Let me explain why.

A template is an estimate with all the pieces you can use in a kitchen remodel, for example. It includes all the cabinets, plumbing fixtures, floor tile, and so on that you might use on the job. So, when you start a new estimate it’s populated with all the information you could us for the job.

After the estimate is prepopulated you go through the estimate and remove the items you don’t need for this particular estimate. Then you go through and change quantities for those items the are dimensioned, like walls, floors and ceilings.

Bam! Your estimate is done at this point. If you have a specialty item or two you would add them at this time.

Hopefully, you can see from the description how powerful this is and how fast it is to create an estimate.

It may not be apparent from the description how this reduces errors in your estimate. Since you’re starting with all the items you need for the type of job, it’s almost impossible to miss something or duplicate an item.

Incredibly fast estimates and amazing accuracy.

You’ll find that LiteningFast Estimating helps you create templates that will speed up your estimating and improve your bottom line. Click here to discover how it will work for you. Do it now before you forget, click here.

First of all, as I discussed in a previous email using measurable items is the most important thing that needs to be implemented in order to estimate accurately

Second, or third, depending on your perspective, is job cost. If you don’t know what it costs you to do the work, how can you estimate the jobs? I look at it like the old chicken and egg conumdrum.

One aspect I’ve kind of ignored so far is another of the top three construction estimating “gotta do’s”

You must measure everything out. If you don’t have accurate measurements then nothing else will work. You can have ever item measurable, but if the input is wrong you’re shooting in the dark.

I like the example of cutting a board. You would never “eyeball” a cut. Can you imagine eyeballing a space and saying that’s 82 1/2 then picking up a board and cutting by eyeballing it at 82 1/2? You wouldn’t do it.

You get out your tape and measure the space and mark the cut after measuring the board. And many contractors follow the old saying “measure twice, cut once.”

If you wouldn’t cut a board that way, why would you estimate that way. Everything on a job should be measured accurately in order to get an accurate estimate. Without accurate measurements you can never have an accurate estimates.

Get accurate estimates, as long as you measure accurately, with LiteningFast Estimating. Discover how to have more time, accurate estimates and start making money consistently with LiteningFast Estimating, click here

Regards,
Nick Hurd
Litening Software, LLC
800-211-4931

P.S. You get more time and accurate estimates, click here.

Paper and Pencil

This is, at least in my mind, the worst way of doing it. That’s true for several reasons.

Even if you’re using forms, like Nebbs, your proposals:

• Don’t look as professional as you are
• May have calculation  errors
• Are probably not as detailed as you need for accurate estimates

In addition, job cost, because of the hassle doing it is probably non-existant.

Spreadsheet

A much better option is a spreadsheet.

Your proposals probably don’t have calculation errors. I say probably because if the formulas aren’t correct then the calculations will be off.

And, with a little effort, your proposals can look professional. Especially compared to hand written estimates.

When you’re using a spreadsheet you can do job cost and the calculations will be built into the spreadsheet. The major challenge is that you have to manually put the costs into the spreadsheet. This duplicates the effort of writing checks to pay your bills and employees.

Estimating Program Integrated with Accounting

With most estimating programs you’ll have professional looking estimates. In addition, because the calculations are built into the program you shouldn’t find any calculation errors.

Job cost is done while you’re paying your bills and employees. The budgets are created automatically from the estimating program. This eliminates errors and duplication of effort. This will save you hours of work.

You’ll find that LiteningFast Estimating and it’s integration with QuickBooks will make your job cost as simple as paying your bills. And with our simplified budgets tracking costs and finding problems is fast and easy. Discover how LiteningFast Estimating will simplify your estimating and put you on the road to profitability. Get started now, click here.

P.S. You can have everything wrapped up eliminating wasted time, improving profits, and taking the guesswork out of your estimates. Click Here for more information.

There are two challenges with materials. Actually, one of my biggest challenges with materials is using them correctly, but that’s another discussion.

Like labor and the discussion in one of my earlier emails about labor production rates, you need to treat materials in much the same way. Everything needs to be measurable. For example, when you’re building a 2X4 wall with drywall on both sites you have 16 Square feet of drywall per linear foot of wall, plus top & bottom plate, plus stud, and so on. You can even get down to how much mud, nails and screws, etc.

Obviously, unlike labor, there needs to be some wasteage added. When you estimate the project and everything is measurable you know exactly how much of each of the materials you will need for the job.

This benefits you in a couple of ways:

• It reduces the number of trips to the store for forgotten items. I don’t think you will ever eliminate this entirely
• It allows you to get prices for the materials while your estimating

One of the big differences between calculating labor cost and materials costs is that labor costs are relatively stable, but material costs fluctuate a lot. As I was writing this I was thinking about the hurricane that hit the East Coast last week. I’m sure material costs have gone up dramatically since then because of all the demand for the repairs that are needed.

When you have a list of all the materials you need for a job you can go to your suppliers and get exact prices from your vendors. Using those prices you can finalize your estimate knowing that your material costs are going to be exact.

One of the features of LiteningFast Estimating is the ability to print a material list to send to your suppliers and then when they give you the prices you can easily update the estimate with exact pricing. Get more information about how LiteningFast Estimating will improve your estimating by clicking here.

Regards,
Nick Hurd
Litening Software, LLC
800-211-4931

P.S. Getting exact material pricing is just one of the many features of LiteningFast Estimating that will reduce estimating stress and uncertainty and put you on the road to profitability. Click Here for more info.

Brian said:

“The two best things this program has offered us is to help our customers gain trust and confidence in us and to also protect ourselves from having to give our customers any extras without getting paid for them.

With the easy to generate detailed estimate we now incorporate our estimate with our contract so it takes all the guessing and assuming out of the equation. If it’s not on the detailed estimate then we didn’t charge you for it therefore we need to generate a change order.

The second thing is our customers love it. When we bid against other contractors who come in with this lump sum price that sometimes leaves them sticker shocked we come in with this estimate that’s broken down in every aspect of construction and they can see how we arrived at this lump sum price rather than something we just pulled out of the air.

Our customers are impressed and feel like they can actually see what they are getting for their money before we even start.”

If you’re not generating detailed estimates you’re losing in 2 different ways:

• You will probably wind up with “give aways” because of misunderstandings during the negotiations
• You don’t get the same level of acceptance and respect from your prospects

One other thing that Brian said “The best thing is they thank me for spending so much time to give them such a detailed estimate when it has really only taken me an hour to put together a 150k addition.”

How would it be to have your prospects thanking you for giving them an estimate. What would it be like to get more respect from them?

You can easily create detailed estimates that your prospects will love, and do it in record time, with LiteningFast Estimating. Check out how it will work for you, click here.

P.S. Start making detailed estimates and get more jobs. Find out how easy it is to get started with LiteningFast Estimating and how much time you will save, click here for more information.