BolstervsJoist
Bolster vs Joist

More than an invoice.

Joist is a handy mobile app for quick estimates and invoices. Bolster is the full platform — AutoCost live pricing, AI estimating, takeoff and renderings, and proposals that upsell — so you quote 5× faster and win 20% more.

Bolster AI-generated client proposal

Backed by Y Combinator · trusted by contractors nationwide

Y Combinator Mesa Custom Homes HB Builders Mangino Home Improvements Terra Tech
Estimating

Accurate quotes, not just tidy invoices

Joist lets you type line items and send. Bolster prices every line from AutoCost — 100M+ real, local material and labor costs that update automatically — so your numbers are right, not guessed, before the invoice ever exists.

84% less time estimating · faster quotes
Bolster AutoCost live regional pricing
Winning the job

Proposals that grow the job

Joist sends an estimate. Bolster sends an interactive proposal with optional items and good/better/best upgrades the client adds themselves — so the average job grows before you've sent a single invoice.

20% more jobs won · larger average ticket
Bolster client-ready proposal
Construction Intelligence

One prompt runs the whole job

Where Joist stops at the invoice, Bolster's Construction Intelligence runs the whole flow — scope, estimate, takeoff and photoreal renderings like the one shown — plus scheduling and project management to deliver the work.

Prompt → scope → estimate → takeoff → rendering
Bolster Construction Intelligence AI rendering

Bolster vs Joist, line by line

Joist is great for fast mobile invoicing. Bolster is the platform around the whole job.

Feature Bolster Joist
Mobile estimates & invoices
Accept payments
Customer financing offersJoist's edge
AutoCost live pricing (100M+ items)
AI estimating, takeoff & renderings
Interactive upsell proposals & presentations
Scheduling & project managementInvoicing-focused
"A bathroom — done before I leave the customer's home. A kitchen, 80% done before I leave. I'm not spending four hours a weekend writing estimates anymore."
Michael — Owner, MJK Builders LLC
Mesa Custom Homes
faster from plan to quote
84%
less time spent estimating
faster from plan to quote
20%
more jobs won, on average

Outgrowing the invoice app?

Book a free demo and see Bolster turn a project into a priced, client-ready proposal — in minutes.

Book a free demo