NewLaunched 21 September 2026Estimator & House Types
// Estimator & House Types

Price a whole development in minutes.
Then build it in one click.

Save your house types once - tasks, stages and rates included. Drop hundreds of plots into a project in one go. Build a what-if price for a whole site, send a professional estimate - labour only by default, with materials when you need them - and when you win it, turn it into a ready-to-run DuoApp project. Then see how the job is tracking against what you priced. No spreadsheets. No re-keying.

House types
Reusable plot templates
1 - 500
Plots added in one go
v1, v2, v3
Revisions, side by side
One click
Estimate to draft project

Stylised illustration of the Estimator. Names and figures are examples, not real customer data.

// Why it matters

From tender to first fix, without retyping a single rate.

Pricing a development usually means a spreadsheet, a copy-and-paste marathon, and then setting the whole job up again in your project software once you win it. Estimator & House Types joins those steps up.

Set up once, reuse forever

Your house types hold the tasks, stages and rates. Use them on every estimate and every project.

Try ideas in seconds

Change a quantity, a phase uplift or your margin and watch the totals and charts update as you type.

Look the part

Send a branded estimate PDF - clearly labelled labour only, or labour and materials - with the right VAT wording, a CIS note and a sign-off block. Or export it to Excel.

Won it? It's already built

Create a draft project from the estimate - blocks, plots, tasks and agreed rates, set up for you. Then compare the estimate with the actuals as the job runs.

// House Types

Your plot templates, in one company library.

A house type is a reusable plot - "3-bed semi, Type B" - with every task it needs, split by stage and priced from your price list. Build your library once and every estimate and project can draw from it.

  • Everything that describes the plot. Name, code, tenure (Private, Shared Ownership, Rented or Flats), bedrooms, floor area and a description.
  • Task lines by stage. 1st fix, 2nd fix and finals, each task priced from your price list, so the house type always knows what it's worth.
  • Tags to find things fast. Tag by developer, storeys, spec or anything else your team searches by.
  • Save any plot as a house type. Already priced a plot perfectly on a live job? Save it to the library in a couple of clicks.
  • Duplicate as another tenure. Same house, different tenure - copy the Private version as Shared Ownership or Rented and adjust from there.

Stylised illustration. Tasks and rates are examples - yours come from your own price list.

// Add plots from a house type

Twenty-four plots. One click. Already priced.

Open the plots of any draft or live project, pick a house type and say how many. DuoApp names them, places them and prices them - and shows you exactly what you're adding before you commit.

  • 1 to 500 plots at a time. Into any draft or live project - no more building plots one by one.
  • Automatic plot naming. Use a pattern like "Plot {n}" and pick the starting number - DuoApp numbers the rest.
  • Straight into the right block and level. Place the new plots exactly where they sit on site.
  • Live preview of the value. See the plot names and the value you're about to add, and the project total updates the moment you confirm.
  • Tasks and rates come with them. Every plot arrives with its 1st fix, 2nd fix and finals tasks, priced and ready to assign.

Stylised illustration. Figures are examples.

// The Estimator

A what-if price for the whole development.

Pick your house types, set the quantities and play with the numbers. Every change recalculates instantly, so you can answer "what if we drop five detached and add a block of flats?" while the client is still on the phone.

House types and quantities

Build the scheme from your library. Change a quantity and everything downstream follows.

Phases and uplifts

Split the scheme into phases and add an uplift to later ones - inflation on phase 2, for example.

Override any rate

Tweak a rate for this estimate only. Your price list and house types stay exactly as they were.

Prelims, overheads, profit and more

Add prelims, overheads, profit, contingency or a discount - each as a percentage of labour or a lump sum.

Live totals that matter

The total, the average per plot and the price per m², always up to date as you work.

Autosave, undo and redo

Your work saves as you go. Changed your mind? Step back - and forward again - without losing a thing.

// Charts

See where the money is, at a glance.

