-
The crew reroofed the first house, finishing the job at 3 p.m. Then, the estimator waited four long hours for the homeowner to return from work.He was shocked, but the next day the homeowner agreed to sign a liability waiver, refusing to pay anything toward the roof, which Waller estimates at $15...
-
Slippage occurs when something on the job causes unrecoverable costs to extend beyond the limits of the estimate. King has since refined and implemented several processes to help her company reduce slippage, most notably instituting a "post-mortem" review of costs at the completion of every job.
-
Change orders can be difficult to estimate because they involve items that are usually not apparent at the current stage of construction. Here are some rules for estimating change orders that should minimize your losses:
Most of Jeff Metke's work is on houses in and around a beautiful lake, many of them vacation homes. The customer signs a design contract and a contract with Metke that covers estimating and construction.
There's a difference, and the extent to which you, your employees, and subs understand and pursue your purpose has a lot more to do with your success than how you think about and even perform your tasks.Your best field staff understand the difference between task and purpose because, even though...
Some roofing, siding, and window companies still sell at 300% to 400% markups, with salesmen paid commissions in the 10% to 15% range. In the general remodeling market, on the other hand, the average sales commission is 6% to 8% of total cost, with the commission jumping to 10% on a project in the...
-
If a windfall economy pulled you away from your expertise, now is the time to get back both to the type of work you do best and to the type of customer who most needs your services. To win jobs in a tighter market, you'll once again need to highlight benefits, compare price and value, and counter...
-
Xactware, makers of a popular estimating program used in insurance restoration, plans to release a package in March called Xactimate for Remodelers.Ken Badalamenti of Riviera Construction, Solon, Ohio, who participated in a focus group and has explored several estimating programs, says the...
-
Professionals pay professionals and know they must. I charge for estimates and keep the money because I believe that a contractor's time is extremely valuable. The homeowners receive 45 minutes to an hour of free consultation during the first meeting. After that, they pay for our time.
-
Qualifying questions tell you what prospects look for in a relationship; trial closes tell you if you're building one.Poor or improper communication results in an unfavorable value judgment and a drop in perceived value, leaving the prospect two choices: To go elsewhere or to do nothing.The only...