Reference Guide

Contractor Estimating
Glossary

Clear definitions of the estimating, pricing, and business terms every lawn care and holiday lighting contractor needs to know. No jargon. Written for working contractors.

All Terms

31 contractor estimating terms defined

Lawn Care Estimate

A formal price proposal for lawn maintenance services, typically including mowing, edging, blowing, and option…

Satellite Measurement

The process of measuring a property's lawn area using aerial or satellite imagery instead of a physical site v…

Square Footage (Turf Area)

The measured area of turf — the actual grass that needs to be mowed or treated — on a residential or commercia…

Pricing Per Square Foot

A pricing model where the cost of lawn care services is calculated based on the measured turf area. Common in …

Holiday Lighting Estimate

A formal price proposal for professional holiday lighting installation, including materials, labor, installati…

AI Lighting Preview

A computer-generated image that shows what a home would look like with professional holiday lighting installed…

Lead Capture

The process of collecting contact and property information from a potential customer. In lawn care and holiday…

Intake Form

A digital form customers fill out to request a service estimate. Typically collects name, address, service typ…

QR Code (Lead Capture)

A scannable barcode that links directly to a contractor's intake form or booking page. Placed on trucks, yard …

Scope of Work

A detailed description of the services included in an estimate — specifically what work will and will not be p…

Deposit

An upfront payment collected before services begin, typically used for holiday lighting installs and landscapi…

Markup

The percentage added to the base cost of materials or labor to determine the selling price. Used in landscapin…

Estimate Link

A unique URL sent to a customer that displays their personalized estimate in a professional, mobile-friendly f…

Recurring Service

A scheduled, repeating lawn care service — weekly, biweekly, or monthly mowing — typically set up at the start…

Digital Signature (Estimate Approval)

An electronic acknowledgment by a customer that they agree to the terms of an estimate. In BidSwift, customers…

OTP Verification

One-Time Password verification — a security step where a customer receives a unique code via SMS or email to v…

Mulch Estimate

A price proposal for mulch installation, typically based on measured bed area and desired depth. Usually inclu…

Property History

A record of past services, measurements, estimates, and photos associated with a specific property address. En…

SMS Consent (TCPA)

The explicit permission a customer gives a contractor to send them text messages about their service. Required…

Lead

A potential customer who has expressed interest in services but has not yet received or approved an estimate. …

Lead Status

A category that describes where a lead is in the sales process: new, estimating, estimate sent, approved, or p…

Follow-Up

A scheduled action to re-engage a potential customer who has received an estimate but hasn't responded. Can be…

Seasonal Contract

A pre-agreed service arrangement covering an entire lawn care season, specifying frequency, services included,…

Online Payment

The ability for customers to pay for services directly from a digital estimate link using a credit or debit ca…

Stripe (Payment Processing)

A leading payment processing platform used by contractors to accept credit card payments online. Enables direc…

Job Type

The category of service requested — mowing, landscaping, holiday lighting, or general. Used to route leads to …

Address Autocomplete

A feature that suggests full property addresses as a customer types in an intake form, using Google Places API…

Estimate Version

A numbered iteration of an estimate for the same property. When pricing or scope changes, a new version is cre…

Labor Multiplier

A pricing factor applied to base material or area costs to account for labor time, difficulty, or crew size. C…

Webhook (CRM Integration)

An automated HTTP request sent by BidSwift to a third-party system when an event occurs — such as a new lead s…

Push Notification

A real-time alert delivered to a contractor's browser or mobile device when a key event occurs — such as a new…

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