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MorskiKupus123
MorskiKupus123

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I'm building an AI quote generator for tradespeople — is this actually a problem worth solving?

Hey dev.to! 👋
I'm Martin, a 2nd year Computer Engineering student from Croatia (FERIT university).
I'm working on a side project — an AI tool that helps contractors and tradespeople generate professional quotes and invoices in 30 seconds. You just enter the job type, client name, and materials — the AI handles the rest.
The problem I'm trying to solve:

Most tradespeople (plumbers, electricians, tilers, painters) spend 1-3 hours per week on paperwork — quotes, invoices, follow-ups. They're experts at their craft but hate the admin side.
My questions for you:

Do you know any tradespeople who struggle with this?
Is €19/month a reasonable price for something like this?
Would you use it yourself for any freelance work?

No landing page yet, no product to sell — just validating before I build.
Honest feedback only, even if it's brutal. 🙏

Top comments (1)

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merbayerp profile image
Mustafa ERBAY

I think you’re asking the right question, but possibly at the wrong layer.

Generating a quote is rarely the painful part. Most tradespeople already have templates, old quotes they copy from, or can now use ChatGPT for free.

The real friction often starts before and after the quote:

  • Estimating materials accurately
  • Calculating labor costs consistently
  • Tracking whether the quote was accepted
  • Following up with customers
  • Converting accepted quotes into invoices
  • Keeping records for accounting and tax purposes

If I were validating this idea, I wouldn’t ask, “Would you pay €19/month for AI-generated quotes?”

I’d ask, “What is the most annoying administrative task between getting a lead and getting paid?”

The answer might still be quotes. But sometimes the biggest opportunity is one step upstream or downstream from where we initially look.

AI-generated text is becoming a commodity. Workflow automation is where the durable value usually lives.