For plumbers
Estimating software for the work plumbers actually do.
Type the job up the way you'd text it to your apprentice: "50-gallon gas water heater, attic location, expansion tank, pan with drain." ScopeGauge writes the line items, prices the materials, and hands you a proposal you can send before lunch. You stay in charge of every number.
14 days free. No credit card. No commitment.
Built for the jobs you already price every week
Describe the job the way you would explain it to your crew. ScopeGauge writes the line items, prices the materials, and hands you a proposal you can send before lunch. You stay in charge of every number.
- Water heater swaps - tank and tankless, gas and electric, with the venting and code-required parts
- Whole-house repipes - copper to PEX or full re-pipe with the trim-out and patching line items broken out
- Sewer line repairs - spot repair vs. liner vs. full replacement and the excavation that goes with each
- Bath remodel rough-in - supply, drain, vent, fixtures, and trim-out as separate line items the GC can read
- Drain & rooter service calls - clog clearing, camera inspections, and the upsell line items when needed
- Gas line work - appliance reconnects, range/dryer installs, and the pressure-test line that always gets forgotten
Job description in, line items out
No forms, no drop-downs. Describe the fixture count, the access conditions, and the materials you typically run. ScopeGauge produces the line items and the labor breakdown.
Your pricing, not someone else's
On Professional and Business plans, ScopeGauge calibrates from your completed jobs so pricing reflects what you actually charge - not a national average that's wrong for your market.
Edit every number before you send
Every line item is editable. ScopeGauge gives you materials, labor, and markup as a draft. You make the final call, and nothing reaches a customer until you sign off.
What does this look like in practice?
Here's what a typical scope looks like going in, and the line items it might come back with. Every number is editable before the proposal goes out.
You type something like
"50-gallon natural gas water heater swap, attic location, existing pan has no drain, customer wants a tankless conversion estimate too. Power vent existing, expansion tank missing."
ScopeGauge could break that into line items like
- Permit application + inspection coordination
- 50-gallon natural gas water heater (your preferred brand)
- Power vent kit + vent termination (existing if reusable, new if not)
- Expansion tank (code-required on most residential systems)
- New T&P relief valve + discharge line to safe location
- New gas connector flex + sediment trap
- New shut-offs - cold inlet, gas
- New pan with drain line to exterior (attic location requires this)
- Demo of existing unit + disposal
- Labor - 6 hours @ your shop rate
- Materials markup
- Alternate line: Tankless conversion - gas line resize, vent changes, electrical, condensate
- Inspection re-trip allowance
Illustrative. Every estimate is editable before send. The more detail you give the input, the stronger the first draft. ScopeGauge isn't producing a fixed catalog answer, it's building a starting point you can review and adjust.
What ScopeGauge does, and what it does not do
We'd rather be clear about scope than oversell. Here's where ScopeGauge earns its keep, and where you should pair it with something else.
Built for
- ✓ Turning a job description into editable plumbing line items in minutes
- ✓ Pricing service calls, water heaters, repipes, sewer work, and bath rough-ins
- ✓ Producing customer-ready proposals on your own letterhead (Pro and Business plans)
- ✓ Calibrating to your shop's real pricing over time (Pro/Business)
- ✓ Tracking won/lost bids so future estimates reflect what works in your market
- ✓ Coordinating sub bids on bigger projects (Business plan)
Not built for
- - Blueprint takeoff - pair ScopeGauge with Bluebeam, PlanSwift, etc.
- - Permit submission - you still file with the AHJ
- - Plumbing code (IPC / UPC) compliance checking - you bring the code knowledge
- - Pressure-testing or hydrostatic calcs - ScopeGauge produces line items, you do the engineering
- - Accounting / invoicing - proposals from ScopeGauge, invoices in QuickBooks or your system
- - Dispatch / route optimization - pair with ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, etc. if you need it
The line items that quietly kill margins
Every experienced estimator has been bitten by these. ScopeGauge surfaces them so they don't end up as "I'll eat it" at the end of the job. You decide whether to bill, absorb, or skip.
Missing the gas pressure test as a separate line item
On gas line work, a pressure test is required and takes real time. If it gets buried in "labor" you eat it on competitive bids. Break it out so the customer sees the line and you can defend the price.
Forgetting demo + patch on access cuts
Snaking a new line through a finished wall means cutting drywall, replacing tile, or pulling cabinetry. The patch-and-paint either gets done by you (line it) or by them (note the allowance). Either way it should not be silent.
Missing the dump trip on remodels
A bath rough-in or repipe generates a truck full of old PEX, copper, fixtures, and packaging. The dump fee + your truck time is a separate line, not buried in materials markup.
Under-pricing camera inspection vs. drain clearing
A simple drain clear is one rate. Running a camera, recording it, marking it, and producing a report for the homeowner's insurance claim is a different scope. Same call, different line items.
Forgetting the inspection re-trip on bigger jobs
Whole-house repipes, sewer line replacements, and water heater swaps all get inspected. Roughly 1-in-10 jobs needs a re-trip for something minor. Price it in or absorb it.
Not pricing disposal of old water heaters or fixtures
Hauling an old 80-gallon to the scrap yard or paying the dump fee for old fixtures takes time and money. Easy line to forget, easy line to defend when it's itemized.
Pricing
Three plans, all starting with a 14-day free trial. No credit card to start. $199 Starter, $349 Professional, $499 Business per month. See what's in each plan →
Common questions
Does ScopeGauge know plumbing code?
Can it handle service vs. remodel vs. new construction estimating?
How does pricing get calibrated to my market?
Can I try it on a real job before I sign up?
What does it cost and is there a free trial?
Is my pricing data private?
Stop spending evenings on estimates.
Request beta access and we'll get you a code within 1-2 business days. Or take the Bid-Off Challenge first with a job you already priced. No signup required.
More for trade contractors