What App Do Tradespeople Use to Create Quotes?

Most tradespeople in the UK currently create quotes using a combination of WhatsApp, text, email, or a Word/Excel template – and this is exactly the problem. These tools were not designed for quoting, produce inconsistent output, and give customers no formal approval mechanism. The good news: there are now apps built specifically for this, and the best ones take under 5 minutes per quote.

How Most Tradespeople Currently Create Quotes

The reality of how trades quotes get created in the UK in 2026:

• WhatsApp message: “It’ll be £400 all in mate”
• Text message: Brief description and a price
• Email with Word doc: Better, but time-consuming and often inconsistently formatted
• Handwritten note: Common on domestic jobs, but offers no record or approval trail
• Verbal agreement: No written quote at all

Each of these creates problems: disputes about what was included, no record of customer approval, no professional presentation that builds confidence.

What a Quote App Does That These Methods Don’t

A dedicated quoting app for tradespeople provides:

• Professional PDF output with your logo, job description, itemised costs, and payment terms
• Saved line items – standard jobs you do repeatedly (boiler service, socket installation, day rate) that you pull into any new quote in seconds
• Digital customer approval – the customer approves from their phone, creating a clear record
• Quote-to-invoice conversion – one tap to turn an approved quote into an invoice
• Customer database – all your customer details in one place

The result: quotes that take 5 minutes instead of 30, look professional, and reduce disputes.

CoreQuote: The App Built Specifically for Trades Quoting

CoreQuote is the quoting and invoice app built for UK trades businesses. It has a free tier available forever, with paid plans from £3.49/month for businesses that need more.

What tradespeople use CoreQuote for: – Building professional quotes on site from their phone – Storing saved line items for their standard work – Sending quotes for digital customer approval – Converting approved quotes to invoices – Managing their customer database

Built for: electricians, plumbers, gas engineers, builders, roofers, plasterers, decorators, landscapers, and all UK trades businesses.

Try CoreQuote free at corequote.pro.

Other Apps Tradespeople Use for Quotes

Tradify – job management and quoting for larger trades teams. Starts from £35/month. Good for multi-person businesses, more than a sole trader typically needs.

ServiceM8 – field service management including quoting. iOS only. From £29/month.

Invoice Ninja / Billdu – generic small business invoicing tools. Work for basic quoting but not built for trades workflows.

QuoteAddon / BuildCalc – specialist tools for builders and contractors, more focused on large project estimating than day-to-day quoting.

Choosing the Right Tool

If you’re only quoting a handful of jobs a month, a Word template might genuinely be enough. Once you’re quoting weekly — or losing jobs because a competitor replied faster with something more professional-looking — that’s the point where dedicated job quoting software starts paying for itself. The time saved on saved line items alone (not retyping the same boiler service or socket installation every time) usually covers the cost within the first month.

For further guidance on choosing business tools, see the Federation of Master Builders’ digital tools guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest app for a tradesperson to create quotes?

CoreQuote is designed to be the fastest way for a tradesperson to create a professional quote on site. With saved line items for your standard services, a full quote takes under 5 minutes. See corequote.pro for a demo.

Can I create a quote on my phone and send it on site?

Yes – CoreQuote is designed for exactly this workflow. Build the quote, preview the professional PDF, and send it to the customer by email or WhatsApp directly from the app.

Do I need expensive software to create professional trades quotes?

No. CoreQuote has a free tier available forever, with paid plans from £3.49/month – less than the margin on a single additional job per year. The tools that make a material difference don’t have to be expensive.

What is job quoting software?

Job quoting software is a dedicated app for building, sending, and tracking professional quotes – as opposed to a generic tool like Word or WhatsApp repurposed for the job. It typically includes saved line items, PDF output, and digital customer approval, which is what separates a quote app from a template.

Related reading:

• Is There a Free Quote App for Tradespeople in the UK?
• What is the Best Quoting Software for Tradespeople in the UK?
• Do Tradespeople Need Quoting Software or Is a Template Enough?
• Best Apps for Running a Trades Business in the UK in 2026