Back of the Napkin Estimates for Construction

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We’ve all heard it before.

“Yeah, I can get you a number.”
Grabs napkin.
Starts scribbling.

The classic napkin estimate. It’s practically a construction tradition.

And to be fair, sometimes that’s how jobs start—quick math, rough scope, ballpark pricing. But the problem is what happens next. That scribbled number turns into a PDF. The PDF turns into revisions. The revisions turn into confusion. And suddenly your “quick estimate” is costing you hours.

In the video, I literally use a picture of a napkin estimate to show how far we’ve come.

The Problem With Napkin Math

Napkin estimates aren’t wrong because they’re simple. They’re risky because they’re disconnected.

There’s no:

• Standardized pricing
• Clear scope breakdown
• Revision tracking
• Audit trail

Once that number leaves your hand, it’s hard to control what happens to it.

And when margins are tight, guessing isn’t a strategy.

The Modern “Napkin” Is AI

Instead of scribbling numbers, modern contractors are using AI-assisted estimating.

With Eano Pro, you can take rough project details and quickly generate structured line items, organized scopes, and consistent pricing—without rebuilding everything from scratch.

It’s still fast.
It’s still flexible.
But now it’s trackable, editable, and tied directly into your proposal workflow.

What used to take 45 minutes of typing and formatting can take minutes—and the result is something your team can actually build from.

Fast Doesn’t Have to Mean Sloppy

There’s nothing wrong with thinking on your feet. Contractors have to.

But your estimating process should grow with your business. The “back-of-the-napkin” mindset might win a conversation—but structured, AI-powered estimating wins the job and protects the margin.

The best part? You still move fast. You just don’t lose control of the numbers.

If you want to see the napkin-to-AI transition in action, watch the video above. And if you’re ready to retire the paper napkin for good, book a demo and see how simple modern estimating can be.

BTW: No tricks here. Just the napkin. Try it out for yourself.

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