Module 03

Estimate & Proposal Engine

Stop guessing what to charge. Enter your real numbers once — the system builds every proposal with your actual costs, your margin, and the math to back it up.

23%
Avg. Underpricing
$92K
Left on the Table / Year
4 min
Proposal Generation

Enter Your Costs Once. Every Proposal Uses Them.

No spreadsheets. No QuickBooks export. Just the six numbers that determine whether you make money or lose it.

Labor Rate
$45 / hr
Crew of 3, burdened rate
Material Markup
20%
Above wholesale cost
Equipment / Day
$185 / day
Truck, trailer, tools
Overhead Rate
12%
Insurance, office, admin
Disposal Fee
$75 / load
Landfill / green waste
Target Margin
35%
Your profit on every job
Green Horizon Landscaping
Virginia Beach, VA · These cost inputs drive every estimate below. Change them once, every future proposal updates automatically.
Crew Size3 people
Effective Rate$135/hr
Avg. Margin Target35%
Cost DatabaseHampton Roads

Select a Job. See the Real Math.

Every line item, every cost, every dollar of margin — calculated from your actual numbers, not a guess.

Patio Install
Mulch Refresh
Weekly Maintenance
Full Landscape Redesign
Patio Install — 320 sq ft Paver Patio
Live Estimate
ItemDetailCost
Labor
Excavation & Grading8 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$1,080
Base & Sand Prep4 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$540
Paver Installation10 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$1,350
Edge Restraints & Cleanup2 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$270
Materials
Belgard Cambridge Pavers340 sq ft @ $4.85/sf (incl. 20% markup)$1,649
Crusher Run Base12 tons @ $38/ton (incl. markup)$547
Bedding Sand3 tons @ $44/ton (incl. markup)$158
Polymeric Sand6 bags @ $31/bag$186
Edge Restraint & Spikes80 LF paver edge$124
Equipment & Other
Equipment (3 days)Truck, plate compactor, saw$555
Disposal (2 loads)Excavated soil & debris$150
Delivery FeeMaterials to site$185
Subtotal (Your Cost)$6,794
Overhead (12%)$815
Margin (35%)$4,098
Client Proposal Price$11,707
Mulch Refresh — 2,400 sq ft Bed Area
Live Estimate
ItemDetailCost
Labor
Bed Edging & Cleanup3 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$405
Mulch Spreading4 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$540
Materials
Hardwood Mulch (dbl shred)18 cu yd @ $46/yd (incl. 20% markup)$828
Pre-emergent Herbicide2 bags granular$78
Equipment & Other
Equipment (1 day)Truck, wheelbarrows$185
DeliveryMulch delivery to site$95
Subtotal (Your Cost)$2,131
Overhead (12%)$256
Margin (35%)$1,285
Client Proposal Price$3,672
Weekly Maintenance — Residential, 8,000 sq ft
Live Estimate
ItemDetailPer Visit
Labor (per visit)
Mow, Edge, Blow1.25 hrs × $45/hr × 2 crew$113
Bed Weeding (biweekly)0.5 hrs × $45/hr × 1 crew (amortized)$11
Materials (per visit)
Fuel & StringEquipment consumables$18
Equipment
Prorated EquipmentMowers, trimmers, blowers$24
Cost Per Visit$166
Overhead (12%)$20
Margin (35%)$100
Client Price Per Visit$286
Monthly (4 visits)$1,144
Annual Contract (42 weeks)$12,012
Full Landscape Redesign — Front & Side Yards
Live Estimate
ItemDetailCost
Labor
Demo & Removal12 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$1,620
Grading & Soil Prep8 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$1,080
Plant Installation16 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$2,160
Mulch, Edge, Cleanup6 hrs × $45/hr × 3 crew$810
Materials
Trees (2 specimens)Crape Myrtle + Japanese Maple (markup)$732
Shrubs (28 plants)Azalea, Boxwood, Holly mix (markup)$1,176
Perennials & Ground Cover45 plants — Daylily, Liriope, Fern (markup)$594
Mulch (12 cu yd)Premium hardwood, triple-shredded$576
Topsoil & Amendments6 cu yd screened + compost$348
Edging & Landscape Fabric150 LF steel edge + fabric$285
Equipment & Other
Equipment (5 days)Full truck & trailer, mini skid$925
Disposal (3 loads)Old plantings, soil, debris$225
Delivery FeesPlants, mulch, soil to site$275
Subtotal (Your Cost)$10,806
Overhead (12%)$1,297
Margin (35%)$6,519
Client Proposal Price$18,622

From Napkin Math to Professional Proposal

Your client receives a branded, itemized proposal with a digital signature button. You stop looking like every other guy with a clipboard.

Patio - 320 sqft
pavers + labor + base
$8,500??
$9,200
~ $10K ish?
sent via text msg 3 days later
Prepared forDavid & Sarah Mitchell1814 Bayberry Ct, Virginia Beach
Proposal #GH-2025-0247Valid through March 28, 2025
Project: 320 sq ft Paver Patio
Site Preparation & Excavation$2,480
Belgard Cambridge Pavers (Fossil color)$3,180
Base Materials & Sand$1,085
Edge Restraints & Polymeric Sand$476
Equipment, Delivery & Disposal$1,368
Permit coordination (if required by city)Included
Post-install cleanup & final gradeIncluded
Timeline & Warranty
Estimated Duration3 days
Workmanship Warranty2 years
Paver Manufacturer WarrantyLifetime
Total Investment $11,707

The System Learns What Wins and What Doesn't

After 50+ proposals, patterns emerge. The system tells you where you're leaving money and where you're losing bids. Real data, not intuition.

Win Rate by Service Type
Patio Installs
65%
Landscape Design
58%
Mulch & Cleanup
44%
Weekly Maint.
38%
Maint. > $5K/yr
18%
AI-Generated Insights
📉
Your win rate drops below 20% above $5,000/yr for residential maintenance in 23451. Competitors are bidding $15–20/visit lower. Consider tiered pricing or bundled seasonal add-ons.
📈
Install projects over $10,000 in 23505 close at 65% — well above your overall average. You’re underpricing this segment. Raise install margins to 38–40% in this zip code.
Proposals sent within 24 hours of consultation close at 52%. After 3+ days, close rate drops to 23%. Speed wins.
The Gap You Don't See
$92,000
The average landscaper underprices jobs by 23%. On $400K in annual revenue, that's $92,000 left on the table every year — not because clients won't pay it, but because you never asked.
What you're chargingWhat you should be
$400K
+$92K

What the Estimate Engine Puts Back in Your Business

Based on a 2–3 crew operation, $400K annual revenue, Virginia Beach market.

$0
Revenue recovered annually
By pricing to actual cost + margin
0 hrs
Saved per week on proposals
4 min vs. 45 min per estimate
0%
Overall close rate
Up from 31% with manual estimates
0
Proposals generated this year
All branded, all tracked

This demo runs on synthetic data.
The real version runs on yours.

Enter your real costs, connect your services, and every proposal from here out is built on math — not a number you pulled out of the air.