We know of two types of clients in the realm of remodeling and outdoor living construction: those who have been swindled and those who haven’t. Which one sounds like your experience? Keep reading, because we are going to clarify the difference between a builder’s quote and an estimate. We’ll also explain why “the Archadeck difference” includes providing you with a quote for your Akron-area outdoor living project, not an estimate.
Would You Rather Get a Quote or an Estimate?
What kind of outdoor living project do you have in mind? A wood deck or low-maintenance deck? A screened porch or 3-season room? A patio with vertical hardscapes, or a deck-porch-and-patio combination? When you shop around for an outdoor living contractor, you may find that most want to provide you with an estimate for your project. Archadeck of Akron, on the other hand, will provide you with a quote instead. What’s the difference between a quote and an estimate? A true quote leads to satisfied clients who know exactly what they are paying for and how much it will cost. Proceeding with work based on an estimate, on the other hand, can leave homeowners confused, disappointed or angry.
Signing a Contract Based on an Estimate
Other contractors—we’ll refer to them as our “competition”—will give you an estimate of what your project will cost. Unfortunately, that initial estimate is usually priced at the lower end of the scale to tempt you to sign a contract. You may like what you hear! The objective is to get you to commit to a project based on little more than a price scale. More often than not, you’ll find (in hindsight) that you didn’t have enough concrete information to make that decision. The end result is likely a project that was never really clear. You thought they understood what you wanted. They will say they thought you knew that the scope of the project would only include a, b and c and not x, y and z. The actual structure you wanted may end up costing a great deal more in the long run—if you get it at all.
Signing a Contract Based on a Quote from Archadeck
The way Archadeck of Akron prices a project sets us apart from the competition. We provide our clients with an EXACT pricing quote and a detailed, customized design before the contract is signed. This way, excluding any addendums, you know exactly how much the project will cost going in—AND how that project will look. No surprises!
It’s not unusual for a client to request a change or add something to the scope of their project after signing a contract. When that happens, we create an addendum to the contract specifying exactly what is being added or changed and what the new price will be. Both parties sign the addendum so we can be certain we’re all on the same page. Again, no surprises!
How Archadeck Provides an Exact Quote for Your Project
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Because it sounds so straightforward, you may wonder how we are able to give you a precise quote when others cannot. In one word, “details.” It’s part of what we call “the Archadeck difference,” and you can read more about why the Archadeck difference should matter to you.
We take the time to understand exactly what kind of outdoor living project you have in mind. We’ll ask questions and make suggestions. We’ll focus on the details and talk specifically about what kinds of materials you want us to use in building your deck, patio, or porch. You’ll have a lot to consider, as you can tell from this blog post, “Which Custom Design Features Will You Select for Your Screened Porch or Open Porch?”
Your Archadeck design consultant will always listen intently to your needs and desires so we can create a truly custom design when preparing your quote. While our competitors may use a cookie cutter design, we will design a project that precisely meets your needs and matches your unique home.
Our initial design consultation is free. If you would like us to create 3-D design renderings, we will require a design retainer. These computer-generated drawings will reflect all of the details we’ve discussed and will help you visualize your project as nothing else can. You’ll see how your finished project will look and how it will complement your home. The design retainer will be credited from the total project cost should you decide to sign a contract and move ahead with the project we’ve discussed.
Archadeck’s Custom Design is in the Details
During the design process, it’s not unusual to go through a couple of iterations as we refine the details. If the design rendering doesn’t look like you were expecting it to look, we’ll talk about changes we can make to achieve the look you want.
What if you’re having trouble visualizing the size or shape of your project design in relation to your home? A member of our team will go to your home and lay out the dimensions of your project on the ground. We can lay down rope or use spray paint on the grass to show you the scale and help you visualize your design in relation to your home. Before you sign a contract! No surprises. No disappointments.
Suppose you’ve decided on a low-maintenance deck but are having trouble choosing the color you want for your composite decking boards. Even after you’ve signed a contract and we’ve placed your project in our construction schedule, you may have more time to think about colors. When it becomes time to order your materials, we schedule a pre-construction meeting where you can finalize your selections of color and railing style.
If you’ve spoken with other outdoor living contractors before reading this, you can probably tell a difference—the Archadeck difference—already. Intrigued? Give us a call to schedule a conversation! We also recommend reading these two articles:
Let Archadeck of Akron design and build the outdoor living structure you have been wanting. We can schedule a “virtual design consultation” using video-conferencing technology. To get started, just call. You can contact Archadeck of Akron today at (330) 537-6412.
Patrick Sluss, owner Archadeck of Akron
