Laminate, LVP or oak, same rooms, three prices.
The customer wants to know what the bedrooms and hall cost in laminate, and then what they'd cost in something nicer. Redline drafts three product tiers from your measurements, with the waste on the material, the stairs by the step and the prep where they can see it.
From the tape to a three-tier quote
Measure rooms and stairs
Square feet per room, the stair count, transitions, and what's coming up: carpet and pad, laminate, tile.
Pick the waste by layout
Straight lay, diagonal or herringbone. You choose the percentage, and Redline applies it to the material line only. You install the square feet, not the waste.
Three products as three options
Good, better and best as three drafts: same rooms, same prep, different product and install rate. Stairs sit on the ones that include them.
Prep where they can see it
Leveling, subfloor repair allowance, furniture and appliance moving, baseboard off and back on. Each one its own line, so the cheaper bid's missing prep is obvious.
Deposit to order
Product is ordered for their job. Put a deposit % on the quote and invoice the deposit when they choose. Invoicing it takes Solo.
Three bedrooms, a hall and 13 stairs
Three drafts for Morgan Ellis, 780 sq ft installed, 858 sq ft of material:
Good laminate: material $2.40/sq ft $2,059.20, install $2.25/sq ft $1,755, carpet and pad removal $390, underlayment $468, furniture moving $250. Total $4,922.20.
Better LVP: material $3.60 $3,088.80, install $2.50 $1,950, removal $390, stairs 13 at $85 $1,105, furniture $250. Total $6,783.80.
Best engineered oak: material $6.20 $5,319.60, install $3.75 $2,925, removal $390, stairs 13 at $140 $1,820, furniture $250. Total $10,704.60.
50% deposit on each. Look right?
Added as a $0 line on all three with the rate in the description. Approve them and they save to her file.
Quotes are drafts you check. Example prices only.
Waste by layout, as you'd set it
Example percentages only. Your product, your rooms and your experience set the real number.
| Layout | Example waste | On 780 sq ft installed |
|---|---|---|
| Straight lay | 10% | 858 sq ft of material |
| Diagonal | 15% | 897 sq ft of material |
| Herringbone | 20% | 936 sq ft of material |
Redline applies the percentage you give it to the material line. It doesn't choose it for you.
Why the tiers sell the floor
A lot of flooring customers call with one product in mind and a budget that doesn't quite fit it. Three tiers side by side, same rooms and same prep, show exactly what moving up costs. The jump from laminate to LVP is often smaller than they feared, and the engineered oak number answers the question they were going to ask next week.
Stairs are the line that surprises people, so they belong on the quote by the step. The subfloor allowance is the other one: priced up front as a rate, billed only if you find soft spots.
Straight answers on flooring quotes
Redline does
- Draft three product tiers side by side
- Apply your waste percentage to material only
- Price stairs by the step and trim by the foot
- Keep prep, removal and moving as their own lines
- Add a deposit before you order product
Redline doesn't
- Do takeoffs from floor plans
- Pick a waste factor for you
- Pull distributor or manufacturer pricing
- Track box counts or inventory
- Let the customer accept the quote online
Questions contractors ask
Can I quote material and labor separately for a customer who buys their own?
Yes. Leave the material line off, or put it at $0 as "customer-supplied", and quote install, prep and trim.
Will it remember my install rates?
Yes. Say them once per product ("LVP install is $2.50 a foot") and Redline uses them on every quote after that.
Can I quote tile the same way?
Yes. Tile by the square foot, with backer board, thinset and grout as their own lines, and the waste for the layout set by you.
More for flooring installers
Quote the next floor three ways.
Quotes are free on every plan. Solo adds deposits and invoices, with a 7-day trial on the web.
Keep reading
- Flooring softwareMaterial and labor by the square foot, waste on material, deposits and subfloor change orders.
- Flooring scheduling softwareDelivery, acclimation, install days and the trim trip booked as visits that move together.
- Remodeling estimate softwareFixed scopes plus finish allowances, in finish-level options with a deposit.
- Quotes and estimatesItemized quotes by chat or from a photo, with a deposit. Options and tax in the composer.