, keep a dedicated tool for that part.
Can customers sign the estimate online? Yes. They open their link, type their name, sign with a finger or mouse and click Accept and sign. A link can be accepted for 60 days after you last sent the quote.
Are taxes added for me? Yes. In a Canadian app, GST and QST are added to the subtotal. In an app set up for the United States, no tax is added.
What happens after the quote is accepted? It waits under To schedule until you pick a date and a crew. The job takes the quote's price and length, and when it is done, one click makes the invoice. See pricing to get started for free.