Choosing a Generation Mode
Sammy can generate estimates two different ways: a fast single-shot for jobs with a tight, well-understood scope, and a slower step-by-step approach for big multi-trade jobs where there's more to think about. The generation mode picker sits next to the Create estimate button and lets you choose which one to use — or let Sammy pick for you.
The Three Modes#
You'll see three options in the picker:
- Auto — Sammy reads your brief, classifies the job, and picks the right approach. This is the default and the right choice for most estimates.
- Quick — Skip the questions and the planning step. Sammy generates the estimate in one go.
- Thorough — Sammy asks a few clarifying questions, lays out a strategy for you to approve, then builds the estimate phase by phase.
The picker resets to Auto every time you start a new estimate. It's a per-estimate choice, not a saved setting.
What Auto Does Behind the Scenes#
When you leave the picker on Auto, Sammy looks at the job description and any uploaded files, then decides which mode fits. Most jobs run through the fast Quick-style path. The following job types are automatically routed to the Thorough path:
- Ground-floor additions — extending the interior footprint of a house at ground level
- Second-storey additions — adding a storey above an existing dwelling
- Full-house renovations — gutting and refitting an existing home
- New residential builds — building a house from an empty lot or a knockdown-rebuild
- Commercial fit-outs — office, retail, medical, or tenancy refurbishments
- Commercial new builds — office, warehouse, or industrial shell construction
These are the job types where a single-shot estimate has historically come in light — too many trades, too many phases, too many unknowns to capture in one pass.
Everything else — decks, bathrooms, kitchens, re-roofs, small electrical and plumbing jobs, and anything Sammy doesn't recognise as one of the above — stays on the fast path.
When to Flip to Thorough#
If you've noticed certain types of jobs are consistently coming in under-priced when Sammy generates them, that's the signal to try Thorough on those briefs.
Flipping to Thorough gives the job:
- A short clarifying loop — Sammy asks a handful of questions to pin down the scope (e.g., soil class, finish level, what's included vs. excluded)
- A strategy you can approve before generating — phases, assumptions, risks, and quantities you can review and tweak before the estimate is built
- A phase-by-phase build — Sammy generates each phase one at a time with the full picture from the earlier phases, so nothing falls through the cracks
It takes longer than Auto on a standard job — usually a couple of minutes instead of seconds — but it's the right tool when the job has real complexity and you need Sammy to think it through properly.
When to Flip to Quick#
The opposite problem: Auto has put your job through the Thorough path, but you've been pricing this type of work successfully for years and you don't need the clarifying questions or the strategy approval step. Maybe it's a small variation on a job you've done a hundred times before, or you just want the numbers out the door.
Flip to Quick and Sammy will generate the estimate in one fast pass — no questions, no planning step, straight to the estimate. You can still refine it in the chat afterwards.
Quick Reference#
| You want… | Use this mode |
|---|---|
| Sammy to pick the right approach (recommended) | Auto |
| The fastest possible generation — you know your numbers | Quick |
| A clarifying loop + strategy approval + phase-by-phase build | Thorough |
Where to Find the Picker#
Open the Create estimate page. The picker sits to the left of the Create estimate button, displaying the current mode (Auto, Quick, or Thorough) with a small icon. Tap it to switch modes before you generate.
If you're in the maximised text-area dialog (the bigger writing space), the picker also appears in the action row at the bottom of that dialog.
Tips#
- Leave it on Auto unless you have a specific reason to switch. Auto gets it right for the vast majority of jobs.
- Try Thorough on under-priced job types for a few estimates, see if the numbers come back stronger, then decide whether to keep using it on that type of work.
- Use Quick on familiar jobs where you trust your pricing and just want the estimate out the door fast.
- The choice doesn't stick between estimates — every new estimate starts on Auto.