Estimating Software for Custom Cabinetmakers

Accurate Estimates • Manage Customer Expectations • Sell More Projects

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Estimating Software Designed and Developed by Cabinetmakers for Cabinetmakers

Do you feel like there is never enough money to...

Hire good qualified people?

Pay your bills on time?

Maintain your facilities, machinery, vehicles, etc.?

What if the root cause of these issues, and a myriad of others were the direct result of not charging the appropriate price for your cabinetry. If that were the case, would you know it?

Do you ever feel like you are making cabinetry for others at YOUR families expense?

Expectations


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Do your Estimates and Proposals Manage your Customers EXPECTATIONS?


Itemized Door and Drawer Front Selections


Itemized Cabinet List


Material Selections (wood specie, laminate, etc.)


Itemized list of Accessories, Trim and Moldings


Detailed Payment Schedule (when you expect payments)


Terms and Conditions

The one thing that just might be harder than managing employees, which is pretty tough, is managing customer expectations. A detailed Estimate and Proposal done well will do just that. Many customers seem to think that if you discussed an item, even just in passing (that's a nice trash pull out), that you have included that in their Estimate. A line by line list of EVERYTHING that makes up their job with it's cost sucks the wind right out of those sails.

DO YOU PUT THE SAME LEVEL OF CRAFTSMANSHIP INTO YOUR ESTIMATES AND PROPOSALS THAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR CABINETRY?

Uncertainty!

Many cabinetmaker struggle with sleep at night, worrying if their estimates are accurate, if their costs will be covered and if there will be any profit left when all is said and done.

Ugly!

Are your Estimates and Proposals ugly? Do you constantly get requests for more details? Is it possible that your Estimates and Proposals are losing jobs for your company?

Peace of Mind!

Cabinetmakers that use Custom Cabinet Estimator know their estimates are accurate, their costs have been covered and a healthy Profit included.

Beautiful!

Custom Cabinet Estimator provides beautiful Estimates and Proposals that you can be proud to present, and will help you close more deals.


Frequently Asked Questions

For the DESKTOP version:

Windows 10 or 11 Pro Edition: 32-bit and 64-bit.
Windows 10 or 11 Enterprise Edition: Anniversary update.

Windows 8.1 Standard Edition and Windows 8.1 Pro Edition: System updates 2919355 and 2999226.

Windows 7 SP1 Professional Edition and Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate Edition: Last updates offered.

For the ONLINE version:

Windows 10 or 11 Pro Edition: 32-bit and 64-bit.
Windows 10 or 11 Enterprise Edition: Anniversary update.

Windows 8.1 Standard Edition and Windows 8.1 Pro Edition: System updates 2919355 and 2999226.

Windows 7 SP1 Professional Edition and Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate Edition: Last updates offered.

Chrome or Edge Browser (other browsers seem to work just fine, but are not officially supported for utilizing FileMaker WebDirect).

NOTE: If you need a multi-user version of Custom Cabinet Estimator, you will need to utilize the ONLINE version of Custom Cabinet Estimator, which supports multiple users (true file locking capabilities).

Minimum Requirements:
CPU: 1 GHz or faster x86- or x64-bit processor
RAM: 1 GB

Recommended Requirements:
CPU: 1 GHz or faster x86- or x64-bit processor
RAM: 2 GB or more

OR, use the ONLINE version and access from a browser with any PC, MAC or Android device, or using FileMaker Go (soon to be Claris Go) to access from your iPhone or iPad.

Since Custom Cabinet Estimator comes loaded with literally hundreds of items and processes, you can use it immediately after installing it. You will ultimately want to compare the loaded pricing with your vendors pricing, but most find it to be really close.

Some of the items that are pre-loaded are (all can be edited by you):

  • Over 300 Cabinet Types
  • Over 100 of Conestoga Wood Specialties Doors and Drawer Fronts
  • Over 132 of Conestoga Wood Specialties Finishes and Finish Options
  • Just under 500 Trim and Molding items
  • Over 250 Sheet-good and Hardwood materials
  • Over 300 Hardware and Accessory items
  • A wide variety of PVC and Veneer Edgebanding
  • Pre-loaded Labor Rates 
  • A handful of Default Terms options
  • A handful of Default Markup options
  • A handful of Default Material Selections
  • Several dozen Default Hardware Selections
  • A handful of Sample Jobs for comparison

That's a subjective question. I think the best unit of measure to use would be cost as opposed to Kitchens, or cabinet quantity as some Kitchens cost $6,000.00, and others cost over $100,000.00, and some Kitchens have 10 cabinets or less, and others have 30 to 40 cabinets. 

