Trade Estimator was born out of a simple observation: tradespeople waste hours every week on quotes, site visits, and phone calls that never turn into paid work. We built a solution — branded, customer-facing estimator tools that sit on your website and let customers qualify themselves before they ever pick up the phone.
We’re not a big software company. Trade Estimator is built and run by Colin Bateman and Lianne Johnson at EL6 Apps (webdesignoxford.uk), a web design and SEO agency based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. We’ve been building websites for tradespeople and small businesses for years, and we kept seeing the same problem: businesses spending their evenings writing up quotes for jobs they’d never win.
The idea was straightforward — what if the customer could get a guide price before they even called? What if your website could do the qualifying for you, 24 hours a day? That’s what Trade Estimator does.
We provide ready-made estimator templates for 16+ trades — from builders and plumbers to accountants and solicitors. During setup, we tailor the tool to your business: your logo, your colours, your pricing structure, your contact details. The result is a professional estimator that looks like part of your website.
When a customer visits your site, they answer a few quick questions about their project. The tool generates an instant guide price. If they want to proceed, their details and the estimate are emailed directly to you. You get a pre-qualified lead with budget expectations already set — no more wasted site visits, no more free consultations that go nowhere.
Colin Bateman — Co-Founder & Developer
Colin is a web developer with over 30 years in the technology industry, including wireless networking and infrastructure. He builds every estimator tool using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, and handles all technical development. Colin is also one of a small number of UK developers working with Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) — helping businesses get recommended by AI search engines.
Lianne Johnson — Co-Founder & Business Development
Lianne leads client relationships, creative direction, and project management. With more than 20 years of experience in software sales and marketing, she ensures every estimator is positioned to deliver real commercial value. Lianne manages communication from the first conversation through to launch and ongoing support.
No long-term contracts — our services run month to month. You can cancel with 30 days’ notice.
Your branding — every tool is customised with your logo, colours, and pricing.
Transparent pricing — Solo Trade from £399 setup + £59/month. No hidden costs.
Real support — you work directly with us, not a call centre or chatbot.
Proven results — our clients report fewer wasted site visits and better-qualified leads.
