San Jose, CA
WINDOWS ESTIMATING.

## Window Estimating in San Jose Moves Fast — Your Bids Should Too San Jose sits in one of the most active residential renovation markets in California. Aging Eichler-style tract homes from the 1950s and 1960s, dense infill condo builds, and energy-conscious homeowners chasing PG&E bill relief all drive steady window replacement volume. That means you are quoting against three or four other window contractors on the same lead before the weekend ends. Estimate.Pro gets you from a job walkthrough to a sendable, priced bid in 8 minutes. That is not a marketing number — it is the median across contractors using the platform today. ### What Makes Window Estimating Different in San Jose **Title 24 compliance is not optional.** California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6) require that replacement windows meet minimum U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) thresholds. In San Jose's climate zone 4, the residential fenestration requirements are specific: you need to be quoting the right product or you lose the permit. Estimate.Pro lets you tag line items by energy compliance spec so your scope-of-work reflects exactly what the inspector will look for. **Bay Area labor rates run above the national average.** You already know this, but your estimate template probably doesn't account for it precisely. Save your actual material and labor cost workspace inside the app and every new bid pulls from your numbers, not generic national benchmarks. **Permit fees are a real line item here.** San Jose's Building Division charges based on project valuation. A standard 10-window replacement job carries a permit fee that many out-of-state estimating tools simply ignore. When you miss that cost, it comes out of your margin. **Lead generation moves to mobile.** Most San Jose homeowners request three bids in the same week. If you show up with a printed sheet or a vague verbal number, you lose. If you walk out with a professional PDF on your phone, signed via Stripe Connect (available on Elite), you close before you hit the freeway. ### How Estimate.Pro Works for Window Contractors **Walkthrough → scope in minutes.** Use AR measurement on supported devices to capture rough opening dimensions on-site. The ONNX-assisted live AR mode flags measurements you take in real time. Camera and photo measurements are marked as estimates in the output so your client and the building department know the difference. No more scribbling on a notepad and hoping you remembered the correct unit size. **AI scope-of-work.** After the walkthrough, the AI drafts your scope of work — including window type, frame material, glazing spec, installation method, and disposal of existing units. You review, edit, and send. The 8-minute target includes this step. **Cost data that stays yours.** Your saved material cost workspace holds your vendor pricing from your actual suppliers — whether you're buying from a San Jose distributor or pulling from a regional warehouse. No locked-in cost database that's wrong for your market. **Stripe Connect payments.** On the Pro+ tier, the platform fee on payments drops to 0%. On the Free tier, it's 3%. If you're invoicing $18,000 for a whole-house window package, that difference is real money. ### Pricing That Fits a Solo Contractor or a Crew - **Free tier:** No credit card. No time limit. Get your first bids out the door. - **Pro — $39/seat/month:** Full estimating workflow, AR measurement, AI scope. - **Elite — $79/seat/month:** Stripe Connect invoicing, invoice exports, 0% platform fee. - **Crew — $399/month flat:** Unlimited seats. Built for window companies running multiple crews across the South Bay. ### San Jose-Specific Workflow Notes If you are working in a historic district — Naglee Park, Rose Garden, or Willow Glen — window replacement may require review under San Jose's historic preservation guidelines. Your scope-of-work from Estimate.Pro can be exported and attached directly to a permit application or a homeowner approval package. The written scope covers materials, install method, and disposal, which is exactly what a preservation reviewer needs to see. For new construction or ADU window installs, confirm your rough opening dimensions against the framing plan before finalizing the bid. AR measurement gives you a fast field check, but structural rough openings on new framing can shift. Mark those measurements accordingly in your output. Estimate.Pro supports 25 trades. If your crew does window installs alongside stucco patching, exterior painting, or door replacement, your team members can run their own estimates in the same platform under the Crew plan without paying per seat. Get started free. No credit card. Your next San Jose bid is 8 minutes away.