Creating a solid roofing estimate is not easy. Small errors can cost you the job. Bigger errors can cost you profit.
If you overestimate, you may lose the project. If you underestimate, you may win the job but lose money. You may also deal with unhappy customers. Your estimate is often your first impression. It shapes how customers see your business.
When you build a clear process, you give yourself more control. You win more jobs. You protect your margins. You set the right expectations from day one.
Plan for Complications
Estimating can be daunting, it’s called an estimate for a reason. Unexpected complications can pop up, inflation can increase material costs, and delays can raise labor costs.
The only known is that there will always be unknowns, and that makes estimating difficult. Not to mention, making even a small mistake when you are taking measurements or doing calculations can result in underestimating material costs.
All of these challenges just highlight the need for a reliable process. Instead of trying to avoid these issues, it’s important to plan for them, and have steps in place to minimize them.
Put a Process in Place
Despite all the challenges, an estimate isn’t just a guess — it’s a science, and there are ways to consistently get good results.
1. Start with a Thorough Inspection
The most important thing is to start with a thorough and in-depth inspection.
Take your time on-site. Look at the roof condition. Check for soft spots, ventilation issues, flashing problems, and structural concerns. Take clear photos. The more you see upfront, the fewer surprises later.
2. Standardize Your Checklist
Having a built-in process for factoring in job costs is another important step. Contractors should consider not only the cost of materials and labor, but also overhead expenses, permits, disposal fees, and any costs specific to the projects. Accounting for these ahead of time avoids underestimating costs.
Create a checklist for every estimate. Include:
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Roof measurements
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Material type and quantities
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Labor hours
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Disposal costs
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Permits
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Overhead
When you follow the same checklist every time, you reduce missed items.
3. Account for All Costs
Do not focus only on shingles and labor. Include:
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Overhead
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Equipment
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Dump fees
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Permit fees
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Specialty materials
When you price every cost, you protect your margin.
4. Communicate Clearly with the Customer
A good estimation process should also include touchpoints of clear communication with the customer throughout the process, from the initial consultation to the final estimate.
Walk the customer through the scope of work. Explain what is included and what is not. Confirm expectations before you send the final estimate. Clear communication builds trust. It also prevents disputes later.
It’s important that your customer has a clear understanding of the scope of the project, and that you know exactly what the client is expecting from you. As an added bonus, when you get hired for the project, you’ll already have established trust and a positive relationship with your customer!
Pay Attention to Tech
Keeping up with the latest technology in the industry is another way to improve your estimating process. For example, leveraging the latest measurement technology can greatly improve accuracy.
Tools like HOVER use photos to create a 3D model of a roof so you can access all of the measurements — and they integrate with CompanyCam. CompanyCam helps you document every inspection. You can organize photos by project, share updates with your team, and attach images directly to estimates. When questions come up, you have clear visual proof of the roof’s condition.
Other technologies like drones, virtual reality, and laser measurement devices can streamline the estimating process, minimize errors, and save valuable time and resources.
Ready to Estimate?
There will always be unknowns to estimating, but having a process that you stick to can go a long way. Mastering the estimate process is an important step towards securing more jobs, improving customer satisfaction, and increasing profitability.
By planning for the unknown, putting a process in place, and keeping up with technology advances, you can elevate your estimating process and grow your business!
Improve your estimates with CompanyCam.
Capture detailed photos, document every inspection, and keep your estimate process organized in one place.
