Accurate estimating can determine whether a contractor wins a project, but maintaining an in-house estimating team can add significant overhead. The PayWhirl Multi-Platform app helps professional service businesses create and manage flexible subscription programs built around their customers’ changing needs.
Pinch Estimating puts that flexibility into practice by providing professional quantity takeoffs and construction estimating services to subcontractors and general contractors across the United States. The company works remotely as a dedicated in-house estimator or an extension of a contractor’s existing team.
Serving subcontractors and general contractors throughout the United States, Pinch Estimating provides detailed quantity takeoffs, construction cost estimates, and professionally branded bid proposals. With help from PayWhirl’s BigCommerce integration, the company can also offer ongoing estimating support through flexible Partner Package subscriptions.
Professional estimating without the cost of another full-time employee
Pinch Estimating works remotely as a dedicated estimator or as additional support for an existing estimating department.
This gives contractors access to experienced estimating professionals without many of the expenses associated with hiring another full-time employee, such as payroll taxes, benefits, paid time off, office space, travel, and equipment.
For every project, the Pinch Estimating team reviews the architectural and engineering plans, completes detailed quantity takeoffs, and prepares cost estimates based on each contractor’s pricing, production rates, and preferred estimating methods.
The team can also prepare polished bid proposals featuring the contractor’s own branding. This allows clients to present estimates that look and feel as though they were created by an internal estimating department.
“Our goal is simple: provide accurate, dependable estimating support that saves contractors time, reduces overhead, and helps them bid more projects with confidence,” explained an owner and estimator at Pinch Estimating.
Explained by an owner and estimator at Pinch Estimating.
Two ways for contractors to get the support they need
Pinch Estimating offers two primary service options.
Fixed-Price Projects are designed for contractors who need estimating assistance with an individual project. This option allows a business to bring in professional support when a specific opportunity arises without making an ongoing commitment.
Partner Packages are subscription-based plans for contractors who bid consistently and need dependable estimating capacity from week to week or month to month.
The subscription model is particularly well suited to the construction industry because estimating workloads can change quickly. A contractor may have several projects in the pipeline one month and fewer opportunities the next.
Pinch Estimating designed its Partner Packages around that reality.
Using PayWhirl to match changing project pipelines
Pinch Estimating uses PayWhirl to manage its Partner Package subscriptions through its BigCommerce store.
“PayWhirl helps us stay flexible with the current workflow our customers have in their pipeline,”
The owner said.
When a contractor is actively bidding, they can maintain their subscription and continue receiving ongoing estimating support. If business slows down, they can pause the service. When new opportunities arrive, they can resume their subscription or select a package that better matches their current workload.
This flexibility gives contractors access to estimating support when they need it while helping them manage costs during slower periods.
“If they’re busy, they can continue with the ongoing subscription,”
The owner explained.
“If they’re slow, they can pause it. When they get busy again, they can unpause the subscription or choose the package they need.”
Finding a platform that fits the business
Before choosing PayWhirl, Pinch Estimating tried other payment platforms. However, those options did not provide the flexibility the company wanted for its clients and were more difficult to configure.
“I’ve used other payment platforms, but they weren’t as flexible for my clients’ needs and were much harder to set up,”
The owner said
PayWhirl provided a more approachable way for Pinch Estimating to offer recurring packages alongside its fixed-price services. The company could build subscriptions around the way its clients actually work instead of forcing contractors into a rigid, long-term arrangement.
That distinction matters for professional service businesses, where customer demand may change from one month to the next.
Why subscriptions can work for professional services
Subscriptions are often associated with physical products, software, and memberships, but Pinch Estimating demonstrates how recurring billing can also support professional services.
For businesses that provide ongoing expertise, a subscription can give clients dependable access to support while creating a more consistent working relationship.
The owner of Pinch Estimating recommends that other professional service providers consider whether a flexible recurring model could work for their customers.
“If you provide professional services, PayWhirl is a great fit because it’s easy to set up and flexible enough to meet changing client needs,” the owner said.
For Pinch Estimating, that means making professional estimating capacity available without requiring every contractor to build an internal department.
Helping contractors bid with confidence
Pinch Estimating’s combination of fixed-price services and flexible Partner Package subscriptions allows contractors to choose the level of support that fits their businesses.
Whether a company needs help with one project or ongoing estimating capacity, the objective remains the same: reduce overhead, save time, and prepare professional bids with greater confidence.
“If you’re a contractor looking for premier subscription-based estimating support and want to significantly reduce your overhead, we may be just what you need,”
The owner said.
Visit Pinch Estimating to learn more about its estimating services and Partner Packages.
Interested in offering subscriptions through your BigCommerce store? Explore the PayWhirl integration for BigCommerce.
