Residential property Rolling Suds estimator#

Current skill version: 0.1.9

Estimate residential exterior cleaning work from an address. Produce a salesperson-friendly estimate that is useful for later entry into Workiz.

This skill works best when fed a cleaned handoff from quote-intake, though it can also work from direct user input.

Core rules#

• Require the salesperson to provide the Lead number before estimating. Example: Lead 502 or Lead 501.
• If the Lead number is missing, stop and ask for it before continuing.
• Treat every result as an estimate, not a final quote.
• If the customer is getting only one service, enforce a $250 minimum service charge.
• Prefer attached exterior photos when available; they are often more useful than public listing snippets.
• Use public property/listing/map data when available.
• If property data is incomplete or conflicting, say so clearly and give a conservative range.
• Ask for photos when condition, material, access, or feature count cannot be estimated confidently.
• Keep tone practical and sales-friendly, not legalistic.
• Always include the estimate disclaimer.
• Service area is the St. Louis, MO metro area with a maximum radius of 50 miles.

Output format#

Use this structure:

1. Lead reference
   • Lead number
2. Property summary
   • address
   • estimated square footage
   • stories if inferable
   • likely exterior materials
   • visible extras (driveway, patio, deck, fence, walkways, window count clues)
3. Service estimate
   • each service line item with assumptions
   • quantity basis (sq ft, linear ft, counted windows)
   • price per service
4. Estimate summary
   • low estimate
   • target estimate
   • high estimate
   • confidence: low / medium / high
5. Follow-up notes
   • what should be confirmed by salesperson or photos
   • upsell opportunities
6. Disclaimer
   • This is an estimate only. Final pricing may change after photo review or on-site inspection before entry into Workiz.

Research workflow#

1. Confirm the address is a valid U.S. residential property.
2. If exterior photos are attached, inspect them first for:
   • siding/material type
   • driveway width/length class
   • visible patio/porch/walkway area
   • deck type and finish
   • fence type and approximate length
   • window count clues
   • access difficulty, staining, algae, oxidation, and condition
3. Gather public property facts where possible:
   • square footage
   • stories
   • exterior materials
   • lot layout
   • visible driveway/patio/deck/fence/walkway features
   • listing photos or map imagery when available
4. Prefer real public property/listing data for square footage when available.
5. If exact dimensions are still unavailable, recommend Google Earth measurement as the fallback for house footprint, driveway/patio/deck square footage, and walkway/fence linear footage.
6. Prefer photo-backed assumptions over weak public-web assumptions when the two conflict.
7. Infer likely service scope.
8. Apply the pricing rules in references/pricing-rules.md.
9. If exact measurements are unavailable, estimate conservatively and state assumptions.
10. If the property appears outside the St. Louis service area or beyond 50 miles, say so.

Estimating guidance#

House wash#

• Use known square footage if available.
• If exact square footage is unavailable, estimate based on public listing data.
• Apply stucco/brick or wood upcharges when exterior type likely matches.
• Use conservative assumptions when material is unclear.
• If the customer asks for only part of the house, remember the single-service minimum is $250.
• When partial house washing would still hit the minimum, recommend whole-house pricing as the better customer value.
• For partial house requests, provide both: (1) a confident recommended whole-house quote and (2) a separate partial-only quote at the $250 minimum so the value comparison is obvious.

Driveways, patios, porches#

• Estimate visible flatwork area in square feet.
• When photos are attached, classify driveways visually as narrow/small, standard, or large and map that to the pricing table.
• Front porches use patio pricing.
• If shape/coverage is unclear, provide a low-target-high range.

Sidewalks#

• Estimate by linear feet.
• If walkway layout is unclear, state that the estimate assumes visible front and side walk sections only.

Decks#

• Use deck pricing table for visible deck footprint.
• If deck appears natural wood, include the stain-strip disclaimer.
• If deck condition/material is unclear, ask for photos for confirmation.

Fences#

• Estimate by visible linear feet and likely fence type.
• Distinguish between black iron, vinyl, 3-panel, natural wood, and chain link when possible.
• If fence type is chain link, recognize it but do not price it automatically.
• For chain link, mark it as manual review / custom quote and exclude it from automatic totals.
• If wood finish is unclear, use caution and request photos.
• For natural wood fences, include the stain-strip disclaimer.

Windows#

• Use $4 per counted window.
• Window cleaning is exterior only for now.
• Count 1 pane as 1 window.
• If a window opens by sliding up, count it as 2 windows.
• If photos are attached, estimate only from visible sides and clearly note unseen elevations.
• If exact count is not visible, estimate from visible elevations and state assumptions.
• Treat window pricing as estimate-only unless photos or counts are provided.

Confidence rules#

Use high confidence when:

• square footage is known or strongly supported
• major surfaces are visible in attached photos or clear public imagery
• materials are identifiable
• service scope is straightforward

Use medium confidence when:

• square footage is known or strongly inferred
• some features are estimated from imagery
• counts are partly inferred

Use low confidence when:

• square footage is missing
• materials are unclear
• rear-yard features are not visible
• window/fence/deck counts are mostly guessed

Required disclaimers#

Always include:

• Estimate only: Final pricing may change after photo review or on-site inspection before entry into Workiz.

Include for natural wood decks and fences when relevant:

• Natural wood notice: Washing may strip stain/finish. Customer is responsible for re-staining after cleaning.

Workiz-oriented behavior#

Optimize for salespeople who will later enter the job into Workiz:

• require the Lead number before estimating
• preserve the Lead number in output so the estimate stays tied to the correct lead
• keep line items clean
• keep assumptions obvious
• avoid over-explaining
• prefer a usable range over fake precision
• note missing information that salesperson should confirm
• if only one service is requested, make sure the total reflects the $250 minimum service charge

When information is missing#

If the Lead number is missing, do not estimate yet. Ask for the Lead number first.

If public data is too thin, do not invent certainty. Instead:

• use attached photos if available
• provide a conservative estimate range
• list assumptions
• say what photos or answers would tighten the quote
• recommend Google Earth measurement when surface dimensions or linear footage are the main blocker

Photo-first estimating mode#

When 1-5 exterior photos are attached:

• treat them as primary evidence for visible scope and condition
• still use public property data for square footage and general property context when available
• separate what is visible from what is assumed
• never pretend unseen rear-yard or side-yard features are confirmed unless visible or documented
• tighten the range when photos materially reduce uncertainty

Useful photo observations include:

• siding type: vinyl, brick, stucco, wood, mixed
• driveway class: 1-car short, 1-car long, 2-car standard, 2-car extended, oversized
• patio/porch footprint class
• fence type and visible length class
• deck size and finish
• visible mildew, algae, oxidation, rust, or heavy buildup
• window style clues for count estimation

Vehicle-based driveway estimating#

When the user describes parked vehicles instead of giving dimensions or photos, use vehicle fit as a practical sizing clue.

Examples:

• one standard sedan fitting tightly in width with little extra depth -> usually 100-150 sq ft class
• two vehicles side-by-side with shallow depth -> usually 200 sq ft class
• two-car width with one sedan/SUV and clear extra space behind -> often 200-400 sq ft class
• two-car width with pickup/truck plus trailer or long extra depth -> often 400 sq ft class
• clearly oversized parking apron or multiple long vehicles with abundant spare room -> consider 400-600 sq ft class

State that vehicle-based sizing is an estimate heuristic, not a measured dimension.

Read references/pricing-rules.md before estimating.