A good Handy prompt names the job type and size, the scope of work, the finish level, and how you want the estimate organized. Write it like you would brief another contractor, then refine the result with follow-up messages.
Available on all plans. You need permission to edit Estimates, proposals, & change orders to change an estimate. Works on desktop and in the mobile app.
Include these details in your first message
Handy (Handoff's AI assistant) works best when the first message covers:
Job type and size: a 12x10 bathroom, 2,500 sq ft home, or 40 ft driveway.
Scope: what is removed, replaced, or built.
Finish level: budget, mid-grade, or premium. If you say nothing, Handy assumes mid-range.
Brands or materials: name them when you care. Handy matches materials to supplier items where it can.
Organization: for example "by room, then trade". Otherwise it groups work in typical construction order.
Here is one prompt that covers all of it:
Estimate a 15x10 kitchen remodel. Remove the cabinets and install mid-grade white shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, and a tile backsplash. Include demo, drywall, electrical, and plumbing. Organize by trade.
Put exact numbers in the message
What you type in the current chat takes priority. If you need a specific rate or markup on this estimate, write it in the message, such as "Use 25% markup on materials."
For a rule you want on every estimate, save it as a preset instead. See How to teach Handoff your estimating preferences (AI instructions). For the full pricing order, see How Handoff prices an estimate.
A one-off change, such as "change drywall to $3.50 on this estimate", edits that estimate only. Handy saves a standing rule only when you say it is one, such as "always use 20% markup on subs".
Expect questions when the request is vague
If you write "create an estimate" or "price a kitchen", Handy asks clarifying questions before it builds. Answer them in the card, or add the details to your message and send it again.
A photo with no text is treated as a request for an estimate. If you want a rendering instead, say "show me", "render", or "visualize".
Reuse your past work
Name an earlier estimate to use it as an example: "Make this like my Kitchen Renovation estimate." Handy looks it up and uses it as a reference without changing it.
Refine with follow-up messages
After Handy builds the estimate, keep the same chat and send changes. Handy saves each change as a version.
"Organize this estimate by room, then trade."
"Break the flooring labor into remove old carpet and install LVP."
"Why did you price the tile at that rate?"
"Make the total exactly $48,500."
"List each electrical fixture as its own item."
"Add permit fees and a dumpster rental."
"Add descriptions to every item."
When you only ask Handy to break items down or reorganize them, it keeps the total the same. It does not write item descriptions unless you ask for them.
To organize by room or trade, ask Handy to "organize this estimate by room." Handy builds sections for rooms and groups for trades inside them. If you name only one way to split, such as "split by room," Handy asks what to use for the second level. The estimate has two levels at most, so you can't ask for a third.
To rewrite a draft before you send it, select Enhance your message with AI in the message box.