# My review of Paint Estimator Pro



## AAPaint (Apr 18, 2005)

Well, I've been using a POS estimating software for a while now mostly to give my estimates a nice format. Just a few days ago I purchased PEP to try it out because it SEEMED to have the necessary items to produce a nice proposal. 

First things first. The program is only supposed to be viewed in 800x600 or 1024x768 resolution. Big bummer for me and my 21" monitor at 1600x1200. When you open the program, right off it looks very outdated and cheap. The windows are not resizable within the program without clicking the edge and dragging them. There is no minimize/maximize buttons on most every window in the program. So, the user is left to drag the windows to the right size in order to use it. Also, some widows reuire dragging both sides, sliding it off the screen, and dragging the other side just to be able to see all of the program functions. Quite annoying. 

Once you have it resized where you can see everything you will notice text that doesn't fit inside buttons or is all jumbled. Some buttons text are half covered by parts of the background like a glitch, so you can't see exactly what the text says. Other areas of the program help text will appear directly over drop down boxes making it impossible to see what's going on. 

As for the program itself. Inputing data is pretty simple, but not like any other windows program. Your scroll wheel will magically clear every text box on the screen. Pressing the right arrow when one box has highlighted text does not put your cursor at the end of the text...it jumps to the next box as if you had pushed TAB. 

Once one overcomes these issues you will find the core functionality is pretty decent. You can adjust application rates, company hourly rates, overhead and profit percentages, literally everything you can think of you can adjust. Great! You can input item by item everything from prep time to number of coats. There is also additional space to add in for repairs, and many areas to add notes about specific items. 

For those who need something to wrangle in their own costs and allow job tracking, this program has that. If you're like me and looking to be more accurate with each and every step in the process of a paint job for estimating purposes, it can help. Customer and job tracking are included, and It even prints labels. In the future they are supposed to add a way to calculate materials properly, but for now you must add in one lump sum price and it will add your profit percentage for you. The job tracking feature allows you to track every single hour, payment, material expense, etc. and is helpful. 

The area calculator built into the program only lets you input two dimensions. So for a whole rooms sq ft you have to do [(L x 2) + (W x 2)] xH to get your total area. You can't just input LxWxH....not a very big deal, but still not easy to have to break apart every area you want to calculate. Ideally, the program should take the LxWxH measurement and return wall sq ft and ceiling sq ft separately. Ceiling measurements are easier because they are just LxW, and the two measurement boxes produce the desired result......in that case. 

Proposals are supposed to print out really pretty, and there is an area to maintain your contract terms that it adds to the proposals. However, there are a few issues in this area too. Proposals look kinda nice, but it blatantly says how much is estimated materials and how much is estimated labor right at the top of the contract. I prefer my contracts to have $$ amounts on the second or even third page after a full list of proposed work. You know, sell them on the work first, then the price. Another problem I have with that is that we don't charge sales tax because we offer a lump sum price as a service. (nice loophole for FL contractors) Having itemized pricing requires us to charge sales tax. 

Another issue lies in the contract maintenance area of the program. You can edit the contract terms for any of the contracts, but you can only have one or two pages of terms total using the largest pre-made contract "interior painting". With all of my terms added it comes out to four pages and it cuts half of them off. I determine the length of the contract, not a program...again very annoying. 

When the proposal prints, I was again annoyed to find that the bottom line of the first page is cut in half. The first line of the second page is jammed up into the red divider line of the header. I have issues with the top of the proposal being outlined in red, company name, company info, and divider lines are all red. Our company color is blue, and we'd like that color if any on our proposals...not red. Underneath our company name it takes the liberty to print the cheesiest looking picture of a roller, pan, brush, and bucket that looks like it's straight from windows clip art. Would make a nice place for our logo!! 

Overall......I'm torn. The ability to so closely track everything related to a job is definitely there. This program has the ability to be something really great, but is lack-luster in appearance and ease of use/basic functionality. It's very generic and feels like a program from the 1980's. The way proposals are printed is very generalized. Usually we have a breakdown of every prep/paint step under each area name. This doesn't allow for it as far as I can tell. 

