Plumbing estimating and quote apps for small shops, side by side

By Gavin Harris, Staxen. Updated 2026-10-15.

A lot of quoting software for plumbers is dispatch software with estimates attached, which suits a shop running service calls all day. Housecall Pro, Workiz and ServiceTitan are built that way, while Staxen fits the plumber who prices a repipe or a water heater swap out loud from the crawlspace and wants it signed with the deposit paid before leaving. Joist is the low-cost option at $10 a month for a few quotes. Prices were checked on each vendor's site on October 15, 2026.

How this list was chosen

We make Staxen, which is a bias worth knowing about. We judged each app on the plumbing jobs where paperwork makes or loses money: a flat-rate repair priced at the door, a water heater swap with the code items listed, and a remodel rough-in bid that needs a signature and a deposit. Every fact comes from the vendor's own pricing, feature or help pages as they read on October 15, 2026. Apps appear from the lowest published starting price down to quote only, which says nothing about which one is better.

Pick by what you need

Estimating apps for plumbers, compared

Listed by lowest published starting price, quote-only apps last. This is not a ranking.

Joist

Best for: Solo plumbers and side work with only a few quotes a month

Price: Basics is $10 a month for up to 5 documents a month, Pro $17, Elite $32, and the newer Run plan, which adds scheduling, is $70 a month introductory. 14-day free trial; the free plan is gone.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Joist pricing, Joist estimates, Joist homeowner financing, Joist scheduling.

Pros:

• Basics is $10 a month, with digital signatures on every plan
• Request deposits right from the estimate, and take cards, ACH or Tap to Pay
• Acorn Finance homeowner financing on every plan, useful on a tankless upgrade
• Saved project templates from Pro up for the repairs you price most

Cons:

• We found no online booking or dispatch board on its pricing page
• Scheduling needs the Run plan at $70 a month introductory
• The 5-document cap on Basics runs out fast in a busy week

Jobber

Best for: Small plumbing crews that want quotes, scheduling and routing in one place

Price: Core is $49 a month month to month, $39 on a one-year commitment, or $29 billed annually, for 1 user, and extra users are $29 a month each. Connect, which adds QuickBooks sync and automated quote follow-ups, starts at $139 a month month to month.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Jobber pricing, Jobber quotes, Jobber automations help, Jobber AI Voice help.

Pros:

• Online booking and scheduling on Core, plus route planning for the crew
• Optional line items on Grow and Plus let you offer an expansion tank or upgrade as an add-on
• Jobber AI on every plan, and a voice mode in beta on mobile that creates and edits quotes hands-free
• Cards at 2.9% plus 30 cents and ACH at 1% on every plan

Cons:

• Core leaves out QuickBooks Online sync and quote follow-ups; Connect adds them at $139 a month month to month
• A second tech on Core adds $29 a month
• We found no dispatch board on its pricing or quotes page, only scheduling and routing

Staxen (our app)

Best for: One to three truck plumbing shops with no office staff that quote on the first visit

Price: $59 a month per AI employee, or $149 a month for all three. The first 7 days are free in the app.

Pros:

• Say the job while you are still under the sink, and a priced line-item estimate comes back to check
• The customer signs from a text or email link without an app or login, and pays the deposit right there when you take cards through Stripe
• Unsigned estimates get email follow-ups and overdue invoices get escalating reminders, with nobody in an office doing it
• Each invoice pushes to QuickBooks Online on send, and payment status comes back
• SMS appointment reminders and website form leads live in the same account, with no per-user fees

Cons:

• No dispatch board, GPS or online booking for a day full of service calls
• No good, better, best options or consumer financing on the estimate
• No time tracking or payroll for techs

Housecall Pro

Best for: Service plumbers running a few techs on lots of small calls

Price: Basic is $79 a month, or $59 billed annually, for 1 user. Essentials is $189 ($149 annually) for 5 users and Max is $329 ($299 annually) for 8. 14-day free trial.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Housecall Pro pricing, Housecall Pro estimating, e-signatures help, deposits help, consumer financing, card on file help, customer notifications help.

Pros:

• Online booking from Google or your website, plus scheduling and dispatch, all on Basic
• Require a deposit on the estimate as a flat amount or a percentage
• Flat-rate pricing and employee GPS tracking come with Essentials
• On-my-way texts, card on file, and Wisetack financing from $500 to $65,000

Cons:

• Basic is 1 user, so a second tech means Essentials at $189 a month, or $149 billed annually
• QuickBooks Online sync waits for Essentials
• We found no voice-to-estimate feature on its estimating page
• Estimate follow-up automation is sold as the Pipeline add-on, not in the plans

Workiz

Best for: Plumbing service outfits that run on the phone and want calls, texts and jobs in one system

Price: No published prices. Standard, Pro and Ultimate each say Request pricing, and every plan has unlimited jobs. 7-day free trial.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Workiz pricing.

Pros:

• Every plan includes a built-in phone system and two-way texting with customers
• Estimate deposits, consumer financing and QuickBooks Online sync on every plan
• Online booking with optional checkout, plus team and fleet tracking
• Unlimited jobs and estimates on every plan

Cons:

• No published prices: Standard, Pro and Ultimate all say Request pricing, after a 7-day free trial
• Flat-rate pricing and sales proposals are on Ultimate only
• We found no way for the customer to e-sign on its pricing page
• Automations are capped by plan at 5, 10 or 30

ServiceTitan

Best for: Plumbing companies with 10 or more techs, a dispatcher and a call center

Price: Quote only. Starter, Essentials and The Works are priced per technician, and ServiceTitan publishes no prices.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on ServiceTitan pricing, ServiceTitan estimating.

Pros:

• Customizable estimate templates made for plumbers, with good, better, best proposals and financing options
• A drag-and-drop dispatch board, call booking and GPS for techs on the way
• A pricebook on every plan, with Pricebook Pro sold as an add-on
• Payroll from Essentials, and advanced reporting on The Works

Cons:

• Quote only, priced per technician, with a demo instead of a free trial
• The Starter plan leaves out mobile estimates
• We found no e-signature or deposit collection on its pricing or plumbing estimating pages
• Made for a shop with office staff to run it, which is a lot for a one-truck plumber

Work out whether you lose more money on slow quotes or on a messy schedule. If bids sit in your head until the weekend, try Staxen or Jobber on your next water heater job. If the phone rings all day and techs crisscross town, Housecall Pro, Workiz or ServiceTitan is built for that. A plumber who only quotes a few jobs a month is well covered by Joist at $10.

Frequently asked questions

Which plumbing estimating app fits a small shop?

Match it to the work. For a shop that prices on the first visit and wants the deposit before leaving, Staxen is built for that. For many service calls a day, Housecall Pro, Workiz and ServiceTitan bring dispatch and booking. Joist and Jobber Core are lower-cost ways to send a quote the customer approves online. All prices here were checked on vendor sites on October 15, 2026.

Which plumbing apps support flat-rate pricing?

ServiceTitan has a pricebook on every plan and sells Pricebook Pro as an add-on. Housecall Pro has a price book on Basic and adds flat-rate pricing on Essentials. Workiz lists flat rate on its Ultimate plan. Whichever you use, keep the book current, because a flat rate set on last year's parts prices quietly eats your margin.

What does Staxen cost a plumbing business?

Staxen is $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 per month for all three. A plumber who only needs quoting starts with Eddie the Estimator, and Josie the Job Manager adds scheduling with SMS reminders for the next visit. It is month to month, and the first 7 days are free in the app.

Is there a free plumbing quote app?

Not among these. Workiz lists no free plan now and asks you to request pricing after a 7-day trial. Joist dropped its free plan and starts at $10 a month after a 14-day trial, Jobber and Housecall Pro each offer 14 days, and ServiceTitan sells through a demo. Staxen gives 7 free days in the app.

Should plumbers quote flat rate or time and materials?

Flat rate wins for standard residential work because customers approve a known number faster, and it protects you when a two-hour job turns into four. Time and materials still makes sense for diagnostic and repair work where the scope is unknown, like chasing a slab leak. Many shops mix both: flat rate for the repeatable tasks, time and materials beyond that. Whatever you choose, put it in writing on the estimate the customer signs.

How much should a water heater replacement estimate be?

Our 2026 plumbing pricing guide puts a tank water heater replacement at $1,400 to $3,200 installed, depending on gas versus electric, venting, code upgrades like expansion tanks and seismic strapping, and local permit fees. A tankless conversion runs $3,500 to $7,500 because of gas line and venting changes. Itemizing those code items on the estimate is what keeps the final invoice from becoming an argument.

Get the Staxen app: the first 7 days are free.