bids, estimates: free or charge

A question for everyone,

Do you charge for giving bids, estimates etc.?


I just got a call to give an estimate to clean 5 stairways, 5 entrances, 32 carports and all the sidewalks.

The manager asked me right off if I charge to give estimates, I said of course not, she said great as the other company I called wanted to charge just to come out and give me a price.

Do you guys/gals charge?

If you do and get the job I would assume it comes off the total price, yes?

Free estimates....although we have thought about changing it......like when they don't tell you they found someone else or already started doing it themselves or changed their mind and you show up to give them the estimate. Around here, everyone gives free estimates from what we can tell.

Beth

I give free estimates, however I don't go over board. I don't like writting the specs for others.

Give free estimates, but when I get another insurance bid job I will charge and if they go with it I will deduct it off the price. Found out that some people get the bid submit to there insurance company and keep the money and do it themselves.

Charlie

I do free estimates. Like Beth said, you get alot wasted time, but that's just part of doing business.

Lke Walt said, I do not write the specs of the job, such as square footage.........that way they're not on the phone to ten other people saying "I have a 824 square foot deck, blah blah blah"

i do try to itemize all items in a job, ie: railing, lattice, steps, extensive spindles, stripping, neutralizing, sealing, one or two coats, multi-level decks, etc and whatever else i can think of WITHOUT giving the sq footage or size. i make it sound as tough as can be without lying.

never give sq footage of area to be worked!

roy

oh yea.... free estimates.. yes!

Free Estimates........

We also probably give way to much information in our estimates (sq feet, special considerations, etc), but that will change after reading these posts.

I see most of us all are willing to give free estimates without a thought, it is part of being in business.

I know many times when I do my followup by phone I am told you were to high, when pressed I get the "we got another bid" stuff, I have asked if I can have a copy and every time they offer it the date is after the date I sent mine in.

Sorry but in my mind someone is showing mine to the person they really want to give the job to and by first getting other bids they know just how much less to bid for the job.

This happens both ways, I have been told if I want the job to beat the bids they have and I tell them I don't do business that way. I am either plain dumb or plain honest but I don't play that game.

Once my bid is in that is it, I will not adjust it to match or beat anothers bid.

If I am to high then next time around I will know better but I refuse to play "beat the price" game.

after rereading my post on itemizing, i need to clarify. i list the different things included but do not price the itemized area separately. just one price for all, even with a house wash included. they don't know how much i'm charging for each.


roy

I always do free estimates. I consider it part of the business which I like to do. My estimate sheet looks professional and once again my truck and attire looks neat which I think helps along with the selling of the job of course.

Even though my estimate sheets are very detailed where I could put in alot of info I only put the price of what is to be powerwashed and the labor price of what is to be stained. I give the potential customer a carbon copy of this estimate sheet with one of my business cards stapled to it. Of course if they lost the card my bus. name, address and phone# are on the estimate sheet.

We always give the square footage. These folks are going to call around regardless, and may already have the size of the deck. I just don't see a reason not to provide it that is compelling enough to stop. Besides, you know how many people don't return calls or show up and how few give phone estimates?

Information is power, and if you do a job and don't have it marked, well, if there is ever any question I always thought it would be a benefit to have it on there.....

For future years, we email or fax an estimate to them since we have the square footage on file, and it saves us a trip.

Beth

Beth,

I see positives in both logics.......but I'll stick to mine. As far as down the road goes.........I still have the numbers on file......I just dont give them to the customer.

Mike

Tell them the estimate is $ 200.00, but you will house their house for free. If they want to shop prices you probally don't need to work for them anyway. Ask them why they don't call the cheap bid they had before? They can't find them because they really aren't in business. Just because you have a toy pressure doesn't mean you know what you are doing.
Steven Rowlett
ROWLETT PRESSURE
CLEANING SERVICE