The Estimating Process and Philosophy

The owner, Matt, has been on thousands of first-time Estimate visits in the last 22 years. In that time he has seen a huge variety of projects, each with its own unique aspects in both the planning and completion steps.

Many jobs require pre-planning time and we make that process as fluid as possible. Many jobs also don’t require extensive planning. We work well in both of these environments. We welcome questions and thoughtful exploration of the best path, so we can walk you through the process and show you our well-planned timetables.

Shooting from the Hip Ballparks are ill-advised for both the customer and the contractor. The correct way to plan a job is through careful development of floor plans and/or plan sets, elevations, and decorative planning when needed. This will also help us identify any required permits, consultations, and outside approvals required for your project if needed and desired. These documents will serve as the baseline for planning the entirety of your project. But again, many jobs also do not require extensive planning. Each job is unique.

Please note that accurate pricing for larger jobs often cannot be given without a developed Plan Set or significant pre-planning.

During your initial consultation, we'll ask some standard questions, including

1. When do you want the job to start?
2. Have you had other contractors assess the work yet?
3. Do you know what these kinds of jobs typically cost? Have you researched online by zip code or on one of the many Free Costing Services that are available?
4. What is your budget?
5. What are the two or three most important things you are looking for in a Contractor?
6. How serious are you about getting a smaller job started within 1 month, and a larger job started within 2-4 months? Permitted jobs for Plan Set development and Waiting time from the Building Departments can take 1-2 months for approval typically, sometimes less.

Preliminary job breakdowns are usually sent within seven days. 14 days for more extensive jobs or when sub-contractors are needed for consultation visits.