There’s an old saying that you make your money in the office and not on site and when it comes to estimating that is most certainly the case.
Not only will they win you work in the first place but will go some way to helping you finish the job with a healthy profit margin. The trouble is, as any builder will testify, getting it right can be a time-consuming business, and far too many tradespeople are sacrificing precious family and leisure time on the altar of generating new work.
Enter Easy Estimate which, as the name would suggest, is simplifying the whole process and then some. The software behind the service was launched more than ten years ago, whilst the company’s team of estimators has been creating professional estimates based on clients’ drawings since September 2022.
“The most important part of our business is customer satisfaction,” enthuses the company’s Head of Estimating, Greg Rowe, “and the key to that is flexibility. If you want us to only produce an estimate for part of a specific job, we can do that. If a builder sends us in the details for a new build house, for example, but would like us to supply an estimate for the plastering or groundworks, we can do just that. By the same token, if they’d rather we estimate the whole project then we can, of course, provide that as well.”
That’s not the only facility that sets Easy Estimate apart. When a client asks for a job to be estimated then an account is automatically opened in their name within the estimating expert’s software. The builder can then sign in and amend or edit the job as they see fit. Greg’s team can revise the estimate on request, of course, but giving contractors full access, allows them to take ownership of the process to a much greater extent.
Estimate to accumulate
From the builder’s perspective it’s simply a matter of providing the necessary information on the job, and then Easy Estimate provides a price for the estimate, which will depend on the complexity of the build. The estimate will then be compiled and sent to the client, typically within three to four working days. There’s also an express service available for a small additional charge. This is a pay per go service with no requirement to subscribe or invest in the software itself. In addition, Easy Estimate does partner with a number of merchants, which means the estimates can be directly linked to the builder’s merchant account and purchase orders can be generated for the materials.
Furthermore, with materials costs volatility a major issue in recent years Easy Estimate’s software keeps abreast of pricing by linking to a number of builders’ merchant websites and the numbers are then updated weekly. At the same time, there are some merchants in which Easy Estimate is linked directly to the sales system, which makes for the most accurate possible pricing. This can even be branch specific, whilst there is the facility to link back into the customer’s own merchant account.
Easy Estimate is now completing over 150 estimates a month and can point to a very healthy customer retention level of over 90%. In addition, the software itself is a user-friendly technology that is available for any builder to use. In either instance, two customer facing documents are generated. A detailed estimate much like a full Bill of Quantities will itemise everything pertaining to the job – including materials, labour and tool hire – as well including all overheads and profit margin. This is accompanied by a professionally presented cover letter featuring the builders’ logo, as well as any accreditations or trade association memberships.
The second document is a broader summary of the same estimate with figures for each element – the foundations or drainage, for instance. “Many of our customers prefer to hand over the less detailed document to their clients initially, before providing the more detailed breakdown. Given that they can edit the document themselves, how much information is communicated is always within the builder’s control. We can equally accommodate any extras or changes to the project specification during the build schedule. Full support from the estimator is on hand, and we’re always available on the end of the phone. At every stage, we’ve championed an easy experience for the builder.”
For further information on Easy Estimate click here
Here’s what a builder says about the Easy Estimate service:
“Should we trust external help when pricing our projects? This is a question we grappled with and concluded that we cannot afford NOT to involve external estimating specialists. We know our markets inside out; we know how much it costs to deliver the quality of
planning and execution that sets us apart. However, we would be kidding ourselves if we think our tender pricing is right all the time.
“Accessing independent estimating resources allows us to better triangulate scope and pricing and challenge our own estimates. Importantly, triangulation provides our clients more confidence around value for money and certainty of outcome. We have entrusted Easy Estimate to support our tendering not because they say they have the best database or the smartest cost models, but because they are responsive, deliver on time, and have a simple approach that ensures their work is relevant – beyond pressing a button on a cost database or AI tool.
Brian Riddick MRICS, Managing Director, Aster Lee
