A. "I don’t charge to
estimate small remodeling jobs, but I do charge for
big remodels and new houses. The fee is modest
($250 - $350) and only pays for a fraction of my
time, but it heads off window shoppers.
I’ve found that serious prospects are
understanding about the fee and more than happy to
pay it."
— Byron Papa
I use a three-step fee schedule:
‘Services at No Charge,’
including initial meeting, site visit, and rough
cost estimate; ‘No Cost if
Selected,’ with an hourly rate and a
not-to-exceed sum; and ‘Services to be
Paid by Client,’ with specific services,
such as architectural or engineering services, tied
to specific costs. This last step requires a 50%
deposit to initiate work, with the balance due upon
completion."
— Bill Gaver
"We’re a design-build company, so
estimates and designs are two of the products I
have for sale."
— Mike Weiss
"I charge a fee for design and estimating, and I
don’t rebate this money. My fee is 3% to
4% of the projected budget."
— Peter Feinmann
"I’ve tried, but no one in New York
will pay."
— Randy Polombo
"I charge $50 per hour for design. If I sell the
job, I roll that expense into the project, but
offer the client a rebate. Most estimates are free,
but I charge when the client is speculating on a
real estate investment."
— Steve Klitsch
"We charge for our design service, and it is not
refundable or credited back to the project. I also
include a nonrefundable fee for the preconstruction
conference in my proposal."
— Bill Medina
"I don’t charge for estimating yet, but
I’ve been charging for design for several
years on design-build contracts."
— Chuck Green
"We don’t charge for projects when we
know we have the job and we’ve worked for
the client before. But we do some consulting work,
including helping with the permitting process or
feasibility studies. Our fee is $60 per hour with
no rebate if we get the work."
— Glenn Farrell
"I charge for design. I collaborate with an
architect because I believe proper proportion and
detailing is important, and architects know design
better than I do. The fee is based on the project
cost, but we bill hourly and try to stay within the
budget."
— Sue Cosentini
"I don’t charge for estimates, but the
time is always figured into the price, so I only
lose if I don’t get the job. I’ll
do minimal sketches for permits for free, but I
charge for detailed plans. And I only provide them
if I’m going to do the work."
— Rick Stacy
"I wish I could charge for estimates, but no one
expects to pay for an estimate, and all of the
contractors in the area are willing to do it for
free."
— Howard Ferree