Four views of every estimate, updating as you edit: value by house type, the tenure mix, the split across stages and the value of each phase. Useful for your own sense-check - and you can include them in the PDF.

Labour by house type

Before uplifts and adjustments · example figures

Type B · Private£82.1k
Type A · Rented£51.3k
Type C · Private£46.1k
Type B · Shared own.£27.4k
Apartment · Flats£26.9k

Tenure mix

Share of plots · example figures

Private34 plots47.2%
Shared Ownership8 plots11.1%
Rented18 plots25.0%
Flats12 plots16.7%

Labour by stage

After uplifts · example figures

£113.9k
£90.1k
£33.2k
1st fix2nd fixFinals

Labour by phase

Including the phase 2 uplift · example figures

£133.4k
£103.9k
Phase 1Phase 2
LabourUplift (+3.5%)

Stylised illustration of the Estimator charts, using the example estimate above.

// Materials

Labour only by default. Materials when you need them.

Most jobs are priced labour only, and that's still the default. When a client wants a supply-and-fit price, add the materials by hand on the estimate - per plot on each house type, or once for the whole site - and DuoApp prices them alongside the labour.

  • Per-plot materials on each house type. Description, quantity, unit and unit cost for one plot - DuoApp multiplies it up by the number of plots.
  • Site-wide materials. The things that belong to the job rather than a plot, like skip hire or access.
  • A separate materials markup. Set it once for the estimate. It's folded into the material prices, so it never appears as a line on the client PDF.
  • The banner changes itself. Add a material and the PDF banner switches from LABOUR ONLY to LABOUR & MATERIALS. If your exclusions still say materials are excluded, DuoApp warns you.
  • Priced on the estimate, not tracked on site. Materials are priced on the estimate; projects continue to track labour. It's a pricing tool - there's no stock control, supplier price list or purchase ordering.

Stylised illustration of the client PDF. Figures are examples.

Stylised illustration. Materials, quantities and costs are examples - you enter your own.

// Revisions & pipeline

Every version kept. Every outcome tracked.

Once an estimate is sent it's frozen, so what the client saw is always on record. Need to change it? Create a new revision - v2, v3 - and compare it side by side with the last one.

  • Revisions, not overwrites. Each revision is a full copy you can edit. The one it replaces is marked Superseded, never lost.
  • Side-by-side compare. See exactly what moved between versions - quantities, rates, adjustments and the total.
  • A simple status pipeline. Draft, Sent, then Accepted or Declined - so everyone knows where each estimate stands.
  • Your win rate. See how many of your decided client quotes you've won, so you can price the next one with your eyes open. Internal models are left out, so the figure stays honest.
DraftSentAcceptedorDeclined

Stylised illustration. Figures are examples.

// The estimate PDF & Excel

A professional estimate your client can sign.

One click produces a clean, branded PDF. It says clearly whether the price is labour only or labour & materials, gets the VAT wording right for your situation, and ends with a sign-off block so acceptance is in writing. Prefer a spreadsheet? Export the same estimate to Excel.

  • Your branding. Your company details on a clean, consistent layout.
  • A clear LABOUR ONLY banner. Nobody can mistake a labour price for a supply-and-fit figure. Add materials and it switches to LABOUR & MATERIALS automatically.
  • Pricing summary and plot schedule. Totals by house type and stage, the plot schedule, and an optional full task breakdown and charts.
  • Inclusions, exclusions and assumptions. Spell out what's in and what's out, so there are no arguments later.
  • VAT wording you can configure. Standard rated, construction domestic reverse charge, zero rated, or not VAT registered - plus a CIS note.
  • Validity date and acceptance block. How long the price stands, and a place for the client to sign.
  • Excel export, two ways. A client version that matches the PDF, and an internal build-up that shows your working.
Summary

One price per house type. Short and sharp.

By house type

Each house type with its 1st fix, 2nd fix and finals split.

Full breakdown

Every task line for every house type, for clients who want the detail.

