CFE guide · Getting started
Free Trial vs Limited Mode: What Works After 30 Days
The free trial unlocks every function for 30 days, with no credit card. When it ends, CFE goes into Limited Mode: the Estimate Quote still works fully (new, open, edit, calculate and save, plus Save as PDF with a LIMITED MODE watermark), while change orders, proposals, forms, work orders, import, export and email are locked. Nothing is deleted. Everything unlocks the moment you subscribe, from $69.99 a month, or enter a license key or a team code.
Why the trial works this way
A flooring estimating program has to prove itself on a real bid, with your own takeoff, your own prices and a proposal you would actually send. Thirty days with every function unlocked is enough to run several bids through it, from the takeoff import to the proposal and the Bid Tracker.
When the trial ends, CFE - Advanced Estimating Worksheet does not lock you out or delete what you made. It keeps the Estimate Quote working, so you can still price, and everything you built during the trial is waiting when you subscribe.
From trial to subscription
- Start the trialDownload, sign in, every function unlocked.
- When the trial endsCFE opens in Limited Mode and says what still works.
- Working in Limited ModeLocked items show a lock and explain how to unlock.
- Subscribe or activatePick a plan, paste a key, or enter a team code.
1Start the free trial
Download CFE for Windows 64-bit and sign in. The badge at the top right shows TRIAL and the days left. About › License info shows the status (day 7 of 30 in the screenshot, with the date the trial ends), the PC, a Support ID to read to CFE support if you need more trial time, and All functions unlocked during the trial.
Run a real bid through the trial, not the sample: import your own takeoff, price it with your own rates, and print the proposal you would send. That is the only test that tells you if the program fits your shop.
2What happens when the trial ends
The next time CFE opens, it says Your 30-day free trial has ended, with the plans on the left and, on the right, what still works and what is locked:
- Still works: the Estimate Quote fully (new, open, edit, calculate and save), Save as PDF (pages carry a LIMITED MODE watermark), Help, About and License.
- Locked until you register: Change Orders, the SAMPLE templates, Man Days, Labor, Commission, proposals, forms, subs, Material List, work orders, Email PDF, Import and Export, Settings, Integrate and Reports.
Press Continue in Limited Mode to keep working on the Estimate Quote.
3Working in Limited Mode
Locked menu items and ribbon tabs grey out with a small lock, and a yellow LIMITED MODE bar on the Estimate Quote says what still works. Click a locked sheet such as the Unit List Proposal and CFE explains that it unlocks as soon as you register, and that nothing you made is deleted. In the Estimate Quote, the Profit Breakdown is hidden until you register.
4Subscribe, or activate a key or team code
Pick a plan and press Register and subscribe (or Subscribe with Lemon Squeezy in License info); a secure checkout opens in your browser and you can cancel any time. If you already bought a license, paste the key from your Lemon Squeezy email and press Activate. If your company is on a team plan, enter the 6-digit team code from your invite email and press Join team; there is no key to copy. See team members and seats.
The plans, as the app shows them
Prices for one seat, from the License info screen.
| Plan | Billed | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $69.99 every month | $69.99 |
| Every 3 months | $209.97 every 3 months | $69.99 |
| Every 6 months (save 5%, $21.00) | $398.94 every 6 months | $66.49 |
| Yearly (save 15%, $125.98) | $713.90 every 12 months | $59.49 |
All plans auto-renew. A team plan is the same price per seat, and each seat is one estimator on up to 2 computers, one at a time. Current prices are on pricing and free trial.
What to do next
Next, install CFE, set up your company settings and build your first estimate while the trial runs.
Start your 30-day free trial
Every function unlocked. No credit card. The Estimate Quote keeps working after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the CFE free trial need a credit card?
No. Download it, sign in, and every function is unlocked for 30 days.
What still works after the free trial ends?
The Estimate Quote works fully: new, open, edit, calculate and save, plus Save as PDF with a LIMITED MODE watermark. Help, About and License also work.
Are my estimates deleted when the trial ends?
No. Nothing is deleted, and everything unlocks the moment you subscribe or activate a license.
How much does CFE cost after the trial?
$69.99 a month per seat, or less on longer plans: $398.94 every 6 months ($66.49 a month) or $713.90 a year ($59.49 a month).
Written by
Cristian Valcu – Founder & CEO, Commercial Flooring Estimating LLC
Cristian has estimated commercial flooring for over 20 years and built CFE - Advanced Estimating Worksheet around the way flooring contractors actually price, propose and track their bids.
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