Budget Costs & Initial Planning
To keep things efficient and cost-effective, I handle the initial stage of project planning remotely. This avoids the need for a home visit, saves you time, and helps reduce early costs in construction.
When you first reach out, I’ll review the information you provide and let you know what else I need to prepare a guide project cost along with the cost for my service. If you’re happy with that, I’ll ask for a bit more detail, usually a short video tour of the affected areas in your home. This helps me price elements like strip-out and demolition works more accurately. I’ll also ask a few simple budget questions, for example, whether you’d prefer a £50 door or a £200 one.
Building the Estimate
Once I have your drawings, I measure both the existing and new areas, calculating how many square meters or linear meters are needed for things like flooring, skirting boards, architraves, and other finishing details. This is all part of my construction planning process to make the estimate as close to the real cost as possible.
If there’s anything specific, you’d like, for example, coving, a certain floor type, or a unique tile, this is the best time to mention it so I can include it in the quote.
Accounting for the Unknowns
At this early stage, there are often elements that haven’t been finalised, such as groundworks, structural details, or the number and location of plug sockets. In these cases, I make sensible assumptions to ensure those costs are still reflected in the quote. There’s no benefit to leaving them out and giving you an unrealistically low project cost.
If something is entirely unknown, solar panels, for example, I’ll include a provisional allowance based on my experience. This gives you a more complete picture of potential costs, rather than leaving gaps that might surprise you later.
Sending the Final Quote
Once I’ve finished your quote, I’ll let you know it’s ready. As soon as my invoice is paid, I’ll send the completed quote over to you.
Detailed Pricing for Construction Drawings
When I’m pricing from full construction planning documents, the process is very similar but by this point, I expect to have all the technical details: final finishes, structural drawings, plumbing layouts, electrical plans, and anything else a builder would need for the work to comply with regulations and stay on project schedule.
Even at this stage, I rarely need to visit your property. Most of the time, a few short videos are all I need to fully understand your space. Since COVID, I’ve found that working remotely is not only effective but also preferred by my clients, with no disruption to your day, and no added cost from on-site visits.