Customer snaps the job. AI measures the work, applies your pricing rules, and ships a branded quote with a deposit link in under five seconds.
What is AI quoting software?
AI quoting software builds a priced, itemized quote from photos the customer sends you, so you don't have to drive out, measure and write it up that night. It measures the work in the photos, runs it through your own prices and sends a branded quote the customer can sign and put a deposit on from their phone. With OptimizeIt's Visual Quoting that takes about 5 seconds, and nothing goes out until you approve it.
The driveway quote: how AI quoting works
Photos go in, a priced quote comes out, and the customer has it before you've backed out of the driveway. Here's how it runs on OptimizeIt:
- The customer sends photos. You text or email an upload link, or put the intake form on your website. They snap the work area from their phone in about a minute. No app to download.
- AI measures the work. The vision model reads square footage, linear feet, item and fixture counts, debris volume and hazards straight from the photos.
- Your prices fill in the quote. Per-sqft, per-unit, hourly or flat, from your own rate card, with the adjustments your trade uses, like roof pitch or HVAC tonnage.
- You approve, the customer pays. One tap to approve. The customer gets an itemized quote with your logo, an e-signature and a deposit link by text and email.
If the AI can't measure something with confidence, it holds the quote for you instead of guessing. And because customers upload whenever it suits them, a photo sent at 9pm on a Friday is priced and waiting for your one-tap approval, not sitting in voicemail until Monday.
One engine, different math for every trade
AI quoting works for any trade where the job shows up in a photo. The measuring is the same everywhere. The pricing math changes by trade, and OptimizeIt ships 50+ industry packs that already know it:
Where it falls short: jobs where the problem is hidden. A no-heat call, a slab leak or a breaker that keeps tripping still needs a tech on site. Photos speed up the first pass, but the final price comes after you look. If your trade isn't listed, Pack Forge builds a custom industry pack in about 60 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How does AI quoting software turn photos into a price?
It measures the job from the photos, then runs those measurements through your own rate card. The customer uploads photos from their phone through a text or email link, with no app to download. The AI reads square footage, linear feet, item and fixture counts, and debris volume, applies your per-sqft, per-unit, hourly or flat pricing, and builds an itemized quote. On OptimizeIt that takes about 5 seconds. You approve it in one tap, and the customer gets a branded quote with an e-signature and deposit link by text and email.
What does AI quoting software cost for a small trade business?
On OptimizeIt, AI quoting comes with every paid plan, from $39 a month billed annually ($49 month to month) on Starter up to $239 a month billed annually ($299 month to month) on Pro. Photo quotes draw on the plan's monthly AI credits: 300 on Starter, 1,500 on Core, 3,000 on Plus and 6,000 on Pro, with top-up packs from $20. Starter is for solo operators and isn't offered to moving companies, who start at Core. Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. Full plan details are on the pricing page (https://optimizeit.ai/pricing).
How accurate are AI quotes built from customer photos?
They're as accurate as the photos and your rate card. Clear photos that show the whole work area, plus prices set up the way you actually charge, get you a number you can stand behind. When the AI can't measure something with confidence, it holds the quote for your review instead of guessing. For work hidden behind walls or under a slab, treat the photo quote as the first number and confirm on site. Flag any miss in the review queue and the model gets sharper on your jobs.
What happens when a customer sends blurry or partial photos?
The quote doesn't go out. OptimizeIt flags low-confidence quotes for manual review and shows you what it couldn't measure. You can ask the customer for more photos in two taps or finish the quote by hand. The customer never sees a price you haven't approved. That review step is the difference between a fast quote and a wrong one, so look for it in any AI quoting tool you try.
Which trades can use AI quoting software?
Any trade where the job shows up in a photo, and most trades where part of it does. OptimizeIt ships 50+ industry packs, each with its own pricing math: HVAC by system tonnage and ductwork run, plumbing by fixture count and line length, roofing by square footage and pitch, electrical by panel and circuit count, painting by wall square footage and coats, lawn care by square footage and visit frequency, junk removal by truckload, and moving by cubic feet. If your trade isn't covered, Pack Forge builds a custom industry pack in about 60 seconds.
Can AI quoting replace the site visit?
For a lot of jobs, yes, and for the rest it gets your first number out before the visit is even booked. A site visit means a drive out, time on site and a drive back, with the tech off the truck the whole time. A photo quote happens whenever the customer uploads, often at night or on a weekend, and comes back in seconds. For big commercial work or anything hidden, you still go look. The photo quote just means the customer has a real number from you first.
Do I have to approve every AI quote before the customer sees it?
Yes. Every AI quote waits for you, and you approve it in one tap before it goes to the customer. You can change the quote or ask the customer for more photos first. That keeps your name on every number that goes out, while the AI does the measuring and the math. Once approved, the customer gets the quote by text and email and can sign and pay the deposit from their phone.
