Pool estimating
Pool Estimating Software built on your own formulas
Ardovia prices every pool from a template you control. Your designer enters dimensions, finishes, and equipment, and the template calculates quantities, cost, sell price, and margin from your catalog.
Pool estimating software calculates the materials, labor, cost, and sell price of a pool build from its dimensions and options, so every designer prices the same pool the same way.
Why pool estimates drift
Most pool companies start with a spreadsheet that one person understands. Formulas break when rows move, prices go stale, and each designer keeps a slightly different copy.
The result is two designers quoting the same pool at different prices. Margin gets decided by whoever built the sheet, not by the company.
Ardovia replaces the spreadsheet with a shared pricing template. Formulas, catalog prices, and margin rules live in one place, and every proposal is built from the active version.
Step by step
How pool estimating works in Ardovia
- 1
Build the template once
Group the pool into sections and objects: excavation, steel, plumbing, shotcrete, tile and coping, decking, interior finish, and equipment. Each object holds inputs, calculated values, and catalog products.
- 2
Write the formulas
Quantities can be fixed, pulled from an input, pulled from a selection's data field, or calculated by a formula. For example, coping can be priced from a perimeter calculated from length and width.
- 3
Connect your catalog
Products take their cost and price from your catalog, priced by markup, margin, or a flat amount. Locations can carry their own cost and price for the same item.
- 4
Price the proposal
The designer fills in the inputs in the proposal builder and sees the total update live. The saved proposal keeps a frozen snapshot of the pricing it was built with.
Selections that carry pricing data
A selection is a dropdown list, such as interior finish, tile, coping, or pump model. Product selections link each option to a catalog item, so the priced item swaps when the designer picks a different option.
Options can also store data fields. A finish might store a coverage factor and a pump might store a flow rate, and formulas read those values directly. Change the option and every dependent quantity recalculates.
A product selection can include a None option for features the homeowner skips. None adds no product, but it still shows as None on the proposal and the job.
Gunite / Shotcrete
#GUN-YD
Rebar #3 — Grade 60
#RB3-20
Pentair IntelliFlo VSF
Synced#011018
Travertine Coping
#TRV-CP
Plumbing — rough-in
#SUB-PLM
Packages, upgrades, and enhancements
Many pool builders sell a base package and price upgrades from it. Ardovia's package objects show the included items and list every change from the default as an enhancement.
Each enhancement shows the price difference, up for an upgrade or down for a downgrade. Homeowners see what the base includes and what each change adds.
Gunite Pool Package
Template · 3 sections
Pool Package
Gunite Shell — 16′ × 32′
Structure
Tile & Coping — Travertine
Finishes
Equipment — Pentair IntelliFlo
Equipment
Landscaping
Pass-through
Spring Promo
Discount
Margin control on every pool estimate
Add your operating expenses, such as commission, fees, and insurance, to the template. The proposal builder then shows a net margin readout and a margin adjustment control.
Set a minimum net margin and a warning threshold. Below the warning, the designer sees a banner; below the minimum, downloading and sending are blocked until an approver signs off.
Allowances are kept separate. They pass through to the contract total but are never counted in cost, margin, or profit.
- Optional rounding of calculated quantities up to whole units, with exceptions by unit type
- Product conditions that include or exclude items based on inputs or location
- Template versions, so you can stage changes without touching the active version
- Expiration windows that refresh old proposals to current catalog pricing
Project Profitability
Pool design and estimating: where Ardovia fits
Ardovia is not a 3D pool design tool. Your designer still draws the pool in the design software you already use.
Ardovia prices that design and carries it forward. The design file can be uploaded to the job as a start requirement, and the plans can be viewed next to the form when building a purchase order.
The estimate becomes the job budget
Every product in the template is assigned to a construction phase and a job costing category. When the contract is signed, those assignments become the job's budget and phase buckets.
Bills and receipts then post against the same categories. Estimates vs Actuals shows where each pool landed against the estimate, so you can tune the template for the next one.
$53,000
Estimated
$43,150
Spent
+$9,850
Variance
Cost distribution
Related tools for pool builders
Pricing Tool
The full pricing template feature set: objects, inputs, products, and selections.
Learn moreProposals & Selections
Turn the estimate into a proposal, a contract, and approved selections.
Learn moreConstruction Scheduling
Schedule the pool you just priced, phase by phase.
Learn moreHeritage Integration
Keep linked catalog items in sync with Heritage branch pricing.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
What is pool estimating software?
Pool estimating software calculates the materials, labor, cost, and sell price of a pool from its dimensions and options. Ardovia does this with pricing templates that combine your formulas with your product catalog, so every designer produces consistent estimates.
Can I use my existing pool pricing spreadsheet?
Your spreadsheet's logic can be rebuilt as an Ardovia pricing template. Inputs become fields in the proposal builder, formulas become calculated values and product quantities, and your price list becomes the catalog. Once built, the template prices every proposal the same way.
Does Ardovia include 3D pool design?
No. Ardovia is not a 3D design tool, so your designer keeps using their current design software. Ardovia prices the design, builds the proposal and contract, and stores the design file on the job.
How does Ardovia handle pool upgrades?
Package objects show what the base pool includes and list each change from the default as an enhancement with its price difference. Upgrades show as price increases and downgrades as decreases, so homeowners can see what each choice costs.
Can different branches use different material costs?
Yes. Catalog items can have location-specific costs and prices, and the proposal's location decides which apply. Products can also be excluded at locations that don't offer them.
Can I stop designers from selling below a minimum margin?
Yes. A template can set a minimum net margin and a warning threshold. Proposals below the minimum can't be downloaded or sent until an authorized approver approves the margin.
Price your next pool in Ardovia
Build a pricing template from your own formulas and catalog. Start a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
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