My personal experience is that you will spend approximately 20 to 30 minutes per $10,000.00 of cabinetry and all the supporting elements for that cabinetry.

The answer for the vast majority of cabinetmakers is definitely not. If you are really new to cabinetmaking, you might not have the chops to layout a kitchen from blueprints, or a sketch, but most can by simply marking up the plans with a pencil and maybe a highlighter.

Our primary mission way back in the late 1990's when Custom Cabinet Estimator's predecessor (Business Partner) was developed was to be able to quote cabinetry without having to draw it first. I'm not aware of anyone that gets 100% of the jobs they provide estimates for, and for most, the success rate falls somewhere between 5 out of 10 to 7 out of 10, depending on the health of the economy. We did not want to draw all 10 to only get 5 to 7 of those 10.

Plus, the vast majority of clients expect a FREE estimate, but my experience was that I could and did charge clients for drawings (my design), and I want my process to encourage that, not discourage it. Custom Cabinet Estimator used as intended will support you in charging for your design work, let it help you make more money now and in the future.

Notice the use of "we ask you" throughout the following. Creating an Estimate or Proposal with Custom Cabinet Estimator is very much like an interview (we ask you questions, you answer the questions), and one of the really cool features of Custom Cabinet Estimator, is all the questions we ask that have financial implications are asked with a field background color of green (the color of money), and all other questions have a field background color of white.

The first thing we ask you to do is create a Job, entering details like Job Name, location, contact information, terms, conditions, markups, mileage to job-site, number of delivery trips to job-site and default cabinet heights.

Then we ask about your Client, with places to enter all the relevant contact information.

Then we ask you to Add your Rooms, some like to add all the rooms first, then come back and detail out each room. I always added a room, added all the details for that room, then added the next room, and so on until all rooms were added and all details added to the room.

Then we ask you to tell us what Exterior Materials you will be using. This is the most complex, and the densest of all the pages/tabs/interfaces you will deal with, but 100% of the just under 100 questions we ask can be answered by choosing a single Default Material selection (you can have as many of these Defaults as you need, but usually a couple dozen is sufficient). 

Then we ask you to tell us what Interior Materials you will be using (only 26 questions on this interface, and these are also answered by your Default Material selection from the last page/tab/interface).

Then we ask you to tell us about the Base Cabinets in this room, how many linear feet of base cabinets, and how many of each cabinet type (the cabinets are chosen from a list and added by clicking on them).

Then we ask you to tell us about the Wall Cabinets in this room.

Then we ask you to tell us about the Tall Cabinets in this room.

Then we ask you to tell us about the Vanity Cabinets in this room, if any.

Then we ask you to tell us about your Finished End Panels. How many of what size and type. 

Then we ask you to tell us about your Fillers and Toe Board. On the Toe Board, we will have a suggested quantity based on the linear footage of Base, Tall and Vanity cabinets you entered earlier (we also factor in returns for finished ends).

Then we ask you about your Hardware (both Functional and Decorative). In both cases, we provide an option for making your selections, then adding a Standard Quantity, based on questions you have already answered (we can make a pretty good educated guess at how many hinges, drawer guides, knobs and/or pulls you will need based on what you have already told us). If our guess is not right, you can make adjustments for cabinets you know are getting 3 hinges per door instead of 2, or drawers that are getting 2 pulls instead of 1.

Then we ask you to tell us about your Accessories, which might be a Lazy Susan, Trash Pull-Out, or one of several hundred other things.

Then we ask you to tell us about your Trim and Molding. Like some of the other items I have listed, we will suggest a quantity for your Crown and Light Rail, and you can add any other Trim and/or Molding needed. NOTE: Trim is wood items that will need to be finished, but are not not linear like molding.

The last page/tab/interface you will come to is the Labor Rates. Typically this does not change job to job, so a quick review of this page, and you are done, ready to print your Estimate or Proposal.

Yes it does. Originally, way back in 1999, Custom Cabinet Estimator's predecessor (Business Partner) was Full Access only, but Frames were added several versions later and have been a part of the Software for many years now.

Yes it does. There are several levels of internal cost reports to assist you in Labor and Material cost analysis, but one of my favorite reports is the Purchase Report.

