PAINTER
PRO: QUOTE
FASTER.
A progressive web app that lets painters and decorators produce professional, itemised quotes in minutes — from any device, on any job site, without the paperwork.
THE CHALLENGE
Most painters and decorators quote jobs with pen, paper, or a rough mental calculation on site. The result: quotes take hours to write up later, look unprofessional, and are easily lost or forgotten.
Existing quoting software is either too complex for a sole trader or too expensive for a small business. The gap: a simple, fast, professional tool built for how trades actually work — on site, on a phone.
THE GAPS
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01
SLOW, MANUAL QUOTINGJobs are mentally costed on site but not written up until later — losing momentum and risking forgotten detail. Customers expect quotes quickly or they move on.
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02
UNPROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONHandwritten or basic email quotes don't inspire confidence. A professional, itemised PDF makes the difference between winning and losing a job.
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03
NO MATERIALS TRACKINGEstimating paint quantities and materials costs from scratch every time wastes time and leads to under-quoting. Stored price lists make every quote faster and more accurate.
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04
CUSTOMER DATA SCATTEREDRepeat customers' details — addresses, previous jobs, contact info — are spread across notes apps, texts and memory. A single tool to hold it all saves time on every follow-up job.
WHAT WE BUILT.
ROOM-BY-ROOM QUOTE BUILDER
Add rooms, surfaces, and line items — labour and materials — with running totals that update in real time. VAT is calculated automatically. Every quote is itemised so customers can see exactly what they're paying for.
PDF QUOTES BY PRINT
Every quote has a professional print view — company logo, customer details, itemised breakdown, payment terms, validity date. One tap to produce a PDF to email or share directly from a phone.
MATERIALS PRICE LIBRARY
A pre-seeded library of 12 common painting materials — emulsions, primers, masonry paint, and more — with editable unit costs. Add materials to quotes from the library in a single tap. No re-typing prices every time.
CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT
Store customer names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Attach customers to quotes so the quote PDF auto-populates their details. Build a book of contacts as you work.
PHOTO UPLOADS
Attach site photos directly to a quote — useful for documenting the job scope, recording condition before work starts, or giving context to the customer on what is included.
INSTALLABLE PWA
PainterPro is a Progressive Web App — install it to your phone home screen like a native app. Works offline. No app store required. Updates instantly when the app is improved.
SEE IT IN ACTION.
THE STACK.
Built as a single-file PHP API with JSON file storage — no database required, no complex hosting setup. The frontend is a hash-routed SPA in vanilla JavaScript: fast, dependency-free, and easy to extend. A service worker handles offline caching and the manifest enables home screen installation.
THE RESULTS.
A job that used to take an hour to write up at home can now be quoted on site in minutes and emailed to the customer before you've driven away.
Every quote looks the same: branded, itemised, with terms and a validity date. No more handwritten estimates or rough email breakdowns that undermine confidence.
Speed and professionalism win jobs. Customers who receive a quote faster than competitors are more likely to accept. A polished PDF quote signals a reliable, organised tradesperson.
BUILT FOR TRADES.
THE PATTERN FITS ANY FIELD SERVICE.
PLUMBERS & ELECTRICIANS
The same quoting pattern — rooms → items → labour + materials → PDF — works for any trade. Add a parts library specific to the discipline and you have a tool that saves hours per week for a plumber or electrician.
LANDSCAPERS & BUILDERS
Any field service business with variable-cost jobs benefits from structured quoting. Landscapers can quote by area, builders by phase. The core pattern is the same; the line items change.
FREELANCERS & AGENCIES
The quoting pattern translates to professional services too — replace rooms with project phases, replace materials with deliverables, and you have a clean proposal tool for any service business.
Most small trade businesses are still quoting with pen and paper or basic spreadsheets. A simple, fast, mobile-first tool — built specifically for how they work — is often all it takes to transform their back-office and win more jobs.
BUILD YOUR VERSION →NEED A TOOL
BUILT FOR YOUR TRADE?
I build fast, practical software for real businesses. Let's talk about what would save you the most time.
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