Detroit, MI
WINDOWS ESTIMATING.

## Window Estimating in Detroit Takes More Than a Tape Measure Detroit's housing stock is old. The city has one of the highest concentrations of pre-1940 construction in the Midwest, and that means window contractors here deal with conditions that contractors in newer metros rarely see: deteriorated wood surrounds, non-standard rough openings, deferred maintenance, and layers of storm windows added over original single-pane units. You can't pull a cookie-cutter estimate off a national pricing sheet and expect it to hold. Detroit jobs need scopes that account for what's actually there. Estimate.Pro is built around that reality. You walk the job, capture measurements, and the AI scope engine generates a line-by-line estimate — labor, materials, disposal, and trim work — in a median of 8 minutes from walkthrough to a bid you can send. --- ## What Makes Window Work Different in Detroit **Aging housing stock.** Woodbridge, Boston-Edison, Indian Village, and thousands of Detroit neighborhoods are filled with homes built between 1900 and 1950. Standard rough openings? Often not. You find 27-inch wide double-hungs, custom transoms, and brick mold that's been painted and repainted for 80 years. Your estimate has to call out custom sizing, blocking requirements, and potential masonry work before a number leaves your desk. **Michigan energy code compliance.** Michigan's Residential Code (2021 Michigan Building Code, which adopts the 2021 IRC with state amendments) requires window U-factor and SHGC compliance for replacement work when the opening is enlarged. Estimate.Pro lets you tag energy-compliance line items directly in the scope so the client sees the code basis, not just a number. **ENERGY STAR Great Lakes / Northern zone requirements.** Windows installed in Detroit must meet the Northern climate zone specs under ENERGY STAR: U-factor ≤ 0.27 for most product categories. When you specify product in Estimate.Pro, you can note the U-factor and SHGC on the estimate, giving your bid credibility with homeowners who are pulling the Consumers Energy or DTE Energy rebate forms. **Permit requirements in the City of Detroit.** The Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) requires a permit for window replacements when the structural opening is altered. Permit-only replacements in-kind in owner-occupied single-family homes may qualify for exemption, but any framing change triggers a permit and inspection. Knowing where that line sits changes your bid — Estimate.Pro lets you add or remove a permit line item in seconds. **Seasonal demand.** Window inquiry volume in Detroit spikes from late March through June as homeowners assess winter damage and energy bills. The second surge runs August through October — before heating season. If you're not sending bids fast, you're losing jobs to the guy who responds same-day. --- ## How Estimate.Pro Works for Window Contractors **AR measurement on supported devices.** Walk the opening, capture it with the app. On supported devices, ONNX-assisted live AR measurement pulls dimensions directly. On any device, photo measurements are captured and flagged as estimates so you know what to verify in the field. **Scope-of-work generation.** The AI reads your measurements and job notes and builds a scope: remove and haul existing unit, prep rough opening, install new window per spec, interior and exterior trim, caulk and air seal, ENERGY STAR product notation if flagged. You review and edit — the draft takes less than 8 minutes from walkthrough start. **Saved material cost workspace.** You set your actual supplier pricing from your Detroit-area distributor — not national list prices that don't match what Pella, Andersen, or your local supply house charges you. Your material costs stay in your workspace, not locked to a vendor's catalog. **Client delivery.** Send the estimate directly from the app. On Pro+ and Elite tiers, Stripe Connect is built in with 0% platform fee. The Free tier carries a 3% platform fee on collected payments. --- ## Pricing That Fits Your Operation - **Free** — no credit card, no expiration, 3% platform fee on payments - **Pro** — $39 per seat per month - **Elite** — $79 per seat per month, includes Stripe Connect invoicing and export workflows - **Crew** — $399 per month flat for unlimited seats If you're running a two-person window crew in Detroit, Pro pays for itself on the first job you close that you would have lost to a slow turnaround. If you're running multiple crews across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Crew removes the per-seat math entirely. --- ## Start Without a Credit Card The Free tier is live, permanent, and requires no payment information. Log in, run a walkthrough on your next Detroit job, and see what an 8-minute estimate looks like before you commit to anything.