Should I charge customers for estimates?

Free estimates are not actually free to the business

Travel, measuring, scope development, supplier calls and proposal writing consume owner or employee time. That time must eventually be recovered through the jobs you win.

Simple quotes and detailed consultations are different

A quick price range may take minutes. A complex site visit, design concept, takeoff or technical scope may take hours. Many businesses treat those situations differently.

Ways to handle estimate cost

• Offer simple estimates free but charge for detailed consultations.
• Charge a site-visit or diagnostic fee.
• Credit an estimate fee toward the project if the customer hires you.
• Build average estimating cost into overall pricing.

Measure your close rate

If you spend ten hours estimating to win one profitable job, those ten hours are part of the cost of selling that work. Tracking estimate time and win rate helps you choose a policy based on data instead of habit.