First time quoting with AI? AIToolMart is the entry-level AI solution for ordinary people - no coding, no English needed. This is an AI starter guide for tradespeople like you: copy the prompts and you're ready, no need to start from scratch.
At 10pm, plumber Ah Keung, who had worked fourteen hours, sat down for a sip of water when WhatsApp pinged: "Hi, how much to replace all the pipes in the house?" He glanced at the computer - the quote template hadn't even been opened. In the old days, that job might have sat there until tomorrow; now he picked up his phone, and five minutes later a quote with all the items filled in was already sent back.
Let's be direct: for AI quotes, the surest approach is to let AI handle the format, wording and calculations, while you fill in the unit prices, check the items and make the final call. Renovation in Hong Kong is fiercely competitive and price-shopping is the norm - whoever replies fastest and most professionally wins. When you're working on site and a client asks on WhatsApp, replying "I'll get back to you" then being too tired to type at night means the client has found another tradesperson by the next day - AI helps you skip that gap.
Open the free ChatGPT or Doubao and just type:
I'm a home renovation tradesperson, and this job is renovating a 60 sq ft kitchen: remove the old cabinets, redo the plumbing, install new cabinets and a marble worktop. Build me a quote with columns for item, unit, quantity, unit price and notes; leave the amounts blank for me to fill in.Note: go through the result line by line. AI doesn't know what brand of materials you use; fix any items that don't match your usual practice. Unit prices must be filled by you - AI doesn't know your cost price.
After measuring with a tape, this is the biggest time-saver - Gemini works too:
I measured a bathroom: 2.4m long, 1.6m wide, 2.6m high, tiling the walls and floor. Calculate the tiling area, add 10% for wastage, about how many square metres, and show each step of the calculation.Note: AI can get numbers wrong; double-check with a calculator before ordering, especially the wastage parts.
Home after a job and don't want to think about how to reply? Ask AI to draft it:
A client asks: "About how much for stripping and painting a 600 sq ft house with emulsion, labour and materials included?" I haven't measured on site, so I can't give a firm price. Draft a WhatsApp reply that's professional and polite, inviting them to have me visit and measure before quoting.Note: before replying, change "we are pleased to inform" to something in your own voice - a couple of small tweaks make it yours. AI doesn't know you call clients "boss", so add that yourself.
When a big job enquiry comes in, check the going rate before quoting:
About how much per square foot is the going rate for full-house painting with labour and materials in Hong Kong? Give me a range and list three factors that affect the price, so I know where my quote sits.Note: AI's market data can be out of date; best to ask two or three fellow tradespeople, or verify recent deals on a renovation platform.
Yes. ChatGPT and Gemini both have voice input; say in plain language "write me a quote to replace an electric water heater" and it will, you just adjust the amount.
The free version is enough. Paid versions are mainly faster with more features - no need to pay as a beginner.
Nobody cares what tool made the quote; they care whether it's fast and clear. Once you've checked the figures and materials yourself, that document is your professional work.
Want to compare which AI tool suits you best?
Check AIToolMart for detailed comparisons of ChatGPT, Doubao and Gemini plus real user reviews, then pick one that feels right.
See Doubao's tool page