I have been told by a few close friends that my proposals look better than the one printed from this program. The job tracking ability carries a lot of weight with me. I can track each and every hour, penny spent, made, etc..keep a customer database that I can print labels directly from and a few other things all in one place is enticing. 

I think I'm going to get the 30 day refund for this program due to the problems, but I would like to hear of anyone else's experience using this software, and I hope everyone enjoyed my review. 

I forgot to note the fact that this is the full pro version of the program with all the extra features, and it is priced at $269. The amount I paid alone makes me want to return it....


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Well you got farther that I ever did with it
I've tried the free trial twice over the last year or two
I've never been able to get past the "core functionality" part

The tracking and proposals etc. seemed like a great idea, but I was unable to play with it

Great review though

Even with the good stuff, it sounds like enough not-so-good to give it a pass
At least for you anyway

It does kinda have the 80s thing goin' on huh?


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## jmgallagher (Jan 28, 2005)

AA,

I have been using the PEP program for about 2-years (or longer) now. It took me a little getting used to at first. But it was worth figuring everything out.

Im pretty sure they will change the color and put your logo in for you. It will cost you though. I just left it the way it was. Not having a logo and that Clip art picture dont bother me.

Not being able to resize it never bothered me. I did think it was odd though but got used to it.

The scroll issue took a bit to get used to but now its just habbit NOT to use it. Im not sure about the printing issues you have. I dont have any issues printing it. It lines up perfect.

You have the updated version where they have added contracts that you can choose. I have the old version...I just went to my C drive and clicked on PEP then clicked to Current Contract and changed the Contract to my own. I only used the most important parts of my contract (about 6 paragraphes) and put them in. I downsized the font. It fits on one page. My Scope, Terms and Conditions for Interior or Exterior are printed seperately from Word. 

I will use the place where it says " misc. notes" to write in the Prep procedures, materials we will use and anything else that goes with that piticular line item. The "Repairs and Other Costs" are used for just that purpose.

When type in my measurements I do LxH twice then WxH twice. Yeah it is a bummer but Im used to it.

The ease of use and job tracking abilities are what sold me. It does have a few glitches but I still think it is worth the money. Once you spend a little time with it. ( It will take you longer than 30 days to REALLY use it) Delete all data in it and add your own etc etc. I really think you will enjoy it. I have receive many compliments from people about how detailed it was , how professional and organized it was, and how everything is a line item.

I wouldnt toss it out just yet if I were you. Spend the time with it. Once you have your own data logged into it. You can write up estimates in less than half the time it would to write them out.

As with any program it takes some time to adjust it to your needs or liking.

If you need more info. I try to help.

Thanks,

Joe

There is another program that I bought a few months ago from DevWave. I am spending a lot of time with it also. That is a really nice software program too. It dont print out as nice (prints in a word format)but has a lot of great features. I am setting up a system for mobile estimates and this may be the program for that.


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## GEB7678 (Dec 17, 2005)

Im using the National Estimator programs from craftsman-books.com. Very adaptable to quckbooks or Word & Excel. they have different CD-ROMS available for all type of work from Excavating to Electrical to Painting. Ive been using it for 3 years now and its very easy, just cut and paste and add your measurements. thats www.craftsman-books.com


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## AAPaint (Apr 18, 2005)

Hey jm, I have the basic version of the DevWave software allready, and am now looking at using the pro version. Honestly, for $269 I shouldn't have to get used to windows that don't resize, they should work... I haven't seen that since windows 3.1..Also, for an asking price like that it should be able to calculate all of the room dimensions on it's own. Since it's my contract, and it allready has a contract editing section, I should be able to determine the length of the contract and all of the terms.....Why on earth would someone limit how long of a contract that a contract-or can write with an expensive peice of software? I'm constantly updating and adding to my contract....

I do agree fully that the job tracking features are awesome, but I shouldn't have to learn a whole new way of computing to uitlize them. Take the devwave software for example. Whatever I put in, it's fine with. It does the LxWxH....allthough it's much more rudementary in it's method of calculating costs because you have to break down your own production rates and input those in cost per sq ft, but all it's features work, and it behaves like any other program in windows. 

