Birmingham, AL
WINDOWS ESTIMATING.

## Window Estimating in Birmingham Runs on Tight Margins Birmingham's housing stock spans pre-war bungalows in Avondale, mid-century ranches in Homewood, and new construction pushing out toward Trussville and Hoover. Each job type demands a different scope — historic wood-frame replacements, vinyl retrofit installs, and commercial curtain-wall work all price differently. If you're still building estimates in a spreadsheet or quoting from memory, you're either leaving money on the table or overbidding and losing to the guy who is not. Estimate.Pro is built for window contractors who need a fast, accurate, field-ready estimate — not a SaaS dashboard to manage. --- ## Why Window Estimating Is Different in Birmingham **Energy code compliance shapes every quote.** Alabama follows IECC 2021, and Jefferson County inspectors are enforcing U-factor and SHGC requirements. A window spec that passes in Mississippi may fail here. Your estimate needs to reflect the right glazing performance tier before the homeowner signs anything. **Labor costs vary by install type.** A standard vinyl double-hung retrofit in a 1990s Vestavia Hills home is a two-hour pull-and-replace. A wood sash restoration in a Norwood historic district bungalow can run four to six hours per opening due to weight pocket work and casing repairs. Estimate.Pro lets you build separate line items for each condition so your crews don't absorb the delta. **Permit fees add up on commercial work.** Jefferson County Building Department charges permit fees based on project valuation for commercial window and storefront work. On a $40,000 commercial glazing job, the permit alone can run $300–$500. That belongs in the bid, not in your overhead. **Storm season is real here.** Birmingham sits in a tornado-prone corridor. Homeowners increasingly ask for impact-rated or laminated glazing options after the April 2011 outbreak reshaped buying behavior permanently. Knowing how to price impact glass vs. standard glass — and when to call out the code requirement — separates professional window contractors from part-time handymen. --- ## How Estimate.Pro Works for Window Contractors **Walk the job. Measure with AR.** On supported devices, Estimate.Pro uses ONNX-assisted live AR measurement to capture rough opening dimensions on-site. On older phones or from photos, measurements are flagged as estimates so you know exactly what to verify before ordering. Either way, you're capturing scope in the field, not reconstructing it from notes three days later. **AI scope-of-work generation.** After your walkthrough, the app drafts a line-item scope — window count, opening sizes, removal and disposal, flashing, interior and exterior trim, caulking, and haul-off. You review, adjust, and approve. The median time from walkthrough to sendable bid is 8 minutes. **Your material costs, not generic data.** Estimate.Pro uses your saved material cost workspace. If you buy Andersen through Birchwood Lumber or source Simonton through a regional distributor, your pricing is your pricing. No one is selling you outdated national averages as a feature. **Send bids that look professional.** Clients in Mountain Brook and Hoover expect a clean, itemized proposal. Your bid goes out as a formatted document you'd hand to a general contractor or a homeowner without embarrassment. --- ## Pricing That Fits a Window Contractor's Business Estimate.Pro is free to start — no credit card, no trial clock. The free tier gets you into the field today. When you're ready to grow: - **Pro** — $39/seat/month. Full estimating, AR measurement, AI scope generation. - **Elite** — $79/seat/month. Adds Stripe Connect invoicing and export workflows. Zero platform fee on payments. - **Crew** — $399/month flat for unlimited seats. Built for window companies running multiple crews across Jefferson, Shelby, and St. Clair counties. On the Free tier, Stripe Connect carries a 3% platform fee. Pro and above: 0%. --- ## Built for 25 Trades, Including Yours Estimate.Pro supports 25 trades. Window contractors get purpose-built line item categories — not a generic construction template someone adapted poorly. Glazing, fenestration, flashing details, and trim work all have their own home in the scope builder. If you're running a mixed-service business that touches siding, doors, or exterior insulation alongside windows, those trades are in the same tool. One walkthrough, one bid, one platform. --- ## Start Your First Birmingham Window Estimate Today Create a free account. Walk a job. Send a bid. No card required. If 8 minutes sounds faster than your current process, there's one way to find out.