In this article
How Dry Dock Streamlined Estimating
André Rivera-Hasche runs Dry Dock Painting Corporation in the heart of Manhattan, New York. His business operates at the intersection of commercial and residential work, specializing in large university contracts throughout the city. From faculty housing to student dormitories to lecture halls, Dry Dock handles complex, high-volume repainting projects that demand accuracy, speed, and consistency.
In an environment where time is money and competition is fierce, André knew his estimating process needed to be dialed in. After a three-month evaluation of different estimating software platforms, he landed on PaintScout. What he discovered was a tool that didn't just work; it transformed how his entire team operates.
Finding the Right Estimating Platform
Dry Dock Painting wasn't taking the decision to adopt estimating software lightly. André and his team invested three full months evaluating different platforms, comparing features, testing workflows, and assessing which solution would actually deliver value for their specific business needs.
When you're working with large universities and general contractors on premium apartment complexes, your estimating process needs to handle:
- High-volume projects with multiple units
- Detailed specifications for different space types
- Fast turnaround times for competitive bids
- Consistency across multiple estimators
- Quality assurance without excessive review time
The wrong software choice would mean wasted money, disrupted workflows, and potential errors on high-stakes projects. The right choice would streamline operations, save time, and position Dry Dock to handle increasing volume without proportionally increasing overhead.
After three months of evaluation, André chose PaintScout.
What Sets PaintScout Apart
Easy to Use and Streamlined
"I like it because it's easy to use, very streamlined for estimating operations," André explains. In the world of software, "easy to use" often gets thrown around as marketing speak. But for André, this wasn't about a slick interface; it was about whether his team could actually execute estimates efficiently without constant training and oversight.
PaintScout delivered on that promise. The platform's design is intuitive enough that after initial training, estimators can build accurate proposals without constant reference to manuals or support tickets.
Teachable and "Pretty Much Idiot Proof"
This is high praise from someone who needs to scale operations by bringing on new estimators. "Very teachable, pretty much idiot proof," André says. "Our guys love it because it's just straightforward, easy."
For a growing painting company, the teachability of your estimating platform directly impacts your ability to scale. If training a new estimator takes weeks or months, growth becomes expensive and slow. If new team members can get up to speed quickly because the platform is intuitive and hard to mess up, you can scale efficiently.
After teaching his team Dry Dock's estimating framework, André found that PaintScout made it easy for them to plug in measurements and generate accurate estimates. The production rates are configured on the backend, the inputs are straightforward, and the system guides estimators through the process without requiring them to be experts from day one.
Real Time Savings on Real Projects
25 Minutes Saved Per Estimate
The impact of switching to PaintScout became clear immediately when Dry Dock bid on a large project for a general contractor involving premium apartments with large units.
"Probably saved us, I want to say 25 minutes per estimate," André notes. "Each survey, the survey time went down significantly because we're able to just measure, put in measurements, production rates are built in based on how we configured on the backend, and just has been saving us a lot of time."
Twenty-five minutes per estimate might not sound transformational until you multiply it across the volume of estimates a busy commercial contractor produces. If Dry Dock is bidding on a project with 20 units, that's 500 minutes saved. That's over eight hours of estimating time recovered on a single project.
For a project with 50 units? That's over 20 hours saved. An entire work week of estimating time compressed into a fraction of what it used to take.
Less Time Consuming Than Manual Spreadsheets
Before PaintScout, Dry Dock's process involved manually inputting data into spreadsheets and then going through quality assurance reviews to catch errors. This approach worked, but it was time-intensive and prone to the kinds of mistakes that happen when humans are copying numbers and calculating manually across complex spreadsheets.
"I think the first change I've noticed is just how simple it is to set up an estimate, right? It's a lot less time-consuming as opposed to manually inputting in spreadsheets and then going through the QA of that. So it's definitely saved us a lot of time."
The shift from manual spreadsheets to PaintScout eliminated both the data entry time and much of the QA burden. When production rates are configured correctly on the backend and estimators are just inputting measurements, the system handles the calculations automatically and accurately. Fewer manual calculations mean fewer opportunities for errors, which means less time needed for quality assurance reviews.
The Production Rate Advantage
The key to PaintScout's efficiency for Dry Dock is the production rate system. Instead of estimators having to calculate how long each task will take based on square footage, surface types, coats, and conditions, the platform uses pre-configured production rates that reflect real-world timelines.
Here's how it works:
Backend configuration: Dry Dock sets up their production rates based on their crew's actual performance on different types of work. How long does it take to prep and paint a premium apartment unit? How long for a university lecture hall? These real-world numbers get configured into PaintScout.
Field execution: When an estimator is on-site, they take measurements and input them into PaintScout. The platform applies the configured production rates automatically, generating accurate time and cost estimates without requiring the estimator to do mental math or reference charts.
Consistent accuracy: Because the production rates are standardized in the system, every estimator produces consistent, accurate estimates regardless of their experience level. New hires can generate reliable proposals because the system is doing the heavy lifting on calculations.
This production rate approach is what makes PaintScout "pretty much idiot proof" and "teachable," as André describes it. The complexity is handled by the backend configuration, and the field execution is a straightforward measurement input.
Streamlined Operations and Happy Teams
Time Savings Across the Board
The 25 minutes saved per estimate on large projects is just one example. Across Dry Dock's entire operation, residential repaints, commercial projects, and university work, the time savings compound daily. Estimators can handle more volume without working longer hours. Projects get bid faster, which improves responsiveness to clients. And the time saved on estimating can be redirected to higher-value activities like client relationship building and business development.
Easier Onboarding and Team Satisfaction
"Our guys love it because it's just straightforward, easy," André says. When your team actually enjoys using the tools you've invested in, that's a win. Software that's frustrating to use creates drag on productivity and morale. Software that's intuitive and helpful makes work easier and more satisfying.
The fact that Dry Dock's estimators love PaintScout means André doesn't have to fight resistance when implementing new processes or bringing on new team members. The platform is an asset, not a burden.
Scalability for Growth
With an easy-to-teach platform that produces consistent results, Dry Dock is positioned to scale. Adding new estimators doesn't require months of training. Bidding on larger, more complex projects doesn't require proportionally more time. The infrastructure is in place to handle growth efficiently.
"Really, Really Love the Service"
André doesn't hold back in his assessment: "Overall, really, really love the service, love the tool. Again, I can't stress how easy it is to use."
Coming from someone who spent three months evaluating different platforms before making a decision, that endorsement carries weight. André didn't jump at the first solution he found. He did his homework, compared options, and chose the platform that best fit Dry Dock's needs.
The fact that he's enthusiastic about PaintScout after using it on real projects with real deadlines confirms that it delivers on its promises.
Your Next Step
If you're a commercial painting contractor working on high-volume projects where estimating speed and accuracy directly impact profitability, André's experience with Dry Dock Painting offers a clear lesson: the right estimating platform can save significant time without sacrificing quality.
Twenty-five minutes saved per estimate. Streamlined operations. Easier training. Consistent accuracy across the team. These aren't hypothetical benefits; they're the real results that Dry Dock Painting experienced after implementing PaintScout.
Ready to see how PaintScout can streamline your estimating process? Schedule a free demo to discover why contractors like André Rivera-Hash trust PaintScout to handle their commercial projects efficiently and accurately.