How Do You Achieve Quality Estimates

By Cotney Consulting Group.

Quality estimators produce quality estimates. Quality estimating is vital for the roofing contractor because one bad estimate can put a company out of business. Finding that professional can be highly challenging. 

As a contractor, you have three choices when it comes to estimators. You can hire those who claim to be an estimator but aren’t, recruit them from competitors, or provide quality training and build a best-in-class professional team.

Your estimating team strategy should include the following:

• Hire quality estimators and candidates
• Provide quality training
• Retain your team

To achieve your strategy, you must have a plan in place. You must establish guidelines, foundations, and methods for a quality estimating department.

Hiring will require a proper screening and interview process. You must determine the prospective employee’s estimating knowledge, experience, and software proficiency during a brief interview.

Some contractors believe that they can’t afford training for their estimating team. The reality is that you can’t afford not to provide training. Proper training doesn’t cost. It pays!

Estimators must be as productive and efficient as possible. Because of their demanding estimating schedules, very little training can occur between estimators.

Roofing contractors pay a huge price for estimating with employees who have not been properly trained. Here are some of the consequences of using inexperienced and untrained estimators.

• Starting off young potential estimators on the wrong foot
• An excessive amount of labor to get the estimate completed
• Poor estimating software efficiency
• Lack of a proper understanding of the potential labor risks
• Lack of quality and accurate takeoffs
• Consistent low bid numbers or excessive high bid numbers
• Company reputation is at risk with clients

A great place to start is our online self-paced training. We have three training courses specifically designed for the roofing estimator and contractor.

• Roofing Estimating Training Program
• Roofing Estimating Advanced Training Program
• Director of Estimating Training Program