What's the point of an estimate ?
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Anonymous
| If there's a possibility it will go over? |
Anonymous
Its an estimate; not a bid. Do you have detailed plans and specs for your job ? If yes, get three bids. If not, get them and you wont have to deal with estimates -oh, you dont want to pay for plans and specs - then what do you expect . I should come to your home - read your mind and then you give you a price and guarantee the price - yeah - unless it is cut and dry not gonna happen. And tell me again why you deserve my largese in educating you with a free estimate in the first place. But thats ok - because something tells me that given your attitude when the real guys show up they leave - leaving you with the scroundrels which is who you belong with. Hey tommorrow can you come to my house and give me ideas how much stuff should cost ? How about dialing down your arrogance. |
Anonymous
Holy crap somebody forgot to take their meds today! |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
" yeah - no. Think about the irony of the question ?? if you are not cluing in google the definition of the word "estimate"... Verb Roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of. Noun An approximate calculation or judgment of the value, number, quantity, or extent of something.. so what you cant see because you are not on my meds is that this guy is a contractors worst nightmare. Can you come to my house and give me an "estimate" - been there done that got the t-shirt. Dollars for donuts he ain't spendin the money, and he grind you down...no it is not that I am off my meds - it is that I can identify him by his question as a pain in the ass client out of the gate....does a normal person ask if an estimate can go over....its an estimate...really how stupid could you be...but I will guarantee that he's got money...nope not off my meds - an trust me when I tell a guy like this you need to get it detailed so I can give you a price, I get well just give me a number and if I tell him a number that will be the only number that man (or women) ever remembers.... and to all you folks who think I am off my meds, when you complain that the contractor doesn't call you back its because he doesn't want to....yes, I don't want to call back his cousin "can I buy all my materials at your supply house at your prices" either.... |
Anonymous
| What are you getting all worked up about? Im just trying to understand how this works. |
Anonymous
| Contractors make too much money they should suffer |
Anonymous
Please don't make the crazy contractor angrier |
Anonymous
|
Depending on the scope of your work it is an iterative process. First step can be to ge a general estimate to make sure you are within a general budget. Then, after you have final plans and specs (with allowances) ypu can get more detailed quotes.
If ypur job is above $200k, working this through with an architect is a better choice. The other optin is to work with a design build firm. You can also pick a contractor and have them refine pricing to your budget. There are contractors that dont like the work of providing estimates. I would stay clear from the, - if theyre too lazy to work through pricing refinements, what else are they going to be too lazy to do? |
Anonymous
Let me guess, you work 2 days a week , drink and fish the other 5 and expect to be paid the same as a full time worker. |
Anonymous
Whoa! Never mind about the bid, estimate or whatever you want to call it YOURE NOT HIRED> LEAVE! |
Anonymous
| See I took the op post differently. We bought a house, wanted to know how much stuff would cost, I asked for an estimate and of the three people who came, I didn't get any answers. I found this absurd. I understand things can differ from what was originally estimated at but I wasn't even given a ballpark. I wanted to know- $50-$500-$5000. A ballpark would tell me yes, put us on your schedule but not giving me any idea of how much it would be had me thinking they had no idea what the hell they we're talking about. This was for drywall, tiling a floor and installing a door. |
Anonymous
| Usually it's the contractors who couch their bid as an estimate and expect the unwitting owner to absorb the risk. It is true that with a fairly detailed scope of work you can ask for bids. But it shouldn't be that daunting if it's a small job for an owner to state the scope in writing, including expectations such as match existing mortar color and type, tool joints to a concave profile, jobsite to be left broom-clean at end of each work day, walls to be thoroughly prepped and primed, then two coats eggshell finish (brand name) latex, provide two-foot square samples of each on typical wall of area to be painted, for owner's approval, and so on and so forth. Find sample specs on the web and improvise by consulting your own preferences. |
Anonymous
| Just make the contractor sign a contract and then you won't need to pay more then what is agreed. |
Anonymous
Is this really an option? Do they do this? |