Debate: Should we charge for measuring and quoting or build it into the final price?

I was at a job site in Austin last month measuring for a custom bookshelf and the homeowner asked how much just the quote would cost. I told her free and spent 2 hours measuring and drawing up plans, only to lose the job to a guy who undercut me by $300. Now I'm wondering if a small fee upfront would weed out tire kickers or just scare away serious clients. What do you all do with your time on estimates?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonp4726d ago

Yeah... a buddy of mine charged a small fee once and the guy called him a scammer.

sarah53126d ago

Losing a job to a $300 undercut stings, but charging for a quote might just push people to someone who doesn't. Most clients are shopping around anyway, and a fee could make you look desperate or nickel-and-diming right out of the gate. Unless you're drowning in time wasters, it's probably more hassle than it's worth.

tessa_clark7424d ago

It's really not that deep - they were never going to be a client anyway.