PEP is completely un-polished and more than double the price of the DevWave pro software. Honestly, after using the basic version for a year or so, I'm leaning towards getting a refund on PEP and buying the pro version of estimate works. I'm having a very hard time justifying a program with so many glitches it shouldn't even be considered a beta for $269. 

It really is awesome in it's capabilities to manage everything for a job from tracking payments, to customer info, etc all in one place......but I don't know if I can handle using something so incomplete. Ahhh....I've got 28 days left, hehe!


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

Devwave is not a true production rate estimating program.
Why would the amount of "coating or covering" determine
unit cost I have no idea. What about different substrates?
Somehow having to change the way we do things to accomodate
a programmer is not right. I have sent mine back.
By the way $269 is not a lot of money.
I have the PEP, tried the Devwave, bought the Paint Cost Estimator,
Lynn Fife's Eagle Bid. A lot of money spent with a lot of frustrating 
time trying to adjust to a system with no results. Some people can make 
the PEP work but it takes work and it shouldn't.
Save your money and effort.
The estimating program available through NAPP, blows all of them away,
and I haven't seen the latest improvements. The trial version I have 
seems way superior to all of them and I have tried almost of them.
It is also a proposal writer (a real Proposal made any way you like it in 
Lotus Word Pro) I am not sure Non Members can have it but I am
looking forward to receiving mine.


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## AAPaint (Apr 18, 2005)

Hey George. How much is the software through NAPP? I'm very interested. I MUST have something to help calculate everything and format it nicely in a relatively quick manner. My laptop has been ordered and I will be doing mobile estimates very soon. 

Using the basic edition of estimate works I have adapted to it...I use it mostly to calculate footage, and flat charges for doors and windows. Other than that, I sit back and figure up my time, materials, and markup on my own. It does give me a decent format to start with, then I edit it to suit me, but this is what I want to get AWAY from!! 

Here's what I'm about to do...I want to join NAPP anyway, so I'm going to pay the dues and join. Then, I'm going to try out their software.....PEP refund should cover most of that.


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

AAPaint said:


> Hey George. How much is the software through NAPP? I'm very interested. I MUST have something to help calculate everything and format it nicely in a relatively quick manner. My laptop has been ordered and I will be doing mobile estimates very soon.
> 
> Using the basic edition of estimate works I have adapted to it...I use it mostly to calculate footage, and flat charges for doors and windows. Other than that, I sit back and figure up my time, materials, and markup on my own. It does give me a decent format to start with, then I edit it to suit me, but this is what I want to get AWAY from!!
> 
> Here's what I'm about to do...I want to join NAPP anyway, so I'm going to pay the dues and join. Then, I'm going to try out their software.....PEP refund should cover most of that.


I will let you know as soon as I know.


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## jmgallagher (Jan 28, 2005)

I fully understand your thoughts of the PEP... at the time that I ordered it I couldnt find anything else that was better so I managed with it and now im just used to it. I only paid $99 bucks for it back then:thumbup: 


I bought the Estimate works PRO version from Devwave and like I said I am still tinkering with it. I think this program could just be used for "most" NEW work. It would be easy to configure to work for ONLY that. 

I joined NAPP when it first came out but it seemed there wasnt much going on so I let my membership run out. I think Ill go check back in. Not only for the software but the many other bennies they offer.

I even checked out Golden Seal anyone got any info or reveiws on that???

Im in the same boat as you AA I want to be able to turn estimates over faster.

PEP is good but could be better.... Painting PRO is fast (basically point and click... add in all your data) but is limited...

Like I said before... you have to spend time with ANY software at first to configure it to your company.

Thanks,

Joe


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Thanks for the reviews. Info such as this is priceless IMHO.
Would love to hear more on all different products.


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## Farmall (Nov 6, 2005)

ProWallGuy said:


> Thanks for the reviews. Info such as this is priceless IMHO.
> Would love to hear more on all different products.



Couldn't have said it better myself.


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