Here’s the thing about submitting a realistic, accurate building quote: it doesn’t just protect your margins. It changes the way you feel about your work – and the way clients see you.
You go into every job with confidence
When you know your numbers are right, you’re not quietly hoping the job doesn’t throw up any surprises. You know it’s already been costed for the likely ones. That peace of mind is worth more than you might realise.
You attract better clients
Clients who choose the cheapest quote almost always cause the most trouble (possibly a sweeping statement but hey!). They’re already looking for ways to claw back money. Clients who accept a fair, well-presented price tend to respect the work and the professional behind it.
You can actually invest in your business
Sustainable margins mean you can buy better equipment, bring on reliable subbies, and take on the kind of work that builds your reputation rather than just keeping the lights on.
You stop subsidising other people’s projects
Every time you underprice, you’re effectively giving a client a discount they never asked for – and you’re paying for it out of your own pocket.
Why builders underprice (and it’s understandable)
Accurate estimating takes time, up-to-date data on material costs and specialist knowledge (particularly on more complex projects). A lot of builders miss putting a solid profit mark-up on their overheads and direct costs. Most builders haven’t got time to consider all these important details, especially when juggling projects, client calls and everything else that comes with running a building business. That’s the reality of the industry.
The builders who consistently price accurately – We should say that they often miss their overheads and don’t put solid profit mrk-ups onand win profitable work – tend to have one thing in common: they’re not doing their estimating alone.
What changes when you’re backed by professional estimates
The HBXL Estimating Service exists for exactly this reason. Our experienced estimators produce detailed, professionally calculated estimates for builders across the UK. Our professional estimators use the latest material prices and the UK’s best rated residential estimating software to provide detailed, accurate estimates and quotations.
When you send out a quote built on that kind of foundation, you can look forward to:
- No more second-guessing
- Being able to explain and defend your price with confidence if a client pushes back
- Presenting yourself as the professional you are – not just the person who came in cheapest
- You win work at prices that let you do it well.
And perhaps most importantly: when the job is done and the final invoice goes out, you feel good about what you’ve earned. Not relieved that you survived it.
Accurate pricing brings greater rewards
As well as a job well done, you want the satisfaction of knowing that your business is financially healthy, that your prices reflect your expertise, and that you’re not giving your skills away.
That’s what accurate estimating makes possible.
And then there’s the set of 3D Models
If the project is suitable (and most are), you’ll automatically get a set of 3D models of the project – front, rear, sides, internal, cut-throughs and drone-style shot.
We’d be glad to show you what the HBXL Estimating Service can do.
Call us on 0117 916 7894 to chat through your job, or upload your plans to the website or email them to estimatingservice@hbxl.co.uk and we can take it from there.