PressureWashingBossPro Blog — Pressure Washing Software

Measuring Driveways, Roofs and Fences From Satellite in Pressure Washing Software

Driving out to measure a driveway takes most of an hour once you count the drive there and back. For a simple flatwork or fence quote, that hour is often more than the profit on the job. Measuring from satellite lets you quote a lot of work from the office, the truck or the couch.

Measurements Feed the Job Details

Square feet is one of the core fields described in Job Details on Every Job: Surfaces, Square Feet, Stories, Siding and Method. Satellite measuring is the fastest way to fill it in accurately.

In PressureWashingBossPro, the property map can measure both square feet and linear feet from the satellite view. Square feet is what you want for driveways, patios, pool decks, parking areas and roofs. Linear feet is what you want for fences, curbs and gutter runs.

How Measuring Works

You open the property on the map, switch to the satellite view, and trace the area you want to measure. For a driveway, you click around its edges and the map gives you the square footage. For a fence, you click along the fence line and the map gives you linear feet. The measurement is saved with the property.

A few tips that make measurements more useful:

• Measure each surface separately. Driveway, front walk and back patio as three areas, so you can price them separately or offer them as options.
• Trace the edges, not the shadows. Trees and roof overhangs can hide edges. Zoom in and follow the concrete line where you can see it.
• Note what you could not see. If a side yard is under tree cover, write that in the notes so whoever does the walk-through checks it.

Driveways and Flatwork

Flatwork is where satellite measuring pays off most. Driveways, sidewalks, patios and pool decks are flat, usually visible from above, and priced by area. Once you know your price per square foot for a standard concrete clean with a surface cleaner, you can turn a satellite measurement into a quote in a couple of minutes.

For example, a 1,150 square foot driveway and walk might become a $175 driveway line on the estimate, depending on your pricing. A customer who calls at 7pm can have a quote that night instead of next week.

Roofs

A roof traced from above gives you its footprint, not its true surface area, because the view is flat while the roof is sloped. That is still a useful starting point. Many companies price roof soft washing from the footprint and adjust for pitch, stories and how much growth is on the roof.

Satellite imagery will not tell you everything about a roof. It will not show the condition of the shingles or how steep the pitch really is. For bigger or steeper roofs, many owners still take a look in person before committing to a price. The measurement simply means that visit is about judgment, not about pulling out a measuring wheel.

Fences and Linear Work

Fence cleaning is usually priced by the linear foot, sometimes by side. Tracing a fence line from satellite is quick, though fences under trees can be hard to see. Measure what you can, note the rest, and confirm on site.

Linear feet also helps with gutter brightening and curb lines on commercial properties. Tracing the gutter line from above gives a reasonable starting number for a quote.

Pricing the Estimate Off Measurements

Estimates in PressureWashingBossPro can price off a property's measurements. You build the estimate from your own service list, and the measured area informs the quantity. The estimate carries the job details with it, and when the customer approves online, those details carry onto the scheduled job.

That chain is the real time saver. You measure once. The quote uses the number. The job shows the number to the crew. Nobody re-measures, nobody retypes, and the invoice matches what was quoted. The approval side of this is covered in Estimates With Online Approval: From Quote to Scheduled Wash Without Retyping.

When to Still Drive Out

Satellite measuring does not replace every site visit. Large commercial bids, heavily shaded properties, unusual roof shapes and jobs where condition matters more than size are still worth seeing in person. The goal is to save the trip on the many simple jobs so you have time for the few complicated ones.

Even then, a satellite measurement taken before the visit means you arrive knowing roughly what you are looking at, and the walk-through goes faster.

To see how measuring fits with job details, scheduling and billing, visit the PressureWashingBossPro pressure washing software page.