Comparison

Construction Cost Estimator vs Contractor Estimator

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Construction Cost Estimator

Quickly generate on-site construction and repair estimates. Break down costs by material, labor, and more. Save custom items or purchase detailed costbooks for thousands of construction items. Email professional PDF estimates to clients.

Highlights
  • On-site estimate creation
  • Customizable PDF reports
  • Company branding on estimates
  • Organized cost breakdown
  • Customizable costbook
  • International currency support
Currently charting
Read full description

Construction Cost Estimator helps contractors and service companies quickly create on-site estimates for construction and repair projects. You can save time and money by creating the estimate on the spot and then emailing it to the customer as a PDF or printing a hardcopy. Each cost item is broken down into Material, Labor, Other, and Subcontract costs. You can save frequently used cost items in your own custom costbook, or you can purchase 3 different Craftsman costbooks within the app that contain detailed costs for over 30,000 common construction items. Just search for a cost item, enter the quantity, and add it to your estimate in 3 easy steps! FEATURES • Fast and easy user interface for creating cost estimates • Customize multiple types of PDF reports, and email them to customers directly from the app • Add the logo and contact info for your company to create professional-looking estimates • Costs are organized by Phases, Areas, and Categories that can be customized for each project • Enter your overhead, profit, and tax rates for each project • The app provides full support for international currencies and units CRAFTSMAN COSTBOOKS You can save common cost items in your own custom costbook, and you can purchase 3 different Craftsman Costbooks within the app via in-app purchase for $49.99 each. The costbook data is only valid in the US and Canada, but the costbooks are also available for purchase internationally. • National Construction Estimator • National Home Improvement Estimator • National Renovation and Insurance Repair Estimator Each costbook contains thousands of common construction items, and the costs are localized to your US Zip Code or Canadian Postal Code. The Craftsman Costbooks are really helpful if you need to provide a cost estimate for work that you haven't done before, or if you need to do a sanity check on cost estimates from subcontractors. You can also copy cost items from the Craftsman Costbooks to your own custom costbook, and then change any of the numbers. WHO USES CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATOR? The app is used by many types of contractors, estimators, and service companies, such as: General contractors, electricians, plumbers, builders, landscapers, roofers, painters, carpenters, heating and air conditioning, flooring, siding, tile, concrete, asphalt paving, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, deck builders, handyman services, pest control, real estate flippers and rehabbers, insurance repair estimators, and more! ----- See more screenshots and a sample PDF estimate at: http://www.ConstructionCostEstimator.com ----- I am dedicated to responding quickly to support requests. If you have questions, problems, or feature requests, please send me an email using the Support link below. -----

About

Contractor Estimator

Streamline your business by creating professional estimates and invoices directly from the job site. Manage project costs, materials, labor, and equipment to generate polished PDF documents for your clients. Designed for on-the-go construction professionals.

Highlights
  • Create professional estimates
  • Generate invoices from estimates
  • Manage materials, labor, and equipment costs
  • Send PDF documents via email or WhatsApp
  • Organize projects and customer information
  • Duplicate existing estimates
Features
Read full description

RUN YOUR ENTIRE CONTRACTING BUSINESS FROM ONE APP Contractor Estimator is an all-in-one contractor management app built for general contractors, subcontractors, builders, remodelers, electricians, plumbers, painters, roofers, landscapers and handymen. Create professional estimates and invoices, manage clients and projects, track your business with a powerful dashboard, organize expenses, and use AI to help you work faster—all from your phone. Whether you’re at the office or on the job site, Contractor Estimator helps you save time, stay organized, and win more work. CREATE PROFESSIONAL ESTIMATES • Build detailed estimates in minutes • Add materials, labor and equipment costs • Generate professional PDF estimates • Duplicate previous estimates to save time • Save reusable templates for future projects • Calculate taxes, profit margins and totals automatically CREATE & SEND INVOICES • Convert estimates into invoices instantly • Generate professional PDF invoices • Send invoices by Email or WhatsApp • Track paid and unpaid invoices • Keep customer payment history organized MANAGE CLIENTS & PROJECTS • Organize all your customers in one place • Keep every estimate and invoice linked to each project • Track project progress and costs • View recent activity from your dashboard • Manage your business from anywhere AI TO HELP YOU WORK FASTER • Chat with AI to build estimates and answer construction questions • Scan supplier invoices to automatically import materials • Extract products, quantities and prices in seconds • Reduce manual data entry and paperwork MATERIALS, LABOR & EQUIPMENT • Add custom materials, labor and equipment • Use retailer pricing to build accurate estimates • Store your own price lists • Track labor costs and equipment usage • Calculate totals automatically BUSINESS DASHBOARD • Monitor your estimates and invoices • Track projects and customers • View business activity at a glance • Stay on top of your construction business with one central dashboard BUILT FOR CONTRACTORS • General Contractors • Subcontractors • Builders • Electricians • Plumbers • Painters • Roofers • Remodelers • Landscapers • Handymen Stop juggling spreadsheets, paperwork and multiple apps. Contractor Estimator gives you everything you need to estimate jobs, create invoices, manage customers, organize projects, and grow your business from one simple, powerful app. Terms & Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Construction Cost Estimator4 screens
Contractor Estimator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Contractor Estimator at Free against Construction Cost Estimator's $19.99. Contractor Estimator also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 77%). Construction Cost Estimator's advantage is ratings volume (516 vs 1) and chart position (#155 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Contractor Estimator is free to download; Construction Cost Estimator costs $19.99 up front. Construction Cost Estimator sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Contractor Estimator sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Contractor Estimator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Construction Cost Estimator has 516 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Construction Cost Estimator's written reviews are positive against 100% of Contractor Estimator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Construction Cost Estimator ships an update every 4 months, Contractor Estimator every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Construction Cost Estimator versus Contractor Estimator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterConstruction Cost EstimatorContractor Estimator
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (516 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings516 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#155 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.615 — better
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperContractor ToolsDarius Buhai

Customer experience

Construction Cost Estimator

All ratings516 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive77.4%
Neutral7.5%
Negative15.1%

Contractor Estimator

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Construction Cost Estimator

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Freezing on login screen
  • Incompatibility with older devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to sync estimates across devices
  • More customization options for reports
  • Integration with accounting software
  • Desktop version for office use
  • Multiple custom cost books
Show 1 more
  • Ability to calculate tax and markup separately

Contractor Estimator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Construction Cost Estimator

One-time10
  • NHI Costbook 2014$49.99
  • NRI Costbook 2013$49.99
  • NCE Costbook 2013$49.99
Show 7 more
  • NHI Costbook 2013$49.99
  • NCE Costbook 2014$49.99
  • NCE Costbook 2015$49.99
  • NHI Costbook 2015$49.99
  • NCE Costbook 2016$49.99
  • NHI Costbook 2016$49.99
  • NRI Costbook 2016$49.99
2 purchases

Contractor Estimator

Subscriptions2
  • Estimator7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • General Contractor$39.991 Month

Questions

Is Construction Cost Estimator free?
Construction Cost Estimator costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Contractor Estimator free?
Contractor Estimator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Construction Cost Estimator or Contractor Estimator?
Contractor Estimator is rated higher. Construction Cost Estimator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 516 ratings, while Contractor Estimator averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Construction Cost Estimator or Contractor Estimator have ads?
Neither Construction Cost Estimator nor Contractor Estimator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Construction Cost Estimator or Contractor Estimator?
Construction Cost Estimator ships an update every 4 months, and Contractor Estimator every 2 days. Most recently, Construction Cost Estimator was updated on September 30, 2026 and Contractor Estimator on September 7, 2026.

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