The Purchase Report is just what is sounds like, a report that lists the things you need to purchase. If your Proposal listed a lazy susan, 24' of crown mold, 13 pulls and 7 knobs, then obviously you need to purchase those items to be able to supply them. 

The Purchase report lists everything you told your client they would be getting with a checkbox to the left of the item. As you order these items, you can check them off the list. Here is an example:










There is actually several meanings to multi-user. The more accurate way to look at this is concurrent users (multiple users logging in and using the program at the same time). Then there is a second piece that is often overlooked, which is having the ability to allow multiple users to create Estimates and Proposals at various times (but not at the same time), and all those users Estimates and Proposals NOT being unique to the person producing the Estimate or Proposal. That second scenario is VERY different than allowing multiple users to work not only at the same time, but on the same Job and in the same Room of that job at the same time (true file locking allows this), and to have the header of your Estimates and Proposals to reflect the user that produced them.

The ONLINE version of Custom Cabinet Estimator does both the former and the later. The DESKTOP version does neither (it is a single-user only version).

In the ONLINE version, your monthly recurring fee covers the first scenario, several users logging in as basically a single user at various times (not concurrently), from any machine they want, and the reports having the same information in the header no matter who made the report. But, if you need actual concurrent users (several at the same time), and/or you need the header information to reflect the user that produced the report, you simply purchase a monthly subscription for the appropriate number of additional users.

Yes you can, but it's not recommended. If you have two copies installed on two different computers, then the data and your projects live in two places, so you can only access the jobs you created on computer 1 from computer 1, and the projects you created on computer 2 from computer 2 (not ideal), and if you update the price of a door, material, accessory, etc., on computer 1, you will need to do that again on computer 2 or vice-versa (again, not ideal).

You have several options if you need to use the DESKTOP version of Custom Cabinet Estimator at more than 1 location:

Install CCE-DESKTOP on a laptop, and take it with you when you need to do Estimates and/or Proposals. This also works well if you have two users, but never need to access CCE at the same time, just pass the laptop to the second users when needed.
Install CCE-DESKTOP on a PC or Laptop at location 1 (a PC or Laptop that can be left on 24/7), and access with other PC's or Laptop's using GoToMyPC, or Google Chrome Remote Desktop (both work really well).
If neither of those options works well for your company, you can always upgrade to the ONLINE version (even if you don't have multiple users) as that version can be hosted, and then you can access CCE from any computer with an internet connection. This option does have a monthly recurring cost, but allows you to access Custom Cabinet Estimator from any PC, MAC or Android device using a browser (Chrome, Edge and Safari are fully supported, but most of the other browsers will work as well), and on an iPhone or iPad using FileMaker Go (soon to be Claris Go as the FileMaker name is being retired in late 2022).

I'm NOT Convinced! Can you show me how it works?

I'm Convinced! What Next!

Custom Cabinet Estimator-Desktop Version

1. Order

Order your copy of Custom Cabinet Estimator-Desktop by clicking on the 'Add CCE-Desktop Version to Cart' button below.

2. Download

Download the Setup file provided and launch the Setup process. This should only take a few minutes to do, and accepting all the defaults is exactly what you should do.


3. Register

Enter the Registration Name and Registration Code provided, then add a Username and Password to make this YOUR copy of Custom Cabinet Estimator. This process takes a matter of seconds.

4. User Info

Edit the DEMO User info with all your contact information.

5. Company Info

Enter your Company Information, and take a few minutes to review and edit the Preferences area to meet your personal preferences and expectations.

6. Start Using

Start Using Custom Cabinet Estimator to create accurate, beautiful Estimates and Proposals that answer your clients questions before they ask (Managing Customer Expectations).

Custom Cabinet Estimator-Online Version

1. Order

Order your copy of Custom Cabinet Estimator-Online by clicking on the 'Add CCE-Online Version to Cart' button below.

2. Start Subscription

Start your Subscription for hosting by clicking on the 'Add CCE-Online Hosting to Cart' button below.

3. Login 

You will receive a Welcome email within 24 hours of ordering Custom Cabinet Estimator-Online with a link and your login credentials.

4. User Info

Edit the DEMO User info with all your contact information.

5. Company Info

Enter your Company Information, and take a few minutes to review and edit the Preferences area to meet your personal preferences and expectations.

6. Start Using

Start Using Custom Cabinet Estimator to create accurate, beautiful Estimates and Proposals that answer your clients questions before they ask (Managing Customer Expectations).