Clark & Hanson Construction is taking it easy with a user-friendly and reliable estimating service. Professional Builder’s Lee Jones talks to Martin Clark about Easy Estimate
We’ve more than doubled the footprint of the property here,” enthuses Martin Clark, the eponymous founder of Clark & Hanson Construction Ltd, as he provides me with a tour of the works at what is to become a substantially remodelled home in the bucolic Kent countryside.
Indeed, the county known as the Garden of England is fertile ground for Martin and his team, with the sizeable extension and loft conversion project I visited typical of the projects he undertakes. “We have 12 full-time skilled tradesmen on board as well as five regular sub-contractors,” Martin explains. “That makes us well equipped to take on complex projects with multiple elements.”
“Here, for instance – in addition to the large rear extension and double bay garage being built we have converted the loft space into two bedrooms and a family bathroom, the build includes new doors and windows throughout including Juliette balcony doors. We’ve also included the installation of an air source heat pump and PV panels to make this home future proof, whilst phase two next spring will deliver the outdoor space, with a large patio, pergolas and a resin stone driveway. As well as this project, we’ve also got a two-storey wrap around extension on the go in Tunbridge Wells, as well as a single storey and first floor lift in the Pett Level. All of the estimates for these have been produced by Greg Rowe and his team at Easy Estimate.”
So why is Martin putting his faith in Easy Estimate? “Regardless of the job you’re working on you don’t want to discover half way through that there are elements that haven’t been accounted for. Clients really dislike extra costs when it comes to quoting, and it has the potential to cause real conflict in the client/builder relationship so, if at all possible, it’s imperative they are avoided. If you want to be making a profit, accuracy is key and we’ve always had full confidence in Easy Estimate.”
“From our point of view it’s also a very simple process. We work alongside architects regularly, and in this instance, David Wright of Arts Architecture International in Maidstone produced the drawings of which he was very thorough. We send these, as well as any Building Regulation stipulations and structural calculations to Easy Estimate. By the same token, Easy Estimate can provide a quantified figure for just part of a build or the entire build, so they’re very flexible. On this job, the customer wanted floor finishes included and Greg went above and beyond to make sure that we got an accurate price for the labour and materials.”
Like most contractors Martin has accounts with local builders’ merchants and Easy Estimate’s prices have always matched what he’s paying. “When it comes to labour charges these are something I supply Easy Estimate with for each trade,” adds the Kent-based builder. “They also have a very good turnaround, and I’ll usually have what I need to present to the client within three or four days.”
There is, in fact, an express service also available for an additional fee, and Easy Estimate’s software keeps track of materials prices by linking to a number of builders’ merchant websites, which are updated on a weekly basis. There is equally the functionality with some merchants to be branch specific with pricing and link to an individual trade account.
It’s not just about working on site either because, as any small building business owner can testify, there are very sound reasons closer to home for streamlining the estimating process: “It can be the ultimate in thankless tasks because, if you’re putting together estimates yourself – and you want to be confident they’re correct – it’s very time consuming, with absolutely no guarantee that you’ll win the work at the end of it. I have a young family, and Easy Estimate allows me to spend more time with them– which is invaluable.”
Easy Estimate provides two vital documents that can be delivered to the client – a summary estimate and more detailed version that itemises every element. It’s also possible for the builder to log into their account and amend any of the estimates themselves. “There has to be trust between a homeowner and their builder, and that starts with a professional and detailed estimate,” Martin explains.
“When the project is won, we ask Greg to form a Gannt chart along with a detailed material take off sheet which gives our customers a timeline and milestones of their particular project, along with what materials we are purchasing at each stage. All our clients enter into a contract with us and we take a small deposit, which is followed by staged payments throughout. Our customer then has a full list of quantities and a build schedule. It’s that transparency and accuracy – of which the estimate forms the foundations – that makes for a successful completion without any friction.”
“Although I can point to more than two decades of experience in the building industry, we’re still a relatively young business,” concludes Martin. “That makes the quality of our workmanship and customer satisfaction fundamental to what we do, and Easy Estimate does help us with that. We can’t fault the service they provide. They’re always on hand if we need them, and we’ve used them for every estimate over the course of the last couple of years. Ultimately, it then frees up time to concentrate on other things, not least my family.”
For further information on Clark & Hanson Construction Ltd visit www.clarkhanson.co.uk
If you would like to find out more about Easy Estimate go to Estimating for Builders and Trades – Building and Construction Estimating.
