101 is estimating software for contractors, renovation specialists and small construction teams. An estimate can bring together work and materials, quantities and prices, so you can check the total and prepare a clear document for your client.
Visit the 101 products section (in Russian) to explore the product. Current 101 materials confirm that you can prepare an estimate for free; check the specific features available to your account before starting work.
Contents:
What an estimating tool should do
Estimating software helps turn a list of work and materials into a calculation you can manage. The basic fields are the item description, unit of measurement, quantity, unit price and amount. Contractors also need to link the estimate to a project: this makes it easier to explain the cost of a work stage to the client and return to the original data when making changes.
Before choosing a tool, it helps to understand the document itself. “What is a cost estimate?” (in Russian) explains the main elements, while the step-by-step guide “How to prepare a cost estimate” (in Russian) covers the information you need to gather.
The workflow described here uses the mobile 101 app: create an “Estimate” event, select a project and an expense category, and add line items and quantities. The Help also documents price-list management through the web version, including Excel import. The company founder can edit and import price lists; other registered users can view and download them. Check which workflow and permissions you need before starting the estimate.
How the free workflow works
The 101 app offers a free workflow for preparing an initial cost estimate. You can assemble line items, enter quantities and prices, calculate the total and prepare the result for your client. Plan limits and subscription features can change over time, so this article makes no promises about permanent limits or terms that are absent from current documentation.
A search for a “free online estimate” often reflects a straightforward need: calculate the cost of the work quickly, keep the calculation organised and show it to a client. In 101, you can enter the initial line items manually or select them from a price list. The article “Free estimates in the 101 app” (in Russian) explains this workflow in more detail.
If you specifically need a browser calculator without installing an app, first read the overview of online estimating (in Russian). The walkthrough below follows the “Estimate” event in the mobile app. The 101 Help separately documents price-list management and account settings through the web version.
How to create an estimate in 101
Creating an online estimate starts with the input data. You need a list of work, units of measurement, quantities, prices and the materials to include. More accurate inputs mean fewer revisions after the estimate has been agreed.
- Create a project or select an existing one.
- Add an “Estimate” event and link it to the client, project and appropriate expense category.
- Add line items manually or select work from a prepared price list.
- If needed, use AI to insert line items from Excel, a PDF, an estimate, an invoice or a photo, then check the recognised quantities.
- Enter the unit of measurement, quantity and price for each item.
- Check the work and materials included, remove duplicates and verify the overall total.
- For several work stages, prepare separate estimates, then create a consolidated estimate document in the project's “Documents” section.
The article “How to prepare an online estimate yourself in 101” (in Russian) describes a practical workflow that is not tied to a particular project. It helps you understand the sequence of steps and prepare your price list in advance.
How to choose an estimating tool
Free estimating software should support the work involved in preparing an estimate, beyond simply displaying an empty table. Check four criteria before choosing a tool.
| Criterion | What to check | How it works in 101 |
|---|---|---|
| Line items | Can you enter work, materials, quantities and prices? | Add items manually, from a price list or from a document using AI insertion |
| Price list | Can you reuse your own rates? | 101 provides a price list; Excel import is handled through the web version |
| Checking | Can you see the estimate's contents and the overall total? | The estimate stores its line items, while the consolidated document shows costs by type of work and the total amount |
| Document | Can you prepare the result for your client? | Create a consolidated estimate in the project's “Documents” section |
To prepare a free online estimate with fewer changes before sending it, try a small work stage first. A test estimate will show whether the line-item structure suits your needs, whether the price list is convenient to maintain and whether the final document gives the client enough information.
How to check the estimate before sending it
Review the estimate in a separate pass after all line items are filled in. First, compare the quantities with the measurements and project brief. Then check the units: square metres, linear metres, individual items and sets should not be mixed within a single line item.
- Match each work item to its original quantity.
- Separate work and materials if the client needs a transparent breakdown.
- Remove duplicates and items with missing prices or quantities.
- Check that the rates are appropriate for the relevant location and time period.
- Reconcile the costs of individual stages with the overall total.
- Read item descriptions from the client's perspective and remove internal abbreviations.
101 helps organise and recalculate the data, but the quality of an estimate depends on the original quantities and rates. The app does not replace site measurements, a project brief or a professional review of a complex project.
How to prepare a document for your client
For a large project, it is easier to create a separate estimate for each stage of work. Once agreed, the estimates can be combined into a consolidated document. It shows costs by type of work and the overall total.
In the mobile workflow, you create this document from the project's “Documents” section. The web version also provides a price-list workflow, allowing registered users to view and download the price list as a PDF. The consolidated project estimate and the price-list PDF serve different purposes; keep their instructions separate.
Before sending the document, check the business and contract details, stage names, quantities and prices once more. It is easier for the client to agree to an estimate when its logic is clear: what work will be done, in what quantity, at what price and how the total was calculated.
Quick answers
Can you prepare an online estimate for free?
Yes. Current 101 materials confirm a free estimating workflow in the app. Check your account terms and the availability of additional features in the product before starting a project.
Can 101 be used as an estimating app?
Yes. The “Estimate” event lets you link the calculation to a client and project, add line items and prepare a consolidated document.
Can you upload your own renovation rates?
Yes. You can prepare a price list in Excel and import it through the web version using the company founder's account, then use its items in your estimates. Check the prices yourself before uploading them.
Can AI help create an estimate?
The 101 Help describes AI insertion of line items from Excel, a PDF, an estimate, an invoice or a photo. Check the quantities and other data after recognition.
Is 101 suitable for checking someone else's estimate?
101 helps organise line items and check quantities, prices and the total. A qualified specialist should assess compliance with applicable estimating standards and verify the actual measurements.