Contractors using Bolster to grow their businesses are winning 15% bigger jobs, 20% more often, and are saving hundreds of hours every year.
Although boasting the most complete feature set, could contractors be getting better value for money? See how Bolster stacks up against a long-time frontrunner in the industry.
"I’ve gone from not getting any jobs with another system to now closing $50k, $80k, and $250k jobs using Bolster."
Save time, win more jobs, increase profit, and get paid faster with Bolster.
Get startedConstruction estimating is the backbone of every successful project. For general contractors, builders, and construction professionals, the ability to create accurate estimates is what separates profitable work from costly mistakes. Estimating involves calculating all the costs associated with a project—labor, materials, equipment, and more—to ensure that every job is both feasible and financially sound.
Traditionally, estimating was a time-consuming process, often done by hand or with basic spreadsheets. This approach left plenty of room for error and made it difficult to keep up with changing prices or project scopes. Today, construction estimating software has transformed the process, allowing contractors to create complete estimates quickly and with far greater accuracy. By automating calculations and integrating real-time data, estimating software helps construction professionals save time, reduce costly errors, and win more profitable work.
With the right construction estimating software, contractors can streamline their workflow, respond to client requests faster, and ensure that every estimate reflects the true cost of the project. This not only boosts confidence during the bid process but also sets the stage for successful project execution and long-term business growth.
Choosing the right construction estimating software can make or break your business. For residential general contractors and custom home builders, especially in the U.S. and Canada, the difference lies in tools that don’t just manage projects—they help win them. That’s exactly where Bolster rises above the rest.
Contractors are increasingly looking for JobTread alternatives and finding that many platforms overpromise and underdeliver. Between outdated UIs, missing automation, and modular pricing, many contractors also find that price transparency and competitive pricing are key considerations when evaluating alternatives, as platforms often lack the intuitive speed and sales tools today’s residential builder needs.
Bolster was built from the ground up to serve growing construction businesses. Its clean interface masks a powerful backend that handles everything from estimating to final payment. All the tools you need come bundled, with no need for third-party add-ons.
Bolster also offers integrations with popular accounting and management tools, allowing users to customize and extend functionality to suit their business needs.
Creating fast and accurate estimates is central to any contractor’s business. Bolster does this better than any other construction estimating software by blending spreadsheet-style flexibility with powerful automation, enabling faster takeoffs through integrated tools that quickly extract quantities and streamline the estimating process.
What makes Bolster unique is its proprietary AutoCost engine. AutoCost pulls live labor and material pricing from local suppliers—ensuring your estimates reflect current rates in your area. It even checks availability in real-time. This feature is especially valuable for saving time, as it streamlines the estimating process by providing up-to-date pricing and availability instantly.
Instead of relying on guesswork, contractors using AutoCost are building trust with their clients. The numbers are accurate, regionally tuned, and automatically updated—no more sticker shock later in the project.
One Bolster user said, “I used to spend four hours writing up a bathroom. Now it’s done before I leave the customer’s house.” This isn’t just faster—it’s smarter business. Accuracy, speed, and professional presentation lead to more signed deals, helping contractors win more work and expand their project portfolio.
Bolster’s assembly templates allow builders to re-use cost structures across projects. For kitchens, decks, bathrooms, or entire builds, your estimating speed improves drastically once you’ve built your library, enabling you to complete estimates in less time.
When comparing Bolster vs JobTread, one of the most noticeable differences is in how proposals are presented. While many systems offer bare-bones documents, Bolster auto-generates bid-winning, client-facing presentations instantly.
Homeowners aren’t estimating experts. They want to feel confident in their decision. Bolster’s branded, interactive proposals bring clarity and transparency to the process—building instant credibility and ensuring customers enjoy a smoother, more satisfying experience.
Contractors using Bolster frequently report higher close rates. But more importantly, they’re seeing increases in job size too, which helps contractors save money and boost their profitability. That’s thanks to Bolster’s built-in upgrade system.
Bolster includes real-time upgrade selections and optional items directly in the proposal. Clients can explore premium options and add-ons, with transparent pricing. No awkward upsell meetings. No hard sell required.
Builders often report clients selecting more premium materials than originally scoped—entirely on their own. One contractor put it simply: “Clients upsell themselves.”
Optional upgrades aren’t just good for revenue—they’re great for customer satisfaction. Bolster lets clients tailor their project within budget, improving buy-in and confidence.
While other platforms require extra modules or plug-ins to offer upgrade selections, Bolster includes this functionality out of the box. That’s not just convenient—it’s powerful.
Winning the job is step one. Delivering the job efficiently is where Bolster continues to excel. From the moment a proposal is accepted, the platform transforms into a full project management hub, serving as a comprehensive construction management platform that oversees all aspects of the project.
Your estimates automatically populate Bolster’s schedule. Each item becomes a task. Each cost item links to a date. No more re-entering line items into a separate Gantt tool.
