Save Time and Avoid Suprises With The Best Remodeling Estimate In Tallahassee
The Fastest, Most Accurate Way To Start Planning Your Project
Not All Estimates are Created Equal
Most remodeling estimates are inaccurate
Most Contractors don’t spend a lot of time on them so the scope of work is not detailed and material selections are usually under-priced…. not to mention they take FOREVER to get.
Vague estimates lead to surprise costs later in the process
Having your budget jump up thousnds of dollars is frustrating at best. At worst it can derail the entire project.
Our Design And Budget Consult is Different
We’ll visit your home to get measurements, create a realistic Good Better Best budget and 3D Concept for your project AND review it with you in our showroom to make sure you understand everything that is included.
You can’t get a Better remodeling estimate anywhere in tallahassee
Our Design and Budget Consult Process
Start with a 30 to 60 minute home visit to get measurements and project details followed by a 90 minute showroom visit to review your 3D concept and Good Better Best budget. We do charge a fee for the consult. Fees range from $225 to $575 or more depending on the scope of work.
Chat
A quick phone call helps us undertand if we are the right fit for your project. After the call we'll send you an email to schedule your initial home visit.
Measure
At your home visit we'll get accurate measurements, discuss your project ideas and answer any initial questions. After, you'll get another email to schedule your showroom visit.
Review
At your showroom visit we'll have a 3D Concept and Good Better Best budget ready for you to review. We will discuss options and tweak the design based on your feedback.
Next Steps
At the end of the showroom visit if you are ready to move forward we will collect a 5% design retainer and schedule your first design meeting.
If you’re not quite ready we will send you an appointment summary outlining and decisions were made and attach your 3D concept and Good Better Best Remodeling Estimate.
Every Consult Includes 3D Concepts To help You Visualize Your Design Options
We create 1 – 3 concepts for every consult
3D Concept for a Recent Project
The Initial 3D Concepts are not perfect, not are they meant to be. They are rough sketches that help us explore design options and help you visualize the space.
Before Vs After
That concept above is from a real project…Use slider below to see the transformation
What Is A Good Better Best (GBB) Remodeling Estimate?
One of the more frustrating questions a contractor can ask is “what do you want done?” While you may have some idea often the real answer is “I’m not sure, what are the options?”
That is what the GBB Remodeling Estimate is all about. Exploring options.
We start by reviewing your 3D Concepts. Once we decide on a favorite we’ll review and adjust your estimate together to fit that design.
Part 1: A Detailed Scope of Work
Part 2: A Good Better Best Selection Sheet
Your GBB Remodeling Estimate is Divided Into Two Parts
First we will review the labor items, or Scope of Work. After that is clear we will review the Good Better Best material selection sheet.
GBB Labor Options (The Scope of Work)
For us there is really no such thing as Good, Better or Best Labor…. we build everything to a high standard. What Good Better Best means for labor is adjusting what is done, not how well it is done.
For example in your ‘good’ option you might not replace your floor tile but in the ‘better’ or ‘best’ option you would.
GBB Material Options (The Selection Sheet)
Material selections are pretty easy to show as good better best options as different quality materials have different costs. We’ll show you examples in our showroom and explain the difference so you can make the best choice for your needs.
After The Consult:
Approve Your Budget and Move Into Design
We’ll ask for a 5% design retainer and schedule a time for our designers to visit your home so they can confirm measurements, gather more details and get to work on your complete design.
Why We Charge a Consult Fee
A lot of value for a small fee
Our Good Better Best estimates combined with our 3D concepts are the best way to start plannign a project. Starting with a full understanding of your options helps you make smath choices and avoid misteps that can cost time and money down the road.
Charging a small fee for our consults allows us to compensate ourselves for the effort and expertise it takes to create them.
Guide to Choosing A Contractor
When getting remodeling estimates the age old advice of ‘get three bids’ is still valid but you want to make sure and get bids from contractors that provide similar services. Getting a bid from a handman and comparing it to a design build firm just doesn’t work.
In the guide linked below we break down finding a contractor in Tallahassee into 3 stages and provide questions to ask at each stage:
- 12 Questions To Ask While Doing Research Online
- 14 Questions To Ask During the Initial Phone Call
- 12 Questions To Ask At The Initial Consult
You can read our full guide to choosing a remodeling contractor here:
How To Evaluate a Remodeling Estimate
We don’t know what we don’t know. That simple fact can make evaluating an estimate pretty difficult and comparing different estimates almost impossible.
Not only do no two contractors in Tallahassee create remodeling estimates in the same way almost none of them take the time to explain the estimate to you. Instead they just email it and leave it to you to contact them if you have quesitons of want changes.
What Should Be Included
The biggest issue with most estimates is they are vague. Most contractors put together their estimates after hours and they do them quickly. A vauge estimate leads to assumptions about what is included and what isn’t and those assumptions will cause problems later on.
A good remodeling estimate should be at least 3 – 5 pages long and list the details of the work to be done including what materails are provided, what materials are not and the quality or specs of those materials.
A quality estimate should include:
- Summary of Work: A short desciption of the project
- General Items: Notes on permits, design work, project management, and timeline
- Labor Section (Scope of Work)
- Itemized by trade
- shoudl include quantities (sq ft , linear feet, etc..)
- Should have notes / specs about installation standards
- Installation Materials
- rough materials like 2x4s, drywall etc…including the quality of those materials
- Selections (Fixtures and Finsihed Materials)
- Line item of all materials and who will provide them
- a cost for each item
- Examples of recommended materials and fixtures
- Cost Summary
- Total Labor Costs
- Total Installation Materials Costs
- Total Selections Cost
- Shipping and Tax
- Project Total
- Next Steps
- How do you go from estimate to fixed price proposal?
- What is the payment schedule?
You can read our full guide to choosing a remodeling contractor here: