Unit-Cost Estimating for Remodeling

JLC ??SEPTEMBER 1991 Unit-Cost Estimating for Remodeling by Walt Stoeppelwerth Accurate estimates depend on thorough job costing and attention to the intangibles No aspect of running a remodeling business is more important than accurate estimating. To be accurate and effective, your estimates must be based on your real costs of doing business, and they must be integrated into overall management of the business. Otherwise, an estimate is just a stab in the dark as to what a remodeling project will cost. Three Ways to Estimate There are three basic approaches to estimating. Most contractors are already familiar with the first two, which are the “guesstimate” and the stick method. In the guesstimate (also known as the WAG, for “wild