Frequently Asked Questions

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• You get an experienced Chief Estimator who has worked on commercial, design-build, historic, industrial, municipal, and new residential projects.
• Pay for us only when you need us rather than paying a full-time Chief Estimator/Estimator.
• We work with clients all over the United States.
• You can deduct our services on your tax returns just like you would any other business expense.
• We carry General Liability and Errors and Omissions coverage.

We offer hourly, weekly, monthly, and retainer rates. 

Paying us an hourly rate only when you need us is more costly in the short term, but it will save you money in the long run by not having to carry full-time employees in down cycles, not having to pay payroll taxes or workers’ compensation expenses, not having to provide health insurance or 401k contributions, and not having to provide sick leave, vacation, or holiday expenses.

No, absolutely not. We will ONLY work for the company who signs a contract to work with us on that particular project. This policy is part of our commitment to always maintaining integrity in our client relationships and estimating processes.

Yes, absolutely. When you receive proposals from vendors (materials, subs, equipment, etc.), please forward them to us. We aren’t just an outsourced estimator or a service to replace your estimating department - we work WITH you to develop an estimate. 

Yes. As mentioned above, we work with you as a team on estimates. In addition to the communication that happens during the creation of the estimate, we can set up a bid review meeting where we go over the estimate in detail, answer any questions, and discuss modifications. Payment must be made in full before we will release the estimate. Our invoice will include the time allotted for the bid review meeting.

Yes. How much we invoice is dependent on the type and size of the project and how many hours it will take us to complete the estimate. In order to give you an estimate we will need to see the plans and specifications to determine how many hours we expect to spend on the project.

We keep daily timesheets that track the hours we spend on each project and use those timesheets to create our invoices.

When you agree to hire us, we will send a contract. Once the contract is signed we will invoice you on the schedule you have chosen for the hours dedicated to your project. Should you elect to choose the retainer option we will begin work once your payment has cleared. You can pay us by QuickBooks Online, credit card, or ACH deposit. 

While we strive to give you the most accurate estimate possible, we cannot guarantee that you will be the low bidder or that you will make your desired profit. You will have the opportunity during the bid review meeting to have us make adjustments or you may choose to make adjustments once you receive the bid package. We will not accept responsibility for changes made by you after we have turned over the final estimate.

Yes, we carry both General Liability and Errors and Omissions insurance.

There are many factors that affect how long it takes us to complete an estimate. Some of these include: size of the project, complexity of the project and project documents, whether all the pertinent information is provided, turnaround time to get pricing from vendors and subs, etc. Once we see the plans and specifications we can get an idea of the time required to provide you with an accurate estimate.

• Architects
• Engineers
• Environmental Remediation Contractors
• General Contractors
• Subcontractors

Yes. As stated in the contract either party can cancel the contract by giving written notice to the other party.