I’ve been swinging a hammer for over 15 years. I thought I had quoting down to an art — walk the job, do some quick math in my head, add a buffer, and give the client a number. Most of the time it worked. But “most of the time” still left me eating losses on three jobs last year and watching two others slip away because I came in too high.
That changed the day I let an AI estimator fight my gut on a real $22,000 kitchen remodel. The results still surprise me.
The Chaos That Was Eating My Weekends
Before SimplyWise, my “system” was a mess. Receipts stuffed in the glove box. Mileage scribbled on the back of coffee receipts. Estimates built in a spreadsheet that I’d tweak for hours, second-guessing every line item. Tax season? Pure panic — digging through shoeboxes, hoping I hadn’t missed $4,000 in write-offs.
Every bid took me 4–8 hours. I’d stand in a client’s kitchen, measuring twice, calculating labor, materials, permits, disposal, contingency… and still wonder if I forgot something. Clients wanted quotes on the spot. I couldn’t give them. So I’d say “I’ll email you tomorrow” and pray they didn’t call three other contractors in the meantime.
The Moment I Decided to Try Something New
A buddy kept texting me about this app called SimplyWise. He swore the AI cost estimator was saving him serious time. I was skeptical — I’ve tried the flashy tools before and they always missed the local pricing or the weird site conditions only a seasoned guy notices.
But after losing another bid because I was too slow, I figured I had nothing to lose. I headed over to SimplyWise.com and signed up for free in about 90 seconds. No credit card, no sales pitch, just the app on my phone.
How the AI Estimator Actually Works in Real Life
I tested it on that dated 1970s kitchen. Walked in, took 12 quick photos with my phone, typed a short description: “Full gut remodel, new cabinets, quartz counters, tile backsplash, appliances, paint, flooring, electrical upgrade.”
Less than 60 seconds later the AI spit out a complete, line-item bid:
- Materials with current local pricing
- Labor hours broken down by trade
- Permits, disposal, contingency
- Even the little things like under-cabinet lighting and outlet relocation I usually forget until the end.
My gut said $18,200. The AI said $21,850.
I sat there staring at the screen. Then I did what any contractor would do — I went line by line and compared.
The AI caught:
- Site prep and dumpster fees I would’ve low-balled
- Electrical rough-in costs that jumped 18% since last month
- A realistic contingency buffer based on similar jobs in my zip code
I adjusted two items, hit “regenerate,” and landed on $22,400. Sent the quote to the homeowner while I was still standing in her kitchen. She signed the same day.
The Feature That Makes Clients Say “Yes” on the Spot
Here’s the part that still blows my mind: the AI Project Render.
From the same photos I took for the estimate, the app generated a professional 3D before-and-after visualization in under two minutes. I showed the client her old kitchen turning into the bright, modern space she described. She literally gasped.
I now charge an extra $500 “visualization and planning fee” on every project over $15k. Almost every client pays it without blinking because they can finally see what they’re buying. That one feature alone has paid for my SimplyWise subscription many times over.
Receipts, Mileage, and Taxes — Finally on Autopilot
The estimator is only half the story.
I scan every receipt with the phone camera — gas, materials, Home Depot runs, even lunch with the electrician. The AI reads the store, date, tax, total, and files it automatically under the right job. Receipts from email (Amazon, suppliers, PayPal) import by themselves.
Mileage? It tracks automatically in the background and separates business from personal. At tax time I export one clean report my CPA actually smiled at.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this part alone saves me 10–14 hours every single week.
The Numbers After 90 Days
Here’s what actually happened in my business:
- Average time to create a professional bid: dropped from 6 hours to 12 minutes
- Win rate on jobs over $10k: jumped from 38% to 67%
- Extra monthly income from faster closes and visualization fees: $3,800 so far
- Tax deductions found that I would’ve missed: $4,200 last quarter
I’m not working more hours. I’m just working smarter — and actually getting home for dinner on most nights.
Is SimplyWise Worth It for Every Contractor?
If you’re a one-man band or small crew doing residential work, absolutely. The free plan already gives you more than enough to test it on real jobs. The Pro upgrade (which I’m on now) unlocks unlimited storage, priority AI renders, and advanced reports — still cheaper than the time it saves.
Even if you’re skeptical like I was, just try the estimator on your next walk-through. Worst case, you waste 10 minutes. Best case, you win bigger jobs, quote more accurately, and finally get the admin monkey off your back.
I still trust my experience. But now I let the AI do the heavy lifting, and I use my brain for the things that actually matter — building relationships and delivering great work.
If you’re tired of guessing, second-guessing, and scrambling at tax time, do yourself a favor. Go to SimplyWise.com, download the app, and run one job through it. You might be as surprised as I was when the AI beats your gut — and your bank account thanks you for it.
