Why We Love Giving Clear & Detailed Estimates | Wrong Way, Right Way

One thing we are proud of at Treasured Spaces is our relationships with our clients. We never want to get off on the wrong foot, and want to build that trust right away. Maintaining a good relationship with your clients starts with your first meeting, and can mean the difference between a one-time gig, and a lifelong, repeat customer. That initial estimate we give for a project is a tell-tale sign of whether you can trust us or not. We hear of contractors giving out flat fee rates for estimates with no detailed explanation. 

How can you trust someone who’s hiding behind that one number?

When we give an estimate, we make it clear, detailed, and aren’t afraid to share every single line item along the way. You won’t get any surprises from us! Having an organized line-item estimate not only gives an honest look at what the customer is actually paying for, but it allows room for any issues that happen along the way. For instance, say we are replacing some siding and come across some mold or cracks in the walls that we need to repair. The repairs will change your initial estimate. Sure, we can make that end number bigger and tell you, “that’s how much it cost,” shrug our shoulders and move on our way. But, a customer should know exactly what materials cost, and how much actual time that side repair took out of that project. 

In an age where your customer can search estimate ranges for any number of projects online, and come to you claiming others are doing it cheaper. You can layout your entire itemized list of where, why, and how you reached your number. An honest itemized list of what they are paying for is going to give a better picture than other people claiming lower estimates are skipping out somewhere along that line. Maybe another contractor gives a lower estimate, but it’s because they are using lower-quality materials, but spending more time on the project to bring that estimate up. It shows honesty and integrity when you can say we bought these items, here are the receipts, and it took us ‘x’ number of hours to complete. This is only going to work in your favor, and the customer can trust and SEE they are getting what they paid for.

Let’s say a contractor gives you an estimate for a renovation of your formal living room. They say it’ll be about $3,500. They tell you that over the phone, you agree, and they start. In this situation, they could buy cheaper paint, fewer materials, and profit off anything that makes up the rest of that estimate. 

If you hire a contractor who gives you an itemized, detailed estimate that looks something like this, (just an example) your estimate is now $3,536.74, and you know what you are paying for paint, drywall, prep, labor fees, etc. You know you don’t have any hidden costs, and you know what you’re getting into and what to expect that final number to be. Now you can go line by line and work out more specific details and estimates with your contractor before any surprises happen. 

Don’t get blindsided; choose Treasured Spaces for your next renovation. We will lay it ALL out there for you: no gimmicks, no surprises, just clear, detailed estimates and honest answers.