Check List Guide for Estimating Home Remodels, Renovations, and Home Additions

 

 

 

Winning Remodeling and Home Addition Estimates

Proven Success Methods

 

 

Note: This Information is provided to help contractors looking to win remodeling estimates.

 We are looking to help especially younger contractors who want to know how to get remodeling work. It takes a lot of time -

so keep your focus on the quality leads. But why shouldn't it take time? The home owners are spending thousands of dollars

and asking you to be in their home for weeks or months! Spending a few days on a detailed estimate in comparison to 6 weeks in their home is only fair!

 

After the first meeting you should know if you have potential to be the contractor chosen and if the financing is to be

available so you can focus you energy on providing them a detailed estimate.

 

These Remodeling Success Notes are to help show you the Remodeling Success Steps of items we have learned the hard way. The first few estimates done this way are a lot of work. Know that it gets easier and faster each time. There also are Remodeling Estimator Books and online programs you should check your estimate totals with and use to speed up your total estimate time. Having a good comoputer with a fast connection is important. If the investment seems too much for you to include at first as it often is a public library may be a good place to find estimating software references and be connected to a good computer at high speed until you can set up a good office.

 

 

Estimating Check List for Home Remodels, Renovations, and Home Additions

Proven Remodel Success Methods From Professionals 

 

Provide the potential Customer a Nice Looking Portfolio(s) of pictures and references.

 Offer to leave it with them - this is also good to ensure second meeting.

 

SEND A THANK YOU NOTE for meeting them. If you have good hand writing this is best.

Keep it short - Thank them and State you are working on their quote and looking forward to providing the quote.

 

Find ways to Be Personal and Show You Care.
Then Really Care and find what is best for the customer
One Way To show this is to Include Pictures of the project with attached notes of specific desires typed. Using a simple

program such as Microsoft Paint may do the trick.

 

Provide Floor Plans of their home. Ask for extra time at the first meeting to ensure getting detailed measurements as

possible. Doing a few simple layouts by hand on graph paper also is a nice personal touch. Also use a good 3-D Cad program.

Provide Floor Plans
 Elevations—Original (s)
 Elevations—New-
 Cut through Floor Plan (s)
 Electrical Plan
 
Include a Nice Looking Professional Company Paper

Professional Looking Company Brochure

Provide a quality Business Card & Magnet

Provide a Recent References Sheet—With Contact #’s

Professional Letter— Show your desire for the work

 

Contract (s)

 

National Averages Page with Highlighted $ for the numbers similar to the project if your project is estimated lower

 

Estimate—w/ Break Downs—

 

Schedules

 

Room by Room Lists

 

Quality Check Lists

Include: Sq. Footage  Work to be done _____ Sq Ft & $_____ per Sq. Foot

Note: Customer Specific Desires:

 

Schedules:
Exterior Door Window Schedule

Interior Door Schedule

Plumbing Schedule

Cabinet Schedule

Electrical Schedule

HVAC Schedule

Framing Break Down

Flooring Estimate Break Down

 

Estimate (s):
1 Plans / Permit Fees
2 Excavation/ Site Work / Landscaping
3 Disposal/ Dumpster/ Demolition
4 Footings/ Foundation Walls
5 Concrete Flatwork
6 Framing
7 Roofing
8 Siding
9 Doors/ Windows Exterior
10 Insulation
11 Electrical
12 HVAC
13 Plumbing
14 Trim Work
15 Drywall
16 Painting
17 Flooring
18 Hardware Allowance
19 Brick/ Stone work
20 Cleaning/ Hauling Materials
21 Deck
22 Extras: Fireplaces, Saunas, Steam Rooms, and Misc. Items

 

Room by Room Checklists (1 for Each Room)
You may determine to keep these private due to the amount of information and the increase to potential errors or customer

perception. Know Your Customer - Verify Correct Sales pending on your customer type

 

Provide Quality Checklists

Electrical Checklist
Outdoor Checklist
Siding Checklist
Roofing Checklist
Drywall Checklist

 

If Work is not secured at the 2nd Meeting send:
Envelope—Return Envelop with Stamp and Questionnaire Form

 

Note—Add on options or Specialty Items

Include Profit and Overhead $
Contingency $

 

Include:
Copy of Insurance – Liability Work Comp, Unemployment, Vehicle, Equipment
Copy of Builders License

 

Estimate was double checked by self and another person!

No math or spelling mistakes.

 

Estimate: Done by desired time for customer.

 

Follow up method in motion after estimate provided.

 

Send a Thank You note for considering.

 

Pre Estimate First Meeting Footnotes:

Interview on the phone prior. Your time is valuable. Find out if the lead has potential to work with your construction

company and if financing has been arranged.

 

Confidence in yourself is essential. Meeting with two people may help you if you are careful not to dominate or intimitate

the potential customer. Matching their speed and learn to understand body language.

 

Know You Will Get the Work! Listen, Listen, Listen and Listen some more to what they are saying. Find what is best for their

needs. If you are not the best contractor for the job thank them for their time and show them who is. If you are the best

then show them why. Then - show them how you will do this for them with examples of how you have done this for others. 

(Nice Portfolio)

 

Really, Sincerely Care about each and every person you meet. Pay close attention to and know how to include the woman

(Especially true if you are a man) as they are the deciding force behind the scenes. Often they have the personality that

does not get involved when meeting. The women usually knows what they want and the needs of the home the best. She knows the needs the best and usually will be the force behind what gets done. Know what she wants as the saying goes,"If the wife isn't happy ain't nobody happy."

 

Make sure you meet with Both the husband and the wife if the remodeling work is to be done for a couple at your first

meeting. Find tactful ways to show why having both there is important.

 

The key to referrals is to do top quality work and provide Service and Consideration. Learn this lesson from mistakes we made

- How you handle and show them that mistakes will happen will be Key to your Remodeling Referrals.

 

Bottom Line: Confidence In Yourself, Show them Why you are the best company for the work, and find what is best for customer.

 

I sincerelly hope you have found this information enlightening.

It takes a lot of work  to provide this information online.

 

This is information other services usually charge for -  a quick Thank You Note is appreciated to encourage my spare time

Hobby Websites If you found this information useful! google@remodelingsuccess.com

Also appreciate a quick note on any way (s) to improve this information or other useful information that we could include.

 

 

Thank You for Mastering Remodeling Success!

 

:-) I skipped the word "Reading"  in the above line but left it with this thought.

You Read This Entire Article!  As a Remodeler You Are On Your Way To Mastering Remodeling Success!

 

Build Writewell

 

 

Proven Success Methods

Winning Remodeling and Home Addition Estimates

 

 

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