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Quoting·5 min read

How to Create a Building Quote by Voice

The idea behind voice quoting is simple: you've just finished a site visit, you're standing in the customer's garden, everything is fresh in your mind. Instead of writing notes and converting them into a quote two days later at your kitchen table, you record a voice note and let AI turn that description into a structured quote right now. Here's how to get the most out of it.

What to say and in what order

You don't need to follow a script, but covering a few things in order makes the output better. Think of it like telling a colleague what the job involves:

  • Who the customer is — their name and roughly where they are (just the town is enough).
  • What the job is — be specific. 'Bathroom refurb' is less useful than 'strip out existing bathroom, supply and fit new bath, basin, back-to-wall WC, towel rail, and extractor. Tile full room floor to ceiling in customer-supplied tiles. New spotlights.'
  • Key materials — mention anything that significantly affects cost: tiles (floor or wall, and size), specific sanitary ware, type of flooring, type of boiler, brand of windows.
  • Any complications — access issues, asbestos risk, parking restrictions, existing pipes in the wrong place, period property with unusual dimensions.
  • Rough timescale — how many days you think it'll take and how many people you'll need.
  • Any work that's out of scope — if the customer also asked about redecorating and you're not including it, say so. It ends up in the quote as an exclusion, which protects you.

A real example of a voice quote description

Here's what a good voice description sounds like for a kitchen extension:

"Customer is John Smith in Wolverhampton. Single storey rear kitchen extension, approximately 4 metres by 6 metres. Strip foundations, cavity wall construction to match existing brick, flat roof with EPDM membrane, large bi-fold doors rear, one Velux in roof. Full rewire of extension, underfloor heating, no plumbing needed as kitchen stays in existing space. Boarding and skim plaster throughout. Not including kitchen fit or decoration. I'd estimate 6 weeks, two bricklayers for first two weeks, then me and a labourer for the rest."

That description gives everything needed to produce a structured quote with line items, labour days, and materials.

What the AI does with that

The voice description gets transcribed and then analysed to produce a structured quote. The AI breaks your description into work packages (groundworks, structure, roofing, etc.), estimates material quantities where possible, and applies the labour rates you've saved in your price book. You then review it, adjust any numbers that don't look right, add anything the AI missed, and send it — usually within a few minutes of finishing the site visit.

Tips for getting better quotes from voice

  • Record the note on site, not from memory later. The details you notice while walking around the job are exactly what the AI needs.
  • Mention numbers when you know them — room dimensions, number of radiators, number of lights, linear metres of skirting. Specifics produce more accurate quotes.
  • Don't worry about filler words or pauses. The transcription handles natural speech well. Just talk through the job like you'd explain it to your apprentice.
  • If the job has multiple distinct phases (groundworks now, internal fit-out after building regs approval), describe them separately. You'll get a cleaner quote you can split into phases.
  • Mention exclusions out loud. If you're not doing the garden after an extension, say that. If the customer is supplying kitchen units, say that. Exclusions in the quote prevent disputes later.

Building your price book

The more complete your price book, the better the AI can apply your rates automatically. At a minimum, set your day rate for yourself, your labourer rate, and a handful of common materials you use regularly. As you review and edit AI-generated quotes, anything you change becomes feedback for getting the next quote right faster.

Tip

The best time to record your voice note is standing outside the property right after the site visit — before you've driven away and while your eyes still remember what they saw.

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More guides

How to Quote for a House Extension→How to Price Labour and Materials as a UK Tradesperson→How to Win More Quotes as a Tradesperson→