How detailed should my estimates be?

In an industry where competition is fierce and customers are hesitant, what you provide in your estimate can offer you an advantage (or disadvantage) over the competition. With the vast amount of research and educational sources available online, customers are becoming more well-informed about what they want not only in their construction project but also what they should look for on a contractor’s estimate.

Transparency is simply the most important thing for an estimate. Customers want details and hate surprises, by staying transparent with all costs (including potential costs), customers will gain trust in the contractor much quicker and be less reluctant in looking around for other options. The high amount of detail put into the estimates will also maintain accuracy with final project costs, foregoing any “surprises” for both customer and contractor. Being concise may be best for many things, but as estimates go, details are the key to making an estimate a reality.