Remodel quotes with allowances they can actually read.
A bathroom remodel quote is half fixed work and half guesses about tile the client hasn't picked yet. Redline lays out the demo, plumbing and tile labor as fixed lines and the finishes as clear allowances, in options from builder-grade to custom.
From site visit to signed and scheduled
Site visit and wish list
Measure, photograph, and listen for what they actually care about. Note what's already decided (tub-to-shower, keep the layout) and what isn't (tile, vanity, fixtures).
Message the scope with allowances
Fixed lines for demo, framing, plumbing and electrical rough-in, tile labor and drywall. Allowances for the things they'll pick later, with the amount spelled out.
Options by finish level
Same scope, three allowance levels: good, better and best, side by side. They see exactly what moving up a level costs.
Save, send, and stay in touch
Remodel decisions take weeks. The job sits in Quoted with a days-in-stage count, and reminders put the follow-up calls in your morning push.
Signed, deposit, selections
Move it to Accepted, invoice the deposit (Solo and up), and keep their selections in the job notes as they come in.
A hall bath, three ways
Three drafts for Linh Nguyen. Fixed scope on every option: demo and disposal, shower pan and waterproofing, plumbing rough-in, GFCI, tile labor, drywall and paint, permit, $16,400.
Allowances (tile, vanity, fixtures):
Good $3,200, total $19,600
Better $5,800, total $22,200
Best $9,500, total $25,900
30% deposit on each. Save them?
Saved to the Nguyen file. Reminder set for a week from today.
Quotes by chat work on every plan. Example prices only.
What's on a kitchen or bath estimate
| Line | Type | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition and disposal | Fixed | flat |
| Plumbing rough-in and set | Fixed | lump sum |
| Electrical and lighting | Fixed | lump sum |
| Tile labor | Fixed | per sq ft |
| Drywall and paint | Fixed | per sq ft or flat |
| Cabinets | Allowance | per linear ft or total |
| Countertops | Allowance | per sq ft |
| Tile material | Allowance | per sq ft |
| Plumbing fixtures and vanity | Allowance | each or total |
| Permit | Fixed | each |
Spell out each allowance amount on the quote, so the final invoice only adds what they chose above it.
Long cycles need a system
A kitchen client might take six weeks to decide, and they're talking to two other remodelers the whole time. The one who checks in with something useful, a tile showroom suggestion or an answer about the cabinet lead time, is the one who stays in the running.
Redline keeps each open remodel quote on the pipeline with how long it's been sitting, puts the follow-up in your morning push on the day you picked, and drafts the email when you're ready. Ask "which remodel quotes are still out?" and you get the list with totals.
Straight answers on remodel estimates
Redline does
- Fixed scopes and allowances on one quote
- Finish-level options so the client sees the difference
- Keep selections and photos in the job notes
- Follow-up reminders through a long decision
- Bill the deposit and milestone invoices (Solo and up)
Redline doesn't
- Do 3D or kitchen layout drawings
- Give clients a selections portal
- Track allowance spending against actuals
- Let the client accept or e-sign online
- Schedule your subs for you
Questions contractors ask
How do I bill an allowance overage?
On the invoice for that milestone or the final, or on its own invoice. A chat invoice is one amount with a one-line description, so say "final balance plus $1,100 tile over the allowance" and the overage goes into the total, named in the description.
Can my designer or project manager work on quotes too?
Yes, on Team ($129 a month, 3 seats) and up. Everyone in the workspace shares contacts, jobs and the chat.
Where do the client's selections go?
On the job. Attach photos of the tile and vanity they picked, or snap them into Quick-Sort and file them to the client, and put the model numbers in the job notes. Quoting is free; deposits and invoices need Solo at $29 a month.
More for remodelers
Quote the next remodel the night of the site visit.
Redline is free to start. Describe the scope and the allowances.
Keep reading
- Remodeling softwareQuotes with allowances and finish options, long-cycle follow-up and milestone billing.
- General contractor invoicing softwareDeposit, milestone draws and change orders billed by chat, each draw tracked.
- Quotes and estimatesItemized quotes by chat or from a photo, with a deposit. Options and tax in the composer.
- Job pipelineEvery job from Lead to Paid, with cards that turn amber and red as they sit.