Budgets flow directly from your quote, ensuring all project costs—including materials, labor, and equipment—are accurately captured and managed. Labor, materials, and markups carry over in full detail. Bolster removes the gap between estimating and execution.
Bolster’s scheduling and budget tracking allow contractors to stay in control. The use of daily logs helps document and track daily activities on construction projects, ensuring nothing is missed. Whether it’s delivery timelines or labor hours, everything is tracked in a single source of truth.
Scope creep can destroy margins. Bolster includes built-in change order management that lets you generate revisions quickly, capture e-signatures, and automatically adjust the budget.
Contractors often juggle multiple apps to stay in touch with clients and crews. Bolster eliminates that clutter. All messaging is centralized within the platform.
Tracking leads shouldn’t be done on sticky notes or spreadsheets. Bolster’s CRM pipeline helps contractors manage their pipeline from inquiry to contract with full visibility.
See all active leads, follow-ups, and opportunities at a glance. Never lose a warm lead due to disorganization again.
Clients log in to a secure portal to view proposals, make selections, approve changes, and pay invoices. Bolster streamlines communication while delivering a modern customer experience.
Whether you’re building in Dallas, Toronto, or Vancouver, Bolster is optimized for North American markets. Pricing data is locally relevant, and features align with regional business practices.
The contractor foreman is the linchpin between the office and the job site, ensuring that every aspect of the project runs smoothly from start to finish. In the context of construction estimating and project management, the foreman’s role is more critical than ever. They are responsible for translating estimates into actionable plans, managing labor and material costs, and keeping projects on track and within budget.
With modern construction estimating software, the foreman gains powerful tools to monitor job costing, track labor hours, and oversee material usage in real time. This level of oversight allows for more accurate cost calculations and immediate adjustments when needed, helping to protect profit margins and avoid costly overruns. The software also enables the foreman to communicate seamlessly with both the office and the crew, ensuring that everyone is working from the same set of data and project plans.
By leveraging estimating software, contractor foremen can keep projects organized, maintain accurate records, and deliver results that meet or exceed client expectations. This not only improves day-to-day operations but also contributes to a more efficient, profitable, and professional construction business.
A successful construction project starts with a thorough and accurate estimate. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the construction estimating process, designed to help contractors and builders achieve more accurate estimates and streamline their workflow:
By following these steps and utilizing construction estimating software, contractors can create estimates quickly, improve accuracy, and save time throughout the estimation process. This not only leads to more profitable work but also enhances the overall client experience, setting your business apart in a competitive market.
Getting started with Bolster isn’t a chore. It includes one-on-one coaching, even in its entry-level plans. Many users report going live with their first proposals within days—not weeks.
With Bolster, you’re never left hanging. The customer success team is available for troubleshooting, strategy, and scaling support. One user wrote, “They don’t just support you—they help you grow.”
Whether you’re quoting $200,000 decks or $1.2M custom homes, Bolster scales to match. The features are built to help you grow, not box you in.
With Bolster, what you see is what you get. You don’t need to pay extra for essentials like estimating templates, cost catalogs, or e-signatures. It’s all included.
Bolster isn’t just another tool. It’s a sales engine. Builders consistently report winning more bids, booking higher-value jobs, and reducing admin work by hours per week.
If you’re still quoting from spreadsheets, Bolster offers the perfect leap forward. You keep the flexibility—but gain automation, presentation polish, and integration.
Unlike dated systems with steep learning curves, Bolster’s interface is modern, intuitive, and mobile-friendly. Builders can quote from the office or on-site, seamlessly.
From Capterra to internal testimonials, the praise is consistent. One user wrote: “We 10x’d our business since starting with Bolster.” Another shared, “Clients say it feels like Amazon for construction.”
Bolster was built for residential construction from day one. This isn’t a commercial retrofit. The tools are tuned to remodeling, custom homes, and everything in between.
Unlike most project management tools, Bolster also helps you sell better. That distinction matters in residential construction, where the sales experience drives success.
For those exploring JobTread alternatives or Bolster alternatives, the comparison often ends here. Bolster includes more, automates better, and delivers real business impact.
If your current setup includes a separate CRM, proposal builder, schedule tool, cost database, and email thread—Bolster replaces all of them with one system.
From branding and formatting to real-time pricing and optional upgrades, Bolster is built to help you look good in front of your clients and build trust from the first click.
Whether you’re growing from a solo operation to a crew of 10, or a design-build firm expanding into new markets, Bolster is the right platform to scale with you.
Most users report that Bolster pays for itself within just a project or two. The time saved, revenue gained, and bids won quickly outweigh the subscription cost.
When it comes to construction estimating software, Bolster gives contractors more than just functionality. It gives them a strategic edge in a crowded market.
In the end, what sets Bolster apart is how completely it solves the modern builder’s workflow. Bolster supports digital takeoffs, advanced linear takeoff methods, and detailed quantity takeoff processes, enabling accurate calculation of material and labor, material and labor costs, and labor costs for efficient project planning. From estimating to execution, it empowers contractors to sell more, manage better, and grow faster.
