Search “best quoting app electrician” and you get roundups with the same six logos. Half of them want an office admin. Half mix EICRs with quotes. You need a document that leaves the phone after a WhatsApp, not a dashboard you will ignore until Sunday.
Score it like this
| Criterion | Why it matters on a spark’s week |
|---|---|
| Works on the phone | You are not at a desk |
| Itemised labour and materials | Extras and VAT arguments |
| Photos sit with the job | Board, tails, run |
| PDF the customer can accept | A yes in the same thread |
| Certificates are separate or clear | An EICR is not a quote |
| Price vs a one-man van | You cannot fund a five-user office suite |
How common options actually behave
| Option | Fits when | Usually fails when |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet | You already live in it and only need a PDF export | You are on a roof and the formulas live on a laptop |
| Word / Pages / notes then PDF | Simple extras, you type fast | Totals drift, extras are not logged |
| Full trade platforms (Tradify, JobLogic, Commusoft and similar) | You have (or want) jobs, diary, invoices, more than one user | You only needed a quote and got an office |
| Cert / compliance apps | You are writing an EICR or minor works | You treat the cert as the customer’s price |
| WhatsApp + a proper quote PDF | Domestic extras, photos already in the chat | You never write the numbers down and the chat is the only copy |
Name-brand UK platforms earn their keep if you are running a diary, engineers, and invoices in one place. They are not automatically “best” for a sole electrician who quotes three extras a week from the van. Spreadsheets are honest and slow. Cert software is the wrong tool for a price. WhatsApp without a PDF is how the total changes in someone’s screenshot.
If a tool drafts the quote from the same chat the photos arrived in, that is the job. If it wants you to retype the board into a desktop, it will wait until 9pm. Pick the criterion you actually fail on — usually sending the PDF the same hour — and buy that, not a logo.
What people miss
“Ten best apps” lists. They mix lead-gen, accounts, and certs. You asked how to send a price.
Paying for seats you will not log into. A platform for a six-person firm is not a bargain at one-man price if you never open it.
Using the EICR app as a quote. Different paper, different job. The customer still needs a price they can accept.
Chasing features you will not use. Stock, GPS, customer portals. If your leak is “PDF not sent,” buy that.
Related guides
FAQ
- Is Tradify / JobLogic bad?
- No. They are built for running a trade business, not only firing a one-page quote. If that is your business, they can fit. If you only needed a PDF, they can feel heavy.
- Do I need software at all?
- You need a number, a scope, and an accept. Software is how that leaves the van the same day. A notebook can still be the workings.
- What about manufacturer estimate tools?
- Useful for kit. They are not your labour, travel, or testing. Do not paste a wholesaler sheet as the whole job.
- US contractor apps?
- Skip them. VAT, UK banks, and how you invoice are not the same. Use tools that live here.
