Philadelphia, PA
WINDOWS ESTIMATING.

## Window Estimating in Philadelphia Moves Fast — Your Bids Need to Keep Up Philadelphia has more than 59,000 housing units built before 1940. Row homes in South Philly, twins in Northeast Philly, brownstones in Rittenhouse — nearly every job you walk involves original or early-replacement windows that need measuring, scoping, and pricing from scratch. Guessing at square footage or relying on memory burns margin. Estimate.Pro is built for window contractors who need accurate bids without spending half a day on paperwork. ### What Makes Window Estimating Different Here **Historic stock drives complexity.** Philadelphia's historic districts — Society Hill, Germantown, Chestnut Hill — often require replacement windows that match existing sight lines and mullion profiles under Philadelphia Historical Commission guidelines. That adds line items: custom-order upcharge, longer lead time allowance, and sometimes a mock-up approval before full installation. Your estimate has to reflect that or you eat the difference. **Energy code compliance is mandatory on replacements.** Pennsylvania enforces the 2021 IECC for residential work. Replacement windows in Philadelphia must meet or exceed U-factor 0.30 and SHGC 0.40 per the prescriptive path. Every estimate you send should call out the spec so the homeowner understands what they're buying and you're protected if they try to swap to a cheaper unit mid-job. **Lead paint is a constant variable.** Pre-1978 housing in Philadelphia is everywhere. Disturbing painted surfaces during window removal triggers EPA RRP Rule compliance. Your estimate needs a line item for containment, cleaning, and disposal — and you should build that into every job on older stock by default, not as an afterthought. **Permit requirements add time and cost.** The City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) requires a building permit for window replacements that change the opening size or structural framing. Like-for-like replacements in the same rough opening are generally exempt, but any enlargement triggers the full permit process including plan review. Missing that distinction on a bid creates rework and delay. ### How Estimate.Pro Handles the Scope Walk the job with your phone. The AR measurement tool — powered by ONNX on supported devices — captures rough opening dimensions in the field. Camera and photo measurements are flagged as estimates so you know what needs a tape confirm. No separate measuring app. No transferring numbers later. From the walkthrough, the AI scope-of-work generator builds your line items: window unit cost, installation labor, trim work, flashing, caulking, haul-away, RRP compliance if flagged, and permit allowance if the opening is changing. Median time from walkthrough start to a sendable bid is 8 minutes. Material costs live in your saved workspace. You set your supplier pricing for vinyl, fiberglass, and wood units. The app pulls those numbers into each estimate automatically. When your Andersen or Pella rep updates pricing, you update the workspace once — not every open estimate. ### Codes You're Working With Daily - **2021 IECC** — U-factor and SHGC prescriptive minimums for residential replacements in Pennsylvania - **Philadelphia Building Code (2018 IBC base)** — structural requirements for opening modifications - **EPA RRP Rule (40 CFR Part 745)** — lead-safe work practices on pre-1978 housing - **Philadelphia Historical Commission standards** — appearance requirements in designated historic districts ### Pricing That Fits Your Operation Estimate.Pro is free to start — no credit card, no trial clock. The Free tier covers core estimating and lets you send bids. Pro is $39 per seat per month and adds full material cost workspaces and saved assemblies. Elite at $79 per seat per month adds Stripe Connect invoicing with 0% platform fee and invoice exports for your accountant. If you're running a crew, the flat $399 per month Crew plan covers your whole team. Window contractors in Philadelphia are competing against national franchise installers who use volume pricing to undercut. Your edge is speed, accuracy, and showing up to a homeowner with a professional bid before the franchise installer even schedules their appointment. Eight minutes from walkthrough to bid is how you do that.