Why it matters
Estimates usually get written at night, from memory, after a full day of work. If you talk through the job right after the walkthrough, you catch the details while they're fresh. The project makes sure every draft uses your real prices and wording.
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Steps
- Write down your price sheet. A simple list is fine: service or material, unit, your price. Include your minimums, trip charge and any "always include" items. Save it as a document or spreadsheet.
- In ChatGPT, select New project in the sidebar and name it "Estimates."
- Add your price sheet as a project file. Also add one or two past estimates you were happy with (remove customer names and addresses first). A project holds up to 5 files on the free plan, 25 on Go and Plus, and 40 on Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu. The free plan also allows only 3 file uploads a day, so a price sheet plus two past estimates fits in one day.
- Open the project's ••• menu, choose Project settings, and paste the instructions block below.
- After a walkthrough, open a new chat inside the Estimates project on your phone and tap the microphone icon to dictate. Talk through the job: what the customer wants, measurements, materials, problems you spotted, access issues, timeline. Stop, check the transcription, and send.
- If you'd rather record first, use the iPhone Voice Memos app. On iPhone 12 or later it transcribes the recording for you. Tap the recording, open its menu, choose Copy Transcript, and paste it into the project chat.
- Read the draft line by line against your notes. Every price should come from your sheet. The prompt tells ChatGPT to flag anything missing instead of guessing.
- Copy the finished draft into whatever you send estimates from (invoicing app, email, document template). ChatGPT only writes the draft. Your invoicing system stays the official record.
Copy-paste prompt
Paste into Project settings, then edit the brackets.
Prompt
You help me turn job walkthrough notes into estimate drafts for [BUSINESS NAME], a [TRADE] company in [CITY]. Use ONLY the prices in my uploaded price sheet. Never invent a price, quantity or measurement. If something I mention isn't on the price sheet, list it under "Needs a price" instead of estimating it. If a measurement or quantity is missing, list it under "Questions for me." Give me three sections: 1. Estimate draft: a table with line item, quantity, unit, unit price, line total, then subtotal. Include trip charge or minimums from the sheet when they apply. 2. Customer note: 4 to 6 plain-English sentences explaining what we'll do and why, with no jargon. No promises about timelines unless I stated one. 3. Needs a price / Questions for me. Keep my wording for materials and services the same as the price sheet.
Common mistakes
- Letting ChatGPT price things from general knowledge. It doesn't know your costs or your market. Only your sheet counts.
- Skipping the math check. Re-add the totals yourself or in your invoicing tool before sending.
- Leaving customer names, addresses or gate codes in files you upload. Keep uploads to prices and anonymized examples.
- Promising start dates the AI wrote. Delete any timeline you didn't say out loud.
- Forgetting that free plans have upload and usage limits. If you hit one, you'll have to wait for it to reset before you can upload again.