Your wording

VAT and CIS wording set per company and adjustable per estimate.

Excel · client

The same lines and totals as the PDF, as a spreadsheet the client can work with.

Excel · internal build-up

Labour, uplifts, adjustments, materials cost and markup - for your eyes only.

Stylised illustration of an estimate PDF. Company, project and figures are examples; VAT and CIS wording is configurable.

// Client quotes & internal models

Not every estimate is a quote.

Choose a client quote when the price is going to a client. Choose an internal model when you're working something out for yourself - sizing up a scheme before you tender, or looking back at a job you've already done.

  • Client quotes follow the pipeline. Draft, Sent, then Accepted or Declined - with revisions and your win rate.
  • Internal models skip the approval steps. Model a scheme or a past job with no sending or accepting.
  • Kept out of your numbers. Internal models don't count towards the pipeline or your win rate.
  • Watermarked, so it can't be mistaken for a quote. Print an internal model and every page is marked INTERNAL MODEL.

Stylised illustration.

// Estimate from an existing project

Price it again - from a job you've already run.

Rebuild any past or current DuoApp project as an estimate in a few clicks. It's ideal for a repeat scheme: the same development again, at today's rates plus 4%.

  • Plots grouped by house type. The project's plots become estimate lines with quantities. Variants are kept apart - plots of the same type that were priced differently stay on their own lines.
  • Blocks become phases. The way the site was split up comes across with it.
  • Your choice of rates. Use each task as priced on the project, or re-price everything from today's price list.
  • Then treat it like any other estimate. Add an uplift, adjustments or materials, make it a client quote or keep it as an internal model - and compare it with the project's actuals.

Stylised illustration. Project and plots are examples.

// Create project

Won the job? It's already set up.

Create a draft project from any draft, sent or accepted estimate in one click. DuoApp creates a block for each phase, every plot, every task and the rates you agreed - ready for you to check and go live. Nothing to re-key, nothing to get wrong. If it's a client quote that hasn't been accepted yet, creating the project marks it accepted.

DuoApp projects track labour, so the project carries the labour you priced. Materials, prelims, profit and other adjustments stay on the estimate.

Stylised illustration. Figures are examples.

// Estimate vs actual

Did the job come in as priced?
DuoApp already knows.

An estimate is usually the last you hear of a price. DuoApp runs the project too, so it already holds the actuals. Open any estimate that's linked to a project - one you created a project from, or one you built from a project - and the Actuals view sets your estimated labour against the project's current value, what's been claimed and any overspend, by house type and by stage.

Stylised illustration of the Actuals view, using the example estimate above after it became a live project. Names and figures are examples, not real customer data.

Linked both ways

Works on estimates you created a project from, and on estimates you built from an existing project.

By house type and stage

See which house types and which stages have moved since you priced them - estimated, current, claimed and overspend.

Price the next one better

Feed what you learn back into your house types and rates, so the next estimate starts from what really happened.

// How it works

Four steps from tender to site.

01

Build your house types

Create them from scratch, or save plots you've already priced. Tag them and duplicate them across tenures.

02

Price the development

Pick house types - or start from a past project - set quantities and phases, add uplifts, adjustments and any materials, and watch the totals and charts update live.

03

Send the estimate

Generate the PDF or Excel with your VAT and CIS wording, mark it Sent, and revise it as the conversation moves.

04

Win it, build it, track it

Create a draft project - blocks, plots, tasks and agreed rates, all in place - then compare estimate with actual as the job runs.

Estimator & House Types is included for every DuoApp account and switched on by default - it's waiting in the left-hand menu for admins, and an admin can switch it off at any time. New to DuoApp? Book a demo and we'll walk you through it.
// Questions

Estimator & House Types, explained.

