Guides for contractors
Practical, plain guides on quoting, pricing and the software that runs a small trade business.
AI estimating software
How AI estimating software turns a job description into a priced quote, where it gets things wrong, and a checklist to judge any AI estimator.
Best apps for contractors
A fair list of contractor apps for 2026: Jobber, Housecall Pro, Joist, Invoice2go, Buildertrend, QuickBooks and Vorkeon, who each suits and how we chose.
Best AI tools for contractors
AI tools that help contractors in 2026, grouped by job: AI estimating, AI writing, AI takeoff from plans and AI receptionists, with honest limits for each.
Business management app
A checklist of what a contractor business management app should do: quotes, signatures, invoices, crew time, payroll export, job costing, chat and photos.
AI for small business
Where AI saves time in a small trade business (quotes, wording, follow-ups, invoices) and where it does not, with honest limits and a simple way to start.
How to write a quote
Step by step: how to write a contractor quote customers understand and sign, what to include, the lines people forget, and free calculators to check your price.
Markup vs margin
Markup is what you add on top of cost; margin is the share of the price you keep. Why a 25% markup is only a 20% margin, with a table and a free calculator.
How to price a job
How to price a contracting job: direct costs, your real hourly cost, overhead per billable hour and profit, with a worked example and free calculators.
Quote calculators
Free quote calculators for 27 trade jobs, from roofing and decks to tile and HVAC, plus markup and hourly rate tools. How to use them and what they leave out.
Try Vorkeon on your next job
Every new business gets 14 days of the Crew plan free, no card. After that it moves to the Free plan by itself. Open the web app → · See pricing