Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill14564
- No estimate for cleaning a vent in the Villages
- Estimate for some work other than cleaning if a site visit is required
- Unclear whether on-site estimate @ $150 would be required for non-Villages cleaning
- They have determined that non-Villages venting could require additional cleaning work/techniques/equipment and they may need to have a look first before committing to a price - their business, their choice how to do the job right
- Not exactly non-refundable since the cost will be applied towards the cost of the job if they are hired
- How would a refundable estimate work? Give them $150 to tell you what their price would be, choose to go with someone else, ask for the $150 back?
$150 seems high for an estimate but at least it is applied towards the final cost if they do the job. I've paid $75 to other companies just for showing up, they billed additional for the time and materials. Between the two, the $150 seems more reasonable to me.
I am inclined to sympathize with companies in this area when it comes to estimates. So many people seem inclined to get three estimates that 2/3 of the visits result in no work at all. A company spends time at a home gathering information and more time writing the estimate with good odds that they won't get hired. Perhaps charging for an estimate is a way to cover those costs without increasing the prices of their services.
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I am happy to pay for a plumber or other technician to visit my house, diagnose the issue, and possibly repair it on the spot. But, I have never paid anyone to visit my house for the sole purpose of providing a competitive quote, and unless the industry changes, I never will. I expect a quote to be free. The only contractor that I know of in The Villages, who charges for a quote, is Frank Gay. Providing quotes is a cost of doing business.