Contractor fee to come out for estimate? how do you feel about that? (Home Depot, Lowes)
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Just want to see what the general public thinks about contractors charging a fee to come out to give estimates.
I'm an electrical contractor and I charge a fee to come out if they are fairly far away. I will waive the fee if I am awarded the job.
I also charge to give a written quote not an estimate. Estimates are always free.
The time, the fuel and wear and tear on the truck needs to be paid for. A simple estimate can take over an hour of time out of the day. We need to be paid for every hour we are on the clock just like everyone that works for an employer expects.
We don't win all the jobs so over a coarse of a year all that time, fuel and wear and tear on the truck adds up.
More and more contractors are charging to come out. Many have been doing this from the start.
Back when I was contracting I never charged for going out to see the job its just part of doing business. Job walks, bids no charge. If you called for service then we had a minimum show up rate. If I had a job walk with contractors for say a remodel and they tried to charge me for showing up I guarantee you my answer would be don't bother you won't get it.
Back when I was contracting I never charged for going out to see the job its just part of doing business. Job walks, bids no charge. If you called for service then we had a minimum show up rate. If I had a job walk with contractors for say a remodel and they tried to charge me for showing up I guarantee you my answer would be don't bother you won't get it.
And I would be happy to not get the job. Charging to come out to give estimates also prequalifies quality customers. I don't target people looking for dirt cheap prices. If someone balks at a small fee that gets waived anyway if I get the job...I don't want them as a customer in the first place.
Contractors that start businesses do it to make profit not just to pay bills. If I wanted to just pay the bills I would work for another contractor.
Quality contractors that want quality customers charge for their time and expenses.
The estimate is a form of advertising, one that allows the customer to do an initial evaluation of the contractor. Generally the costs are built into the jobs that make. Standard rule in business is "OK, the project you want to do has been approved by the boss/board of directors/whoever. Now go and get three estimates." It isn't always the lowest bidder that gets the job, but is just as often the one who understands what is needed, presents well, and obviously has the proper staff and equipment.
I can understand a fee for an estimate outside of the normal work range, partly as a way of discouraging those call-outs and jobs. I think that unless your work is so stellar that you have too much work that charging for estimates is chewing your own nose off to save on hamburger costs.
A good friend of mine who is a contractor doesn't generally charge for estimates or a written quotes for things like roofing, siding, gutters, doors, windows, or building a deck, etc. But, his specialty is kitchen design. He does charges a fee for coming out to take all the measurements and do a complete design. He uses a pretty expensive software program that does an impressive job of creating a complete rendering of the design. In addition there's the usual costs of gas/time, etc. Of course, the amount of the fee does get applied to the cost of the job if they go forward.
Too many people have taken his designs and gone to Lowes or Home Depot to try and duplicate it on the cheap. He's actually run into people at Lowes with his designs in-hand trying to have the guy in the kitchen department copy it and give them a quote.
Just want to see what the general public thinks about contractors charging a fee to come out to give estimates.
I'm an electrical contractor and I charge a fee to come out if they are fairly far away. I will waive the fee if I am awarded the job.
I also charge to give a written quote not an estimate. Estimates are always free.
The time, the fuel and wear and tear on the truck needs to be paid for. A simple estimate can take over an hour of time out of the day. We need to be paid for every hour we are on the clock just like everyone that works for an employer expects.
We don't win all the jobs so over a coarse of a year all that time, fuel and wear and tear on the truck adds up.
More and more contractors are charging to come out. Many have been doing this from the start.
........."just want to see what the public thinks".....
Judging from your response to the first poster, your mind is already made up and you really couldn't care less what anyone says.
Seems nearly half the new threads started on City-Data ask a question when their minds are already made up and then vehemently defend their already formed stance.
The estimate is a form of advertising, one that allows the customer to do an initial evaluation of the contractor. Generally the costs are built into the jobs that make. Standard rule in business is "OK, the project you want to do has been approved by the boss/board of directors/whoever. Now go and get three estimates." It isn't always the lowest bidder that gets the job, but is just as often the one who understands what is needed, presents well, and obviously has the proper staff and equipment.
I can understand a fee for an estimate outside of the normal work range, partly as a way of discouraging those call-outs and jobs. I think that unless your work is so stellar that you have too much work that charging for estimates is chewing your own nose off to save on hamburger costs.
I assure you over the coarse of a year the costs for giving "free" estimates is 1000x over "hamburger costs"
Most of the people who call me have no problem with paying a small fee for me to come out because they are pretty sure they want me for the job...so the fee gets waived. All my advertising says the fee is waived if I am hired for the job.
Yes I have people who call me and say "you charge to come out and give an estimate? ok no thanks" and that is fine. Why? Because most likely they cant afford my services if $35 scares them. Also it shows they most likely aren't sure I'm the right guy for them so they don't want to pay a $35 fee.
I want people to call me that are pretty sure I'm the guy for the job after doing initial research on me.
Let me know what else in this world is free? Nothing. So why should contractors do anything for free?
For an adult to expect something for free in this world strikes me as odd.
........."just want to see what the public thinks".....
Judging from your response to the first poster, your mind is already made up and you really couldn't care less what anyone says.
Seems nearly half the new threads started on City-Data ask a question when their minds are already made up and then vehemently defend their already formed stance.
Your right my mind is made up on my end. This isn't a thread on "if I should charge for estimates" I know what I do. I just want to see what people think about the topic. It is a discussion a forum.
Yes I have people who call me and say "you charge to come out and give an estimate? ok no thanks" and that is fine. Why? Because most likely they cant afford my services if $35 scares them. Also it shows they most likely aren't sure I'm the right guy for them so they don't want to pay a $35 fee.
$35 would be sooo miniscule compared to my total expenses.
It is NOT the fee but the principle of it.
NONE of the contractors charged a fee for an estimate or a written quote.
I would pass on you, since others are willing to do what you do, but for free.
$35 would be sooo miniscule compared to my total expenses.
It is NOT the fee but the principle of it.
NONE of the contractors charged a fee for an estimate or a written quote.
I would pass on you, since others are willing to do what you do, but for free.
That's ok I'm not the only one who charges to come out not even close. How far away were these contractors? I don't charge if they are close by up to 20 mins or so.
What's the "principle" that you speak of? Why in your mind is it out of line for someone to ask to be paid for their time and expenses?
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