Excavation estimating software helps dirt work contractors create accurate bids for grading, site prep, land clearing, and demolition jobs. ThePocketBoss lets you build professional estimates with job-type templates, equipment and material cost tracking, labor breakdowns, and profit margin previews — so every bid protects your bottom line. Everything for just $19.99/month.
Excavation and earthwork bidding has too many cost variables to estimate on paper. Equipment hours, material yards, hauling loads, disposal fees, labor rates — miss one line and you're working for free. General contractor estimating software helps, but you need a system built for how excavation bids actually work.
A spreadsheet can't remind you to include equipment mobilization, fuel surcharges, or dump fees. Every forgotten line item comes straight out of your profit.
GCs compare your handwritten estimate to a competitor's branded PDF with clear line items. Professional presentation wins when pricing is close.
Templates for every job type, equipment cost tracking, hauling calculations, change order management, and margin previews — all from your phone between jobs.
Accurate estimates are just the start. Once you win the job, use excavation scheduling software to coordinate crews across sites, job management tools to track costs as work progresses, and progress invoicing to get paid by phase. Preview your margin using the contractor profit calculator before sending any bid.
Excavation and earthwork estimating is harder than most trades because every job has different site conditions, material volumes, and equipment requirements. Here's how ThePocketBoss solves the problems that eat your margins.
The problem: You bid a grading job at $8,000 and forgot to include fuel for the haul truck, disposal fees at the dump, and equipment mobilization to get the excavator on-site. By the time you're done, you made $800 instead of $2,400. It happens on every third job because there are too many cost components to keep in your head.
How ThePocketBoss helps: ThePocketBoss templates include every cost category — materials, hauling, disposal, equipment mobilization, fuel, permits, and labor. When you build an estimate, you fill in quantities and rates instead of trying to remember everything. Your templates catch the costs you forget, so your bids actually protect your margins.
The problem: The GC needs a number by end of day. You're on the machine until 5pm. Then you go home, pull out a legal pad, try to remember what you saw on the walk-through, and scratch out an estimate at the kitchen table. By the time you send it the next morning, they already gave it to the other guy who sent a number that afternoon.
How ThePocketBoss helps: Build estimates on your phone between jobs or during lunch. Pull up a template, plug in the quantities, adjust the rates, and send a professional PDF estimate before the GC even gets back to the office. Fast quoting wins more jobs than low pricing.
The problem: "That wasn't in the original scope" — but you never documented what was in the original scope. The GC asked you to move 200 extra yards of fill, you did it, and now nobody can agree on who said what. You eat the cost or fight about it for weeks.
How ThePocketBoss helps: When scope changes, create a change order in ThePocketBoss with the additional line items, pricing, and a clear description of the new work. Send it for digital approval before you move a bucket of dirt. Every change is documented with a timestamp and signature.
The problem: You charge one customer $45/yard for grading and another $55/yard for the same work, depending on who estimated it and what mood they were in. Your foreman prices jobs differently than you do. There's no standard rate sheet, so every estimate is a guess.
How ThePocketBoss helps: Set standard rates in your templates — per cubic yard, per equipment hour, per labor hour. When anyone on your team builds an estimate, they use the same rates. Adjust for specific job conditions, but start from a consistent baseline that protects your margins.
The problem: You won the job. Now you have to re-enter everything from the estimate into an invoice — same line items, same quantities, same pricing. It takes 30 minutes and you inevitably make a typo that short-changes you $500.
How ThePocketBoss helps: ThePocketBoss converts any estimate to an invoice with one click. All the line items, quantities, and pricing carry over. Adjust for actual quantities if needed, add any approved change orders, and send the invoice. No re-entry, no mistakes.
The problem: You hand the GC a handwritten estimate on a piece of paper. The other excavation company sends a branded PDF with itemized line items, their logo, and a digital signature line. Guess who looks more professional? Guess who gets the benefit of the doubt when pricing is close?
How ThePocketBoss helps: ThePocketBoss generates professional PDF estimates with your company branding, clear line item breakdowns, and digital approval. You look like a well-run operation that knows exactly what the job costs — because you do.
From site walk to signed estimate, here's how ThePocketBoss streamlines your entire excavation bidding process. Use the contractor profit calculator to verify your margins before sending any bid, and check the markup vs margin calculator to make sure your pricing covers costs and profit.
