Floor Plan Tool for Contractors

Why Contractors Need a Quick-Sketch Floor Plan Tool

Most contractors don't need full CAD. They need to do three things fast: capture an existing space, sketch a proposed change, and send something the client will actually look at. Most CAD software is overbuilt for that, and most "free" alternatives are either crippled trials or are so awkward to use on-site that nobody actually opens them at the customer's house.

The result is contractors quoting jobs from memory and a list of dimensions on a notepad. That's how you end up with bids that miss critical details, scope creep mid-project, and clients who didn't understand what they were paying for.

A purpose-built, browser-based tool fixes that. You walk the job, sketch it on a tablet or phone, and the customer leaves the meeting with a PDF in their inbox before you've finished your truck coffee.

What TinyGrid Does Well for Trades

• Runs in any browser. Tablet, phone, laptop. No install, no IT department. Loads in seconds even on a slow site connection.
• Snap-to-grid drawing. Walls stay clean. Dimensions stay accurate. No "freehand wobbles" that make plans look unprofessional.
• Real measurements, not abstractions. Feet and inches, not pixels. The plan shows the same numbers you wrote down with a tape.
• PDF export. Email it, print it, attach it to a contract.
• Free. No subscription, no per-user fee, no hidden Pro upsell for the basics.

How to Use TinyGrid on a Job Walk

1. Open TinyGrid on the device you have with you. Tablets are best for sketching; phones work for capturing dimensions.
2. Drop the perimeter. Walk the room, click corners, type in dimensions as you go.
3. Add the interior walls and openings. Doors, windows, and any partitions. Snap-to-grid keeps them aligned.
4. Mark anything you'll be touching. "DEMO", "NEW WALL", "RELOCATE OUTLET" — short labels read fast.
5. Save before you leave. Local save first, then export to PDF when you have a real keyboard.
6. Send the PDF as part of your bid. A bid with a drawing wins more jobs than a bid without one.

For repeat job types — bathroom remodels, kitchen openings, basement finishes — start from a saved template instead of from scratch. Browse the free templates for common starting points.

Use Cases by Trade

General Contractors

Walk-through sketches for whole-room and whole-house remodels. Show clients before-and-after layouts so scope changes get approved (and signed off on) before demolition.

Painters & Drywall

Wall lengths and ceiling heights drive material estimates. A floor plan turns into a square-footage estimate in minutes — no more under-bidding because you forgot a room.

Flooring Installers

Square footage by room makes ordering material straightforward. Save a copy of the plan with each completed job for reference and warranty work later.

HVAC & Plumbing

Mark fixture locations, vent runs, and the panel/manifold position. A floor plan with mechanical notes is a much better record than chicken-scratch in a service binder.

Electricians

Outlet, switch, and fixture placement. Mark circuit assignments. The plan becomes the reference document for inspections and any future service calls.

What Bidding With a Plan Gets You

• Higher win rate. Clients pick the bid that looks more professional, not necessarily the cheapest. A drawing makes you look organized.
• Fewer change orders. When the scope is drawn, the client can't claim "I didn't mean that wall."
• Faster estimating on the next similar job. Save plans by job type — duplicate and modify instead of starting over.
• Better records. If a client calls a year later asking what you did, you have a drawing instead of a memory.
• Cleaner communication with subs. A plan is the universal language between trades. Send the same PDF to your electrician and your plumber and they'll both understand it.

What It Doesn't Do

TinyGrid is a sketch and bid tool, not a full architectural CAD package. It won't replace stamped drawings for permits that require them, it doesn't do 3D rendering, and it doesn't automate material takeoffs. If you need any of those, you need different software. If you need a fast, accurate, free way to put a job on paper for a client — that's exactly what it's built for.