Joist tops out at $32/mo — and still can’t schedule a job, manage your crew, or automate a single follow-up. QuoteIQ Elite ($299/mo) replaces Joist plus 6–8 separate apps your painting company needs to actually grow.
Joist is built for the contractor who needs to send their first estimate from a phone. For interior and exterior painting businesses doing interior walls, exterior repaint jobs, deck staining, cabinet refinishing, epoxy floor coatings, and commercial paint projects, that’s a useful starting point. But the moment you hire a second painter, start juggling multiple crews, or want to automate your customer follow-ups — Joist runs out of runway fast.
Joist is a single-user invoicing app. There is no way to add employees, assign jobs, or share an account. No scheduler. No route management. No automated review requests. No AI tools. No customer self-scheduling. If you are running a 3-person painting crew, you are either paying for separate software for each of those functions, or you are managing everything manually while your competitors automate it.
QuoteIQ was built by Mike Vidan and Justin Rogers — two home service business owners who actually ran crews and knew exactly what software like Joist was missing. The result is an all-in-one painting business CRM that handles estimates, scheduling, team management, automated reviews, AI estimating, customer self-booking, and before-and-after photo marketing — all under one login at $299/mo for up to 7 users.
Joist’s sticker price looks like $32/mo. But that only covers invoicing. Here’s the real math.
Joist
Joist Elite — Top Tier
QuoteIQ
QuoteIQ Elite — Everything Included
Painting-specific features. Honest marks. Integration costs shown where they apply.
| Feature | Joist Elite ($32/mo) | QuoteIQ Elite ($299/mo) | QIQ Plan Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimates & Invoices | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited | All Plans |
| Online Payments | ✅ PayPal/card | ✅ Stripe (lower fees) | All Plans |
| QuickBooks Sync | ✅ Pro and above | ✅ Included | Pro and above |
| Homeowner / Consumer Financing | ✅ All plans | ✅ Stripe BNPL (Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay) | All Plans |
| E-Signatures | ✅ All plans | ✅ All plans | Beginner and above |
| Change Orders | ✅ Elite only | ✅ Included | All Plans |
| Paint quantity / room-by-room line items | ✅ Line items available | ✅ Built-in Paint Calculator + line items | All Plans |
| Job Scheduling & Calendar | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ Full scheduling calendar | All Plans |
| Multi-day job scheduling | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ Included | All Plans |
| Team / crew management | ❌ Single-user only — no team features at any price | ✅ EmployeeHub — GPS, time tracking, dispatch | Elite and above |
| Before & after photo documentation | ⚠️ Via CompanyCam ($79–$99/mo) | ✅ QuoteIQ Cam — built in | Beginner and above |
| AI Before & After image generator | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ AI-generated preview images | All Plans |
| Customer self-scheduling (24/7 booking) | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ InstaSchedule — live calendar booking | Elite and above |
| Customer self-quoting | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ InstaQuote — customers build their own quotes | Elite and above |
| Automated review requests | ❌ Not available — separate tool needed ($49–$99/mo) | ✅ Review Multiplier — automated post-job | Beginner and above |
| Route optimization | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ Built-in route optimization | Elite and above |
| Dedicated business phone + in-app calling | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ ClientHub business phone | Pro and above |
| Automated email & text follow-ups | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ Email & Text Automation | Pro and above |
| AI Autopilot (35-tool CRM control) | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ AI Autopilot on all plans | All Plans |
| AI Estimator (photo-based pricing) | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ AI Estimator included | All Plans |
| Mass Campaigns (email/SMS marketing) | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ Mass Campaigns | Elite and above |
| Inventory management | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ 5-module inventory system | Elite and above |
| Satellite property measurement | ❌ Not available at any price | ✅ MapMeasure Pro (any property type) | Beginner and above |
| Business reports | ✅ Elite only | ✅ Advanced analytics | All Plans (advanced: Pro and above) |
| Mobile app (iOS + Android) | ✅ Both platforms | ✅ Both platforms | All Plans |
| Free trial | ✅ 14 days | ✅ 14 days | All Plans |
| Multi-user / team accounts | ❌ Single user only on ALL plans | ✅ Up to 7 users on Elite | Elite: 7 users / Max: Unlimited |
⚠️ = available via third-party integration at additional monthly cost. ❌ = not available at any price on Joist. Genuine Joist advantage: Joist’s mobile app and estimate workflow is widely praised for simplicity among solo operators just getting started. If you are a solo painter sending your first 5 estimates a month, Joist’s free or Basics tier covers that use case well.
