§ Why new additions pros in Philadelphia use Estimate.Pro
THE BID ENGINE.
## Addition Contracting in Philadelphia Is Not Generic Work
Philadelphia's housing stock is predominantly attached rowhouses and semi-detached twins built between 1880 and 1960. Adding square footage to a property in Fishtown, South Philly, or West Oak Lane means navigating party-wall agreements, zoning variances under the Philadelphia Zoning Code (Title 14), and L&I (Licenses and Inspections) permit review that can run 6–10 weeks for projects that alter the building envelope. Bids that don't account for that timeline, those structural realities, and Philadelphia's union-influenced labor market lose money before the first footer is poured.
Estimate.Pro is built for the trades, not for office managers. Here is how it fits addition work in this city.
## From Walkthrough to Bid in 8 Minutes
The median contractor on Estimate.Pro produces a sendable bid 8 minutes after completing a site walkthrough. On an addition job — where scope creep starts the moment a client asks "can we also do the roof while you're up there" — that speed matters. You capture the scope on-site, the AI drafts the scope-of-work, and you have a priced estimate before you leave the driveway.
AR measurement runs on-device using ONNX-assisted live AR on supported devices. For older rowhouses where you can't physically measure a party wall, camera and photo measurements are accepted and flagged as estimates in the output, so your bid is honest about what was field-verified and what was calculated from imagery.
## What the Estimating Engine Covers for Additions
Philadelphia addition scopes typically stack multiple sub-trades into a single contract. Estimate.Pro supports 25 trades. On a rear two-story addition in Kensington, a single project might pull from:
- **Framing and structural** — load calculations, LVL sizing, ledger connections to existing brick
- **Concrete / foundations** — footer depth below frost line (Philadelphia frost depth: 36 inches per ICC regional data)
- **Electrical** — panel capacity, NEC 2020 as adopted by Pennsylvania (Philadelphia enforces 2018 IBC and 2017 NEC with local amendments — verify current L&I bulletins)
- **HVAC** — Manual J load calculations for the added conditioned space, required in Philadelphia for permitted additions
- **Insulation / air sealing** — IECC 2018 compliance as adopted in Pennsylvania
- **Windows and exterior cladding** — matching historic masonry or fiber cement on infill lots in ZCC (Zoning Conservation Districts)
You don't switch apps between trades. The scope-of-work output lists each division, and your saved material cost workspace carries your supplier pricing from job to job.
## Permitting Reality in Philadelphia
L&I issues two primary permit types that hit addition contractors: a Zoning/Use permit and a Building permit. On attached rowhouses, any addition that increases gross floor area, changes the footprint, or adds height above the existing roofline triggers zoning review and may require a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). ZBA hearings are scheduled, not on-demand — budget 90 days minimum if a variance is in play.
Your estimate needs a line item for permit fees, a carrying-cost buffer for permit lag, and a clear scope boundary so clients understand what "approved plans" means before you pull the permit. Estimate.Pro's scope-of-work output gives you that documented boundary in writing, attached to the bid.
## Pricing That Reflects Philadelphia's Labor Market
Philadelphia trades skew toward prevailing-wage influence even on private residential work, because a significant portion of the skilled labor pool comes out of union halls. Carpenter rates in the Philadelphia metro run higher than national averages. If you are building your estimate on national cost book defaults without adjusting for local labor, you are underbidding.
Estimate.Pro stores your actual material costs and labor rates in your saved material cost workspace. Your numbers, not a database that hasn't been updated since last quarter.
## No Platform Fee on Pro+
When you collect payment through Stripe Connect on Estimate.Pro, the platform fee is 3% on the Free tier and 0% on Pro and above. On a $90,000 rear addition, 3% is $2,700. That math is straightforward.
Pro is $39 per seat per month. Elite is $79 per seat per month and adds Stripe Connect and invoice exports. Crew is $399 per month flat for larger operations. There is a free tier — no credit card required to start.
## Built for the Contractor, Not the Accountant
Estimate.Pro does not require you to learn a new project management methodology. You walk the site, run the AR measurement, answer scope questions, and send the bid. The AI handles the write-up. You handle the work.