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Debate: Should we charge for rough estimates or keep doing them for free?
I was at a job site in Raleigh last week and met two different carpenters who went back and forth on this. One guy said he never charges for a quick estimate because it builds trust and gets him more work. The other said he started charging $50 a pop after too many people used him to price match their brother-in-law. I can see both sides. Free ones waste time but paid ones can scare off good clients. What do you all do?
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anthony12923d ago
Coleman nailed it honestly. People will take advantage of free time every single time. I had a guy call me up, had me drive 45 minutes out to his property, walk through the whole basement, give him a rough number on finishing it out. Then he just says "thanks" and I never heard back. Found out later he used my number to haggle with his uncle who does drywall. That's the thing about free estimates. You're not just giving away your time. You're training people that your expertise has no value. Even a small $25 or $50 fee weeds out the tire kickers who were never going to hire you anyway.
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