From 6,240 square feet to a quote
This example is illustrative. It follows how a painting contractor uses dassi to turn takeoffs into quotes, with the job and the numbers changed.
The takeoff was done. The software had the walls at 6,240 square feet, the ceilings at 2,180, an epoxy floor at 1,450 and 310 linear feet of cove base. What was left was the part that eats an evening: multiply everything by the right rate, open Jobber, and type it in so the quote looks like the last one the client’s architect saw.
The instruction gave four rates and one rule about format. dassi read the totals from the takeoff tab and did the arithmetic where you can see it:
| Scope | Quantity | Rate | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walls | 6,240 sq ft | $2.10 | $13,104 |
| Ceilings | 2,180 sq ft | $1.60 | $3,488 |
| Epoxy floor | 1,450 sq ft | $7.50 | $10,875 |
| Cove base | 310 linear ft | $20.00 | $6,200 |
| Total | $33,667 |
Then it opened a past estimate in Jobber, read how the lines were named and described, and built a new draft quote the same way. The premium stain went in as a single optional line, because the instruction said to group the upgrade into one.
Two things it wasn’t sure about
The spec sheet asked for a level 5 finish in two rooms. The takeoff had no separate measurement for them. dassi priced them at the standard wall rate, since it had nothing else to go on, and said so. A level 5 finish costs more than that, and someone has to measure those two rooms and set the rate.
The second flag was smaller. A note in the takeoff listed cove base at a different rate than the instruction. dassi used the $20 it was told and pointed out the difference.
What to check before sending
The quote is a draft. Read each line total against the table. Then read the scope wording, especially anything about what’s included in materials. In the usage behind this page, the contractor went back and forth several times on the materials section: remove the allowance, price one product per gallon, keep the others at full price. Those are judgment calls about your margin and your client.
Limits
dassi reads measurements. It doesn’t take them. An estimate built on an incomplete takeoff is an incomplete estimate.
The rates are yours. It will do what you tell it with them, including a market adjustment if you ask for one, but we wouldn’t send a number a model came up with.
Both tabs have to be open in a browser where you’re signed in, and the drawings, spec and client details on those screens are read by the AI provider you chose.