Estimating the Unknown

One rainy afternoon last week Roger looked at two projects that turned out to have a lot of unknowns. Because we were unable to define exactly what needed to be done and how long it would take to do it, we couldn't provide our usual fixed price estimate. To keep the price as low as possible, we suggested that the work be done at our standard hourly rate, plus actual costs of materials, equipment and supplies. 

This caused both homeowners some frustration and disappointment because they wanted to compare our approach with others and be sure what we charged was in line and would fit their budget for the work. The problem was further complicated by the fact that although we had been referred by people they trust who know us well and can vouch for us, we were strangers to them. 

Roger and I understood their predicament, but if there are a lot of unknowns we can't give you a fixed price, and even quoting a range of prices is risky if the problem(s) turn out to be much worse than expected. Having said that, we know that some other contractors are willing to wing it and hope for the best, but we're just not comfortable operating that way.

Project #1

The first project was the exterior of a house that was over 50 years old, with many, many layers of peeling, flaking paint. If the surfaces weren't properly prepared, the weight of the new paint could cause even more failure and make the job much larger and more difficult. The amount of preparation time that would be required to achieve a paint-able result couldn't be determined from just looking at the house. There were also going to be some repairs, but they hadn't begun so Roger also didn't know how much cosmetic work he would have to do prior to painting.

Project #2

In the second case the owner didn't want to paint full walls, just bits and pieces here and there on the inside and outside of a large home. In addition there was considerable damage in several rooms from a large, slow water leak, but the extent of the damage couldn't be determined until Roger began digging out the bad areas. He also was told that a high deck needed washing, but the only access was with a very tall ladder that he doesn't carry unless he knows he'll