Take photos and notes on-site with your phone. Document the existing conditions, access points, soil type, and any obstacles. These details feed directly into your estimate so nothing gets missed.
Pick the right template for the job — grading, site prep, land clearing, demolition, drainage, or a custom template you built. The template pre-loads all the line items you typically need for that type of work.
Enter cubic yards, equipment hours, crew size, and hauling loads. Your standard rates fill in automatically. Adjust for job-specific conditions like rock, long haul distances, or difficult access.
Before you send anything, see your estimated profit margin. If the numbers don't work, adjust pricing or find where costs can come down. Never send a bid that loses money because you didn't run the numbers.
Email a branded PDF estimate to the GC or property owner. They can review line items, ask questions, and approve digitally. No printing, no driving across town to drop off paper.
When the estimate is approved, convert it to an invoice with one click. Track change orders as the job progresses. Collect deposits before mobilizing equipment. Get paid without chasing.
One app replaces your spreadsheets, legal pads, and guesswork with a professional excavation bidding system built for dirt work, grading, and site prep contractors.
Build reusable templates for grading, site prep, land clearing, demolition, and drainage jobs. Each template includes the line items you always need — so you stop rebuilding estimates from scratch every time a GC calls with a new project.
Calculate cubic yards of fill dirt, gravel, or removal and include trucking costs, disposal fees, and material delivery charges directly in your estimate. No more forgetting the dump run that eats your profit on every job.
Bake hourly rates for excavators, skid steers, dump trucks, and compactors into every estimate. Know exactly what your iron costs per hour and price jobs accordingly — instead of guessing and hoping you come out ahead.
Calculate labor costs with crew size times hours times rate, with different rates for operators versus laborers. Show customers a transparent breakdown while knowing your exact labor burden before you commit to a price.
When the GC changes scope mid-job — and they will — create a documented change order with line items, pricing, and customer approval. No more "that wasn't in the original bid" arguments that cost you thousands.
Send branded estimates with your logo, itemized line items, and clear pricing that customers actually understand. Look like a professional operation — not a guy with a backhoe and a handwritten quote on a napkin.
Every feature included for $19.99/month. No add-ons, no premium tiers, no per-estimate fees.
At $19.99/month, ThePocketBoss pays for itself on the first job you don't underbid. Here's how:
Templates catch forgotten costs like mobilization, disposal, and fuel that silently eat your profit
Send professional estimates from the truck instead of waiting until you get home to your desk
Every scope change is tracked with pricing, timestamps, and customer approval
Bottom line: One forgotten cost item on one job costs more than a full year of ThePocketBoss. At $19.99/month, accurate estimating is the easiest ROI decision you'll make.
Everything you need to know about creating accurate excavation estimates with ThePocketBoss.
Yes. Build reusable templates for grading, land clearing, site prep, demolition, drainage, utility trenching, and any other job type you regularly bid. Each template includes your standard line items, rates, and cost categories. When a new job comes in, select the template, adjust quantities, and send — instead of building every estimate from scratch.
Yes. Include trucking costs, disposal fees, and material delivery directly in your estimates. Enter the number of loads, distance to dump or fill source, and per-load costs. The estimate calculates the total automatically. This is where most excavation contractors lose money — forgetting the hauling that adds up fast on dirt work jobs.
Yes. Send estimates via email and customers can review, approve, and sign digitally from their phone or computer. You get a timestamp and signature record for every approval — which matters when scope changes come up later and you need to prove what was originally agreed.
Yes. One click converts an approved estimate into an invoice with all the same line items, quantities, and pricing. Adjust for actual quantities if the job came in different than estimated, add approved change orders, and send. No re-typing, no missed line items, no math errors.
Yes. When the scope changes — additional grading, unexpected rock removal, extra hauling — create a documented change order with new line items, pricing, and a description of the changed work. Send it for customer approval before doing the work. Every change is tracked with timestamps and digital signatures.
Yes. Enter your costs (equipment, labor, materials, hauling, subs) and your selling price, and ThePocketBoss shows your margin on every estimate before it goes out. If a job doesn't hit your target margin, you know before you commit — not after you've already moved 500 yards of dirt at a loss.
Join excavation contractors who've upgraded from spreadsheets and legal pads to professional estimating. Set up in minutes and bid your next job with confidence.
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