Excel vs Riveta
Still building estimates in Excel?
Excel is free and flexible. It's also how you lose jobs to contractors who send a link, get a signature, and collect a deposit before you hit send.
Build the estimate in a spreadsheet, export as PDF, attach to email, wait.
Send a mobile-friendly approval link in under 3 minutes. Customer approves from any phone.
Customer replies "sounds good" over text. No record, no signature.
Customer types their name as a legal signature. Timestamped, IP-logged, downloadable PDF.
Chase the deposit by invoice — often weeks later.
Deposit collected via Stripe the moment they approve. Funds in your account, not theirs.
No way to know if the customer even opened the PDF.
See exactly when the customer opened the estimate and how many times.
Change orders negotiated by text or phone call. No written record.
Change orders sent as linked documents. Customer approves with a signature before you start.
Revising an estimate means opening Excel, editing, re-exporting, re-emailing.
Edit the estimate in-app, customer gets an updated link automatically.
Start closing estimates faster — free.
5 estimates per month, no credit card, no setup. First approval in under 10 minutes.