What is a house type?
A house type is a reusable plot template in your company library - for example "3-bed semi, Type B". It holds a name, code, tenure (Private, Shared Ownership, Rented or Flats), bedrooms, floor area, tags and the task lines for each stage - 1st fix, 2nd fix and finals - with rates from your price list.
Can I turn a plot I've already priced into a house type?
Yes. You can save any existing plot as a house type, and duplicate a house type as another tenure - so a Private house type can become the Shared Ownership or Rented version in a couple of clicks.
How many plots can I add from a house type at once?
Anywhere from 1 to 500 plots in one go, into any draft or live project. Plots are named automatically from a pattern such as "Plot {n}", placed in the block and level you choose, and you see a live preview of the value being added before you confirm.
Can I include materials?
Yes, if you want to. Estimates are labour only by default. You can add materials by hand - per plot on each house type (description, quantity, unit and unit cost) and site-wide items such as skip hire or access - with a separate materials markup that's folded into the material prices and never shown as a line on the client PDF. When an estimate has materials, the PDF banner switches from LABOUR ONLY to LABOUR & MATERIALS, and DuoApp warns you if your exclusions still say materials are excluded. Materials are priced on the estimate only: projects continue to track labour, and there's no stock control, supplier price lists or purchase ordering.
How are prelims, overheads, profit and discounts worked out?
Each adjustment - prelims, overheads, profit, contingency or discount - can be a percentage of the labour total (after any phase uplifts) or a lump sum. Materials have their own markup instead, and uplifts don't apply to them. The total, average per plot and price per m² update as soon as you change anything.
How are VAT and CIS shown on the estimate?
Choose standard rated, construction domestic reverse charge, zero rated or not VAT registered. With the reverse charge, VAT is shown for information but not added to the total. The wording is configurable for your company and can be adjusted per estimate, and you can include a CIS note. Your accountant should confirm which treatment applies to each job.
Can I change an estimate after I've sent it?
Only draft estimates can be edited. Once an estimate is sent it's frozen, so you always have a record of what the client saw. To change it, create a new revision (v2, v3 and so on); the previous one is marked Superseded, and you can compare revisions side by side.
What's the difference between a client quote and an internal model?
A client quote is a price you send: it goes from Draft to Sent to Accepted or Declined, and counts towards your pipeline and win rate. An internal model is for your own use - modelling a scheme or looking back at a past job - so it has no approval steps, is kept out of the pipeline and win rate, and its PDF is watermarked INTERNAL MODEL.
Can I model a past project?
Yes. You can build an estimate from any past or current DuoApp project. Plots are grouped by house type into estimate lines (variants that were priced differently are kept apart), blocks become phases, and you choose whether to use the rates as priced on the project or today's price list. It's a quick way to re-price a repeat scheme - for example, the same development again at today's rates plus 4%.
How do I turn an estimate into a project?
Create a project from any draft, sent or accepted estimate in one click. DuoApp creates a draft project with a block for each phase, the plots, their tasks and the rates you agreed, so there's nothing to re-key. If it's a client quote that hasn't been accepted yet, creating the project marks it accepted. The project carries the labour; materials and adjustments such as prelims and profit stay on the estimate. Check it over, then take it live when you're ready.
How does estimate vs actual work?
Any estimate that's linked to a project - because you created the project from it, or built the estimate from the project - has an Actuals view. It compares your estimated labour with the project's current value, what's been claimed and any overspend, by house type and by stage, using figures DuoApp already holds for the project. The comparison is labour only.
Can I export an estimate to Excel?
Yes, in two versions. The client version matches the PDF. The internal build-up shows your working - labour, uplifts, adjustments, materials cost and markup - and is meant for your team rather than the client.
Who can use it, and do I need to switch it on?
Estimator & House Types is included for every DuoApp account and switched on by default - there's nothing to order or enable. It's available to admins, and an admin can switch it off for your company at any time under Admin → DuoApp Features.

Price your next development in DuoApp.

Bring the drawings for a real scheme and we'll build the house types, price it and produce the estimate PDF with you. 30 minutes, no slide deck.