Estimates & site visits
Know what the work includes.
A site assessment helps us understand your space and prepare a written estimate. Review the visit policy before scheduling.
What a site visit costs.
Free estimate · No travel fee within 10 milesEstimates are free. There is no travel fee within 10 miles of our Rochester base. Beyond 10 miles, a travel fee based on travel costs and time is confirmed before scheduling.
Why a visit comes first.
- Photos do not show conditions behind existing finishes.
- We take the measurements needed for your estimate during the site visit.
- Access, parking and the hours we can work all change what the job takes.
- Some problems turn out to belong to a different trade, and it is cheaper for everyone to find that out early.
What the estimate contains.
Review the work, responsibilities and price together.
- Itemized scope
- What is included, line by line, in the language of the actual work.
- Stated exclusions
- We list what the price does not cover. You should not have to work it out from what is missing.
- Assumptions
- What we have assumed about conditions we could not see, and what happens if those turn out to be wrong.
- Materials responsibility
- Who is supplying what. We agree this for each job.
- Price presentation
- A total, a breakdown by stage, or a breakdown by area. Tell us which you want.
What a clear written scope looks like
Example: repainting a spare bedroom.
Example project brief
A fresh finish for one room
The estimate for your home will name the actual work, materials and price.- Work to include
- Protect the floor, prepare the agreed wall surfaces and apply the specified wall finish.
- Decisions to make
- Choose the color and finish, identify wall repairs and agree who supplies the paint.
- Separate items
- Ceilings, doors and trim are named separately so their inclusion is clear.
- If the work changes
- Discuss and approve additional repair work before adding it to the agreed project.
Agreeing to it.
You accept an estimate electronically. The confirmation records which version you agreed to and when, and it is what the finished work is checked against.
A change to the scope after work starts is priced and agreed in writing before it is carried out. We document and approve scope changes the same way as the original estimate.