Voice notes to a job quote: a trades workflow that saves time without hiring

By Jason Sibley

Most tradespeople I talk to don't need another piece of software. They need to stop writing quotes at the kitchen table after a full day on the tools. This guide shows a simple routine using your phone and an AI tool you may already have. It can save time without hiring an office person.

ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can all work with a transcript, and some will take audio directly. Audio features change over time and vary between plans, so check your own app.

The problem

You spend the day on site. You look at the job, chat to the customer, measure up and spot the awkward bit behind the boiler. Then you drive home, eat and sit down at nine in the evening to write the quote from memory.

By then, you're unsure whether the wall was 2.4 metres or 2.6, whether the customer said they'd supply the tiles, or whether you mentioned that parking is a nightmare. Quotes written from memory can be slow to produce and easy to get wrong. A missed exclusion can tu