Does BCTM have a monthly bill or subscription?

No. BCTM is $0 per month with no subscription and no per-user seats. Contractors pay only a per-transaction fee when a customer pays them electronically by card or ACH. Creating and sending invoices, sending estimates, and messaging customers are all free.

Can I choose who pays the card processing fee on each invoice?

Yes. On any invoice the contractor can decide whether the customer covers the card processing fee or the contractor absorbs it. Passing the fee to the customer is optional and jurisdiction-aware: BCTM follows US federal card-network rules and state or territory surcharge regulations, so debit and prepaid cards are never surcharged and jurisdictions that restrict surcharging switch automatically to absorb-fee or cash-discount treatment.

How fast do contractors get paid on BCTM?

The same day. BCTM supports instant payouts to the contractor’s bank account when they want them, so contractors skip the check float and the multi-day ACH hold on card revenue.

Is BCTM Platform free to use?

Yes. Creating and sending invoices, estimates, and messages is free. Contractors only pay a per-transaction fee when a customer pays them by card or ACH. There is no monthly bill.

What card processing fees does BCTM charge?

Card payments cost 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction: a 1% BCTM fee plus Stripe processing of 2.9% + $0.30. This is optional on the customer side: the contractor can pass the fee to the customer on any invoice where state and federal surcharge rules allow, or absorb it themselves.

Can I use BCTM offline?

Yes. BCTM is an installable Progressive Web App (PWA) that works offline and syncs your changes when you reconnect.

How do my customers pay an invoice?

You share a secure invoice link. Customers pay online by card through a Stripe-powered checkout. No account required.

What languages does BCTM support?

BCTM is available in 14 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Hindi.

Does BCTM have a point of sale?

Yes. BCTM includes a web-based point of sale at /pos that pairs with a Stripe Terminal card reader for in-person card payments. It uses the same invoice and ledger as online payments.

Can I scan a paper receipt into an invoice?

Yes. Take a photo of the receipt or supplier invoice and BCTM extracts the vendor, date, line items, quantities, and prices with AI. You review the result before saving.

Can I dictate an invoice by voice?

Yes. BCTM supports voice-to-invoice: describe the job out loud and BCTM turns your dictation into invoice line items you can edit before sending.

Does BCTM accept ACH bank payments?

Yes. Customers can pay by ACH bank transfer as a flat-fee alternative to card processing, which saves money on larger invoices.

Can I pass the card processing fee on to my customer?

Yes, on any invoice where state and federal surcharge rules allow. Passing the fee is optional and per-invoice: the contractor decides for each invoice whether the customer covers the processing fee or the contractor absorbs it. BCTM applies the per-state rule automatically at checkout, and switches to absorb-fee or cash-discount treatment in jurisdictions that restrict surcharging.

Can I send estimates and quotes with BCTM?

Yes. BCTM handles both estimates (quotes) and invoices. Send an estimate to your customer, and when they accept it, convert it to an invoice with one tap. The line items, pricing, tax, and customer info carry over automatically.

Can I message customers from an estimate or invoice?

Yes. Every sent estimate and invoice has a two-way message thread. You can ask questions, share updates, or clarify scope right on the document. Your customer replies from their phone without creating a BCTM account, and both sides see the full history. New replies show up on your dashboard as an unread badge.

What trades and contractors is BCTM built for?

BCTM is built for every service-based trade: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, siding, framing, carpentry, drywall, painting, flooring, tile, insulation, concrete, landscaping, snow removal, pressure washing, junk removal, pest control, security, networking, automation, auto repair, auto detailing, appliance repair, welding, cleaning, interior design, general contracting, handyman services, and any other service business. If you invoice for services or materials, BCTM works for you.

BCTM Blog

The HVAC Estimate Template That Closes Jobs on the Spot

A good HVAC estimate template has to do two jobs at once: give the homeowner enough detail to trust the number, and give you a fast, repeatable way to build it without redoing the math for every furnace, mini-split, or full system replacement. If you have been cobbling one together in Word or Excel, you already know the pain - line items drift, tax gets forgotten, and the version you emailed does not match the one on your clipboard. BCTM replaces the spreadsheet with an HVAC estimate template built into the app, so you can quote a system replacement standing in the homeowner's driveway and send it before you get back in the van.