Watch how painting contractors use QuoteIQ to quote jobs, schedule crews, automate follow-ups, and collect reviews — all from one app.
Pick any QuoteIQ plan and start your 14-day free trial. No contracts. Cancel anytime.
In Joist, export your client list and any saved templates. QuoteIQ’s onboarding team can help you import contacts.
Set up your services: interior painting per room, exterior repaint per square foot, cabinet refinishing, deck staining, trim painting, epoxy floor coatings — at your rates. Use the built-in Paint Calculator.
Invite your painters through EmployeeHub. Configure your InstaSchedule availability for estimate walk-throughs and production days. Enable InstaQuote so homeowners can self-quote exterior repaints and interior room packages.
Turn on automated review requests to fire after every completed paint job. Send your first mass campaign to past Joist customers. Cancel Joist when your trial proves the difference.
Real reviews from Joist users on Capterra and G2. Unedited.
“Very poor on project management, scheduling jobs, no opportunity to ask for Google reviews, didn’t ask for a tip.”
“Overall, Joist was a great solution for us in the early stages of our business. Unfortunately, we had to change to something that would work for our business in project management as that seriously lacked.”
“Support is not very responsive nor willing to provide real assistance. It’s really a shame, because it really could be a dynamite program if they actually listened to customer’s needs, and provided stronger functionality.”
4.7 stars · 4,100+ verified reviews across App Store and Google Play.
“This app has made my business so much more enjoyable not having to go to 8 different places to deal with one customer, I am able to go to one app for it all!!!”
“I recently began using this program for my service business, the instaquote and mapping tool are invaluable.”
“Best CRM out there this app will make you so much money and offers everything in one app absolutely amazing!!!!”
QuoteIQ was founded by two home service business owners who lived the problem Joist couldn’t solve.
Co-Founder
20+ year home service business owner, published author, and YouTube creator with 580,000+ subscribers. Graduate of The Citadel. Mike built and scaled a pressure washing business from the ground up — and knows exactly what happens when a painting crew shows up without the right software behind them.
Co-Founder
Serial entrepreneur, home service business owner, and creator of Forever Self Employed — one of the most-watched YouTube channels for contractors building independence through their trade. Justin built QuoteIQ to solve the CRM gap he felt personally: the moment your service business grows past the solo stage, basic invoicing tools like Joist break down.
The only reason to stay on Joist is that your business is still small enough that invoicing is all you need. That is a starting-point win for them, not a platform win. The moment you hire your first crew member, want to automate a review request, or need a customer to book a walk-through online without calling you — Joist cannot help. That is when you move to QuoteIQ.
What is the biggest difference between Joist and QuoteIQ for painting businesses?
Joist is a single-user invoicing app. It handles estimates and invoices well, but has no scheduling, no team management, no automated reviews, no customer self-booking, and no AI features at any price. QuoteIQ is a complete CRM and field service management platform built for growing painting teams — with all of those features included at $299/mo for up to 7 users.
Can Joist handle crew scheduling for a painting team?
No. Joist has no scheduling feature on any plan. The app is also single-user only — there is no way to add a second painter, assign jobs, or share access. If you are running a crew of two or more, Joist cannot manage your schedule at any price.
How much does Joist cost per month?
Joist’s top tier, Joist Elite, costs $32/mo billed monthly (or $320/yr billed annually). That price covers one user only and includes estimates, invoices, business reports, and change orders. Scheduling, team management, photo documentation, automated reviews, and route optimization all require separate third-party apps at additional cost.
Does Joist have a before-and-after photo feature for painting jobs?
