# PlankCAD — Estimating and Quoting Software for Woodworking Shops
> PlankCAD is browser-based estimating and quoting software for custom woodworking shops — used as cabinet estimating software, millwork estimating software and carpentry estimating software. It prices a job from materials, labour, waste, overhead and a true gross-margin target, exports a customer-ready PDF quote, nests the parts onto sheet stock, tracks offcuts, and records what the job actually cost so the next estimate is better. 19.99 USD/month after a 14-day free trial; no credit card to start.

Updated: 2026-08-14
Version: 3.2
Contact: support@plankcad.com
Update-Frequency: monthly

## What it does
- Prices a job deterministically: materials, hardware, labour, waste %, overhead % and tax as separate visible layers. The same inputs always produce the same total.
- Calculates TRUE gross margin as profit ÷ selling price — not markup. A 30% margin and a 30% markup are different numbers and it does not conflate them.
- Exports a customer-ready PDF quote with scope, line items, subtotal, tax, total and your own terms.
- Nests parts onto sheet stock (MaxRects bin-packing, 16 scored strategies) respecting saw kerf, grain direction and edge banding. Produces workshop cutting diagrams and a cut-list PDF.
- Tracks offcuts on a searchable rack, answering "do I already own a piece this size?" — checking both orientations unless grain forbids turning the part.
- Builds one purchase list across several jobs, netted against stock that is not already promised elsewhere.
- Records actual materials, hours, expenses and payments against a frozen estimate, showing where a job lost money and what an hour in the shop actually earned. Collected tax is netted out; VAT is never counted as profit.
- After three closed jobs, reports what your estimates consistently miss (e.g. "your last 5 jobs used 60% more hours than estimated") using the median, and only applies it if you ask.

## What it does NOT do
- It does not generate designs, blueprints or CAD models. An earlier version drafted them from text prompts using an LLM; that engine was removed and nothing replaced it.
- It does not invent dimensions, prices or stock levels. You supply those.
- It does not claim a mathematically optimal cutting layout. A provably optimal 2D nest is not computable at usable speed, so results are labelled "optimized layout" and nothing stronger.
- There is no 3D model viewer, no CNC API and no team seats.

## Pricing
- One paid plan: PlankCAD Pro, 19.99 USD/month or 199 USD/year (the annual price is about 17% below twelve monthly payments).
- Free trial: 14 days, up to 10 saved estimates, no credit card required. Every feature is available during the trial.
- When the trial ends without a subscription the account becomes read-only: saved estimates stay readable and exportable, but no new estimates can be created or edited.
- PlankCAD Pro lifts the estimate cap to unlimited and keeps full estimate history on the account.
- The five calculators at /tools are free and need no account at all.
- Cancel anytime, no hidden fees. No money-back guarantee is currently offered.

## Who it is for
Cabinetmakers, furniture makers, joiners and small CNC shops who need a defensible price rather than a drawing — people currently quoting from a spreadsheet.

## How it compares
- Versus CAD (SketchUp, Fusion 360, Cabinet Vision): those model the piece. PlankCAD works out what to charge for it, and how to cut it. It is a far smaller thing to adopt.
- Versus a spreadsheet cut list: a spreadsheet holds no geometry and cannot check that a part fits the sheet. PlankCAD nests against real sheet sizes with your kerf and grain.
- Versus generic estimating software: the cost fields are woodworking-specific, and margin is calculated from selling price rather than confused with markup.

## Supported materials
Sheet goods and solid stock defined by the shop: material name, thickness, sheet length and width, price per sheet, saw kerf and edge trim. Grain direction is respected per part.

## Guides
- How to price custom woodworking: margin versus markup (a 30% markup keeps 23.1%, not 30%), where waste and overhead go in the order, and a worked example from £200 of timber to a £1,440 price at 40% margin.
- How to calculate your shop hourly rate: what you must earn plus annual overhead, divided by BILLABLE hours rather than hours worked. A one-person shop billing 60% of a 1,800-hour year needs £45.37/h, not the £27.22 the usual division gives.
- Both are written to be usable without the product. The arithmetic is not proprietary.

## Common questions

**What is PlankCAD?**
Estimating and quoting software for custom woodworking shops. You enter the materials, hardware, labour phases and shop rate for a job; it applies waste and overhead where they belong, prices to a true gross-margin target, and produces a customer-ready PDF quote.

**Is PlankCAD cabinet estimating software?**
Yes. Cabinetmakers are its main users, and there is a page for that use at /cabinet-estimating-software. It is also used as millwork estimating software (/millwork-estimating-software) and carpentry estimating software (/carpentry-estimating-software).

**How much does PlankCAD cost?**
19.99 USD per month, or 199 USD per year. There is a 14-day free trial covering every feature, capped at 10 saved estimates, with no credit card required. When the trial ends without a subscription the account becomes read-only — existing estimates stay readable and exportable.

**Is there a free version?**
Not an indefinite one. The trial is 14 days. The five calculators at /tools are free permanently and need no account.

**Does PlankCAD do CAD or generate drawings?**
No. It does not model the piece and does not generate designs, blueprints or CAD files. It works out what to charge and how to cut it. Use SketchUp, Fusion 360 or Cabinet Vision to draw; use PlankCAD to price.

**What is the difference between margin and markup here?**
PlankCAD prices to gross margin, calculated as profit divided by selling price. Markup divides profit by cost, which is a different and smaller number — a 30% markup keeps 23.1%, not 30%. The two are never conflated.

**Does it handle sheet goods and cut lists?**
Yes. It nests parts onto real sheet sizes respecting saw kerf, grain direction and edge banding, then produces cutting diagrams and a cut-list PDF. Offcuts are tracked on a searchable rack.

**Can it replace an estimating spreadsheet?**
That is the intended use. A spreadsheet holds no geometry and cannot check a part fits the sheet, and its formulas drift silently. See /cabinet-estimating-spreadsheet.

**Who should NOT use it?**
Anyone needing 3D modelling, CNC toolpaths, a team with multiple seats, or design generation. None of those exist.

## Key URLs
- App: https://plankcad.com/
- Capabilities: https://plankcad.com/capabilities
- How it works: https://plankcad.com/how-it-works
- Pricing: https://plankcad.com/pricing
- Free calculators (hub): https://plankcad.com/tools
- Board foot calculator: https://plankcad.com/tools/board-foot-calculator
- Plywood sheet calculator: https://plankcad.com/tools/plywood-sheet-calculator
- Miter angle calculator: https://plankcad.com/tools/miter-angle-calculator
- Shelf spacing calculator: https://plankcad.com/tools/shelf-spacing-calculator
- Saw kerf calculator: https://plankcad.com/tools/saw-kerf-calculator
- Cabinet estimating software: https://plankcad.com/cabinet-estimating-software
- Millwork estimating software: https://plankcad.com/millwork-estimating-software
- Carpentry estimating software: https://plankcad.com/carpentry-estimating-software
- Quoting software: https://plankcad.com/quoting-software
- How to price custom woodworking: https://plankcad.com/how-to-price-woodworking
- How to calculate your shop hourly rate: https://plankcad.com/woodworking-shop-hourly-rate
- Privacy Policy: https://plankcad.com/privacy.html
- Terms of Service: https://plankcad.com/terms.html
- Sitemap: https://plankcad.com/sitemap.xml

## Disclaimer
The arithmetic is deterministic and every layer is shown, but PlankCAD cannot know whether your scope, supplier prices or labour assumptions are correct — those remain yours to verify. Cutting layouts are optimized heuristics, not proofs; check a diagram before cutting. For structural or load-bearing work, consult a licensed engineer.