Why HVAC quotes are harder than a generic estimate

HVAC jobs usually involve equipment specs (tonnage, SEER rating, brand and model), labor that varies by ductwork condition, permit fees that differ by jurisdiction, and sometimes a financing conversation. A generic one-line "estimate: $6,200" does not give the homeowner enough to compare against a competing bid, and it does not protect you if the ductwork turns out to need extra work once you are inside the attic.

The estimates that convert fastest are the ones that break down exactly what is being replaced, why, and what it costs - equipment, labor, disposal of the old unit, and permits, each as their own line.

What to put in your HVAC estimate template

Whether you build it in BCTM or elsewhere, a solid HVAC estimate template covers the same core sections every time so you are not reinventing it per job.

Equipment line: brand, model, tonnage/BTU, and SEER/efficiency rating
Labor: installation hours, and whether that includes ductwork modification
Permit and inspection fees, itemized so they are not hidden in "misc"
Removal/disposal of the old unit
Optional add-ons: smart thermostat, UV air treatment, extended warranty
Financing note or payment-plan language, if you offer one

Quoting on-site instead of "I'll email it to you tonight"

The number one reason HVAC bids get lost to a competitor is response time. If you tell a homeowner you will email the quote that night and a competitor hands them a number before they leave the house, you are already behind. BCTM is built as an installable Progressive Web App so you can draft the [estimate](/estimates) on your phone or tablet in the attic or driveway, load your saved equipment and labor rates from your price book, and hand the homeowner a link to review on the spot.

When they accept the estimate, it converts straight into an invoice with one tap - the same equipment lines, labor, and permit fees carry over so you are not rebuilding the paperwork a second time once the job is approved.

Handling follow-up questions without playing phone tag

HVAC estimates almost always generate a follow-up question - "does that include the thermostat," "how long is the warranty," "can we do a payment plan." Instead of that becoming three missed calls, BCTM threads a two-way message directly on the estimate through [customer messaging](/customer-messaging). The homeowner replies from their phone without creating an account, and you see it as an unread badge on your dashboard, so you can answer between jobs instead of pulling over to take a call.

What it costs to send HVAC estimates through BCTM

Sending estimates and quotes is free - there is no monthly software fee to use the estimating tool. You only pay a transaction fee when the customer actually pays an invoice by card, detailed on the [fees](/fees) page, so quoting ten jobs and closing three costs you nothing extra for the seven you did not win.

A repeatable HVAC estimating workflow

Save your common system packages (a 3-ton 16 SEER split system install, a furnace swap, a mini-split add) as price book entries with labor and equipment pre-filled. On-site, pull the closest match, adjust for the specific ductwork or permit situation, and send. This turns a 20-minute estimate write-up into something you can finish in under five minutes while the homeowner is still standing next to you.

Frequently asked questions

Does BCTM have a built-in HVAC estimate template, or do I build my own?+

BCTM gives you a structured estimate builder with itemized line items, quantities, and pricing that you fill in per job - think of it as the HVAC estimate template engine. You can save common system packages and labor rates in your price book so recurring jobs like a furnace swap are pre-filled.

Can I include equipment specs like SEER rating and tonnage on the estimate?+

Yes. Each line item is free-text plus price, so you can specify brand, model, tonnage, and SEER rating directly in the equipment line, and add permit fees or disposal as their own separate lines.

What happens when the homeowner accepts the HVAC estimate?+

One tap converts the accepted estimate into an invoice. All the equipment, labor, and permit line items carry over automatically, so you can collect a deposit or the full payment without re-entering anything.

Can I send an HVAC estimate from a job site with no signal?+

Yes. BCTM is an installable Progressive Web App that works offline. You can draft the estimate in the attic or basement with no service, and it sends automatically once you are back in coverage.

Is there a cost to using the HVAC estimate template?+

No. Creating and sending estimates is free with no monthly subscription. BCTM only charges a per-transaction fee when the customer pays a resulting invoice by card.

Ready to send your first invoice?

Free to send. Pay only when you get paid.

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