No. Joist has no built-in photo documentation tool. Painting businesses that need before-and-after photos typically add CompanyCam at $79–$99/mo separately. QuoteIQ Cam is built into QuoteIQ starting at the Beginner plan and includes AI-generated before-and-after preview images.
Can Joist automatically request Google reviews after a painting job?
No. Joist has no review automation feature on any plan. Businesses that want automated post-job review requests need to pay separately for a review platform ($49–$99/mo). QuoteIQ’s Review Multiplier is built in and fires automatically after every completed job.
Does QuoteIQ have a paint calculator?
Yes. QuoteIQ includes a built-in Paint Calculator on all plans. You can estimate paint quantity by room or square footage, factor in coats, and build line-item estimates that break out labor, materials, and markup — all from the mobile app or web.
Can customers book painting estimates online through QuoteIQ?
Yes. InstaSchedule on QuoteIQ Elite lets homeowners book a walk-through or painting estimate directly against your real-time calendar — 24/7, without calling you. Joist has no scheduling feature and no self-booking tool.
What does it cost to add scheduling to Joist?
There is no scheduling add-on available for Joist. The feature simply does not exist in the platform at any tier. To get scheduling, you would need to sign up for an entirely separate software like Jobber (starting at $49–$79/mo for individuals, $199+/mo for teams) and run it alongside Joist — two separate subscriptions, two logins, no integration.
Does Joist sync with QuickBooks?
Yes — QuickBooks Online sync is available on Joist Pro ($16/mo) and Joist Elite ($32/mo). QuoteIQ also includes QuickBooks integration on the Pro plan and above.
How many users can use QuoteIQ on the Elite plan?
QuoteIQ Elite supports up to 7 users at $299/mo. Joist is single-user on every plan — Basics, Pro, and Elite. There is no multi-user option in Joist at any price.
Does QuoteIQ offer a free trial?
Yes. QuoteIQ offers a 14-day free trial on all plans with full access to every feature on the plan you select. No contracts. Cancel anytime.
Is QuoteIQ built specifically for painting contractors?
QuoteIQ serves 50+ home service industries, and painting businesses are a strong match for the platform. Features like the Paint Calculator, room-by-room line-item estimates, before-and-after photo documentation, multi-day job scheduling, and AI-generated preview images are all directly relevant to interior and exterior painting operations. QuoteIQ was built by home service business owners — not software developers who have never run a crew.
What happens to my Joist data if I switch to QuoteIQ?
You can export your client list and job history from Joist as a CSV and import it into QuoteIQ. QuoteIQ’s support team can walk you through the migration. Your Joist account remains active until you cancel it — there is no forced cutover.
Does QuoteIQ have AI features for painting estimates?
Yes. QuoteIQ includes AI Autopilot (35-tool natural language CRM control), AI Estimator (photo-based pricing from job-site images), AI Before/After Image Generator (shows customers what their home looks like after the paint job before you start), and Virtual Call Team — all included on every plan starting at $29.99/mo. Joist has no AI features at any price.
QuoteIQ Elite gives your crew scheduling, team management, automated reviews, AI estimating, before-and-after photos, and customer self-booking — all included at $299/mo. 14-day free trial. No contracts.
Estimates
Create and send professional estimates.
Invoicing
Send, track and collect invoices.
QuoteIQ Cam
Capture and document every job with ease.
Scheduling
Schedule jobs to your calendar in seconds.
Inspection Forms
Create and complete inspection reports.
MapMeasure Pro
Measure and price properties instantly.
Business Analytics
Real-time insight into your performance.
EmployeeHub
Assign, schedule & pay employees.
Virtual Call Team
Never miss a call with 24/7 AJ, assistant.
ClientHub
Send and keep messages inside QuoteIQ.
InstaQuote
Allow customers to create estimates themselves.
InstaSchedule
Let clients schedule appointments themselves.
Facebook User Group
Connect with and get advice from other QuoteIQ users.
Competitor Comparisons
See how QuoteIQ compares to it’s top competitors.
QuoteIQ Partners
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Earn 40% commissions by sharing QuoteIQ with others.
Press & Media
Brand assets and coverage about QuoteIQ’s journey.
