Guide · Pricing
Should you charge for estimates?
Free estimates win calls. Paid estimates win time. Most small contractors end up with a mix.
Give free estimates when they're quick and close often: small repairs you can price in a few minutes on site. Charge when the estimate costs you real time or driving: long drives, diagnostic work, or big jobs that need measuring, design or a written scope. The common middle ground is a trip or estimate fee that you credit back if the customer hires you. Say it on the first call, and send the estimate the same day so the fee feels worth it.
When to charge, and when not to
| Situation | Usual approach |
|---|---|
| Small repair you can price in minutes | Free. Price it on the spot and close it while you're there. |
| Long drive outside your normal area | Trip fee, credited back if they hire you. |
| Diagnostic work (leaks, electrical faults, appliances, HVAC) | Diagnostic or service-call fee. Finding the problem is the work. |
| Big remodel needing measurements, design or a detailed scope | Design or estimate fee, often credited against the contract. |
| Customer collecting several bids just to compare | A fee filters them. Or give a quick range by phone first. |
How to set the fee
- Cover the trip, not the whole visit. An hour of your rate is a common starting point. See how to calculate your hourly rate.
- Credit it back. "The $75 comes off the job if you go ahead" turns a fee into a reason to hire you.
- Put it in writing. Note the fee and the credit on the estimate, so nothing is a surprise.
- Take it up front. Send a small invoice with a pay link when you book the visit.
What to say on the phone
"I charge $75 for the visit because I'll measure everything and send you a written price the same day. If you go ahead, the $75 comes off the job." Short, a reason, and the credit.
If you keep estimates free, make them cheap to give
- Qualify on the phone. Budget, timing, and who decides. A quick range by phone saves a drive for a customer who was expecting half your price.
- Price on site. The estimate you send from the driveway takes minutes; the one you type up at night takes your evening.
- Follow up once or twice. Many lost estimates were forgotten, not rejected. See how to follow up on an estimate.
In Settle
Say the job out loud and Settle writes the estimate from your own prices, so a free estimate takes a few minutes in the driveway. You can note the fee and the credit on the estimate, and to collect the fee up front, turn a one-line estimate for it into an invoice with a pay link.
Is it normal for contractors to charge for estimates?
For small jobs, free estimates are common. For diagnostic work, long drives and big projects that need design or measuring, many contractors charge a fee and credit it back if hired.
How much should an estimate fee be?
Enough to cover the trip, often around an hour of your rate. Credit it back if the customer hires you.
Will charging for estimates lose me jobs?
Some, mostly from customers collecting bids to compare on price. A credit-back fee and a same-day written estimate keep the serious ones.
Write the estimate before you leave the driveway.
Free on iPhone. Unlimited estimates and invoices. 7 days of Pro to try the voice drafts, and you cancel in two taps.
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