Contractor estimate app for iPhone: deck, fence and drywall

An estimate has three parts: the takeoff (how much material), the price (material plus labor), and the quote you hand the customer. Big estimating suites do all three on a desktop. Most small contractors and serious DIYers just need an iPhone app that gets an accurate number on site, before they leave the driveway. This guide shows that workflow for three common jobs (a deck, a fence and a room of drywall) using two free apps we make.

The two apps, and what each one is for

• Roofing Calculator & Estimator does the takeoff and the cost. Despite the name, version 1.7 (live on the App Store) has a Home & Yard Projects section with deck, fence, drywall, insulation, tile, sod and gravel calculators, next to more than 140 roofing tools. It works offline, in feet or metres, in English or Spanish. You can save estimates, export a PDF quote and collect materials in a Job Cart list.
• Instant Quote Maker turns the numbers into a branded quote or invoice. It has line items, tax and discounts, your logo and business details, and a PDF you can share from the phone.

If one PDF from the calculator is enough, you only need the first app. If you want your logo, tax lines and an invoice when the job is done, add the second.

Job 1: a 12 × 16 ft deck

The deck cost calculator in Home & Yard Projects asks for size, material, railing and stairs. Here's the takeoff it is doing:

• Area: 12 × 16 = 192 sq ft.
• Decking: a 5.5-inch board with a 1/8-inch gap covers about 5.625 inches. Running 16 ft boards across a 12 ft depth takes 144 ÷ 5.625 ≈ 26 rows, about 29 boards with 10% waste.
• Joists: at 16 inches on center along 16 ft, (192 ÷ 16) + 1 = 13 joists, each 12 ft.
• Price: pressure-treated decks commonly run about $15–$25 per sq ft installed, so roughly $2,900–$4,800 before stairs, railing and permit. The app shows a low–high range and lets you add each extra.

Separate tools then handle posts and footings, railing and baluster spacing, and screws. For the full reasoning, see our deck cost calculator guide.

Job 2: 100 ft of 6 ft privacy fence

• Posts: at 8 ft spacing, 100 ÷ 8 = 12.5, so 13 sections and 14 posts. Gates and corners add posts.
• Rails: a 6 ft privacy fence usually uses 3 rails per section, so 13 × 3 = 39 rails.
• Pickets: 100 ft is 1,200 inches; at 5.5 inches each that's about 219 pickets, before waste.

The fence calculator covers privacy, picket and vinyl styles. It also has electric and deer fence and a chain-link takeoff, plus stain gallons. Our fence cost guide has the concrete and cost math.

Job 3: drywall for a 12 × 12 ft room

• Walls: perimeter 48 ft × 8 ft ceiling = 384 sq ft.
• Ceiling: 12 × 12 = 144 sq ft, for 528 sq ft in total.
• Sheets: a 4 × 8 sheet is 32 sq ft, so 528 ÷ 32 = 16.5. With 10% waste, 18.2 rounds up to 19 sheets. Many pros leave small openings in the count and use the offcuts.

The drywall calculator adds screws, joint compound, tape and corner bead to the same estimate. The long version is in how much drywall do I need.

From estimate to quote

1. Save each estimate in Roofing Calculator & Estimator and add its materials to the Job Cart.
2. Export the PDF if a quick written number is all the customer needs.
3. For a formal quote, copy the material and labor totals into Instant Quote Maker as line items. Then add your tax rate, scope and exclusions, and share the PDF.

Our guide to writing a contractor quote lists what every quote should include, from payment terms to the exclusions that prevent arguments.

iPhone vs Android: which app to get

On iPhone, install Roofing Calculator & Estimator; the deck, fence, drywall, insulation, tile, sod and gravel calculators are inside it. We don't publish separate iPhone versions of those trades, so there's no need to look for them. On Android, the Roofing app has the same Home & Yard section, and each trade also has its own free app on Google Play, such as Smart Decking Calculator, Smart Fencing Calculator and Smart Drywall Calculator. Instant Quote Maker is on both.

Both apps are free to download. Roofing Calculator & Estimator shows ads, and a one-time in-app purchase removes them; there's no subscription and no account. Comparing calculator apps more broadly? Read our best construction calculator app for iPhone guide.