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"Joist" app for estimating smaller jobs

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#21 ·
Hi is anyone still using this? Would love to hear some quick feedback from those who have been using this for months.

I currently use 247PRO for my remodeling business. It uses templates with all the information I need and I could customize them and even save them for future clients.
 
#22 ·
As you probably noticed, I posted about this a couple times. I was getting ready to add something today.

I've used it for a couple months. I don't use it for everything. Mostly smaller jobs. I've spent some time customizing it to my liking. So far no problems at all.

Today, I called the company to get an answer to a question. Turned out, I could have figured it out, if I had spent any amount of time.

They told me it was available online. I didn't know that. Logged on and typed up an estimate on my laptop. Much easier for me than a tablet. I have a keyboard for my tablet, but it's still pretty small.

They also said, this version will always be free. They have investors to pay for it. In the future they will have different versions for a fee.
 
#23 ·
Thanks for the quick reply builditguy.

I looked into it earlier and I like how you can work on different platforms. However, I feel like this application is more geared for simple projects (as the title says). And it might work for someone who wants to make a quick estimate without writing out all the details.

I would like to see what they have coming up next, but I'll stick to what I'm using now.

Thanks again!
 
#25 ·
Joist is a great app, It works great for some of my jobs. It's free, plus you can produce professional estimates and invoices, not sure why you would need any other app?
 
#26 ·
Just a small update.

I've been using the joist app for sending estimates for smaller jobs. I also use it for sending invoices for those jobs.

Lately I've used it for sending an invoice for a job that I had previously typed up. I used my regular contract for the job, but then I used the joist app to send an invoice when the job was completed.

One thing I noticed, that I really like, is the notifications. Just now I sent 2 invoices. I set it to send myself a copy. This way I know it made it through. (at least through to me) Then the app lets me know when the customer opened the email. It's nice to sit here and know that a customer has already looked at the invoice.

It also lets you know when a customer opens an estimate.
 
#27 ·
A small thing, but i liked it.

Sent out a few invoices the other day. As I posted before, the app tells you when a customer opens the email.

Customer just called me and said they hadn't checked their email and just realized I sent a bill. They said they would get a check in the mail.

The customer doesn't realize the app let me know it was opened the day I sent it. It's not a big deal. Small white lie, but now I know it. Of course I didn't mention that to them. It's not for me to call them out.

It is always possible her husband opened it and she didn't know it.

Just reminded me I like the notification part of the app.
 
#31 ·
My biggest problem is the format. My QB proposals look wicked professional, whereas Joist is more just blank space with writing in it. It's not that bad, I just like my QB proposals way more.

I'll get in touch with Joist and see what they can do. In the meantime I might setup a 30 day trial of QB online to see how that works.
 
#32 ·
Lately I have noticed I've got some invoices and estimates that don't tell me when they are opened. They also don't show that they were opened. I know they were. I've been paid on most and already completed the work on an estimate.

I suspect it is the customer's computer not allowing a return email to say it was opened. They were all for businesses. I'm betting they have software security that doesn't allow messages to be sent back out, like that.

I tried contacting Joist, but got no answer and no reply.
 
#34 ·
builditguy said:
I suspect it is the customer's computer not allowing a return email to say it was opened.
Click to expand...
The common way for doing open notifications nowadays is to embed a tiny, 1x1 image in the email that has a unique identifier in its URL just for that email. When Joist (or whomever)'s server gets a request for that image they know the email was opened.

It's possible that the recipient's email client isn't loading the images, or they're getting blocked somehow. There's browser extensions that are made specifically for blocking these things; but I doubt most people use them.
 
#40 ·
Joist is a great app for estimates and invoices for free. I haven't tried to pay the 10.99$ or w/e for the contracts and whatnot but I defiantly recommend it if your tired of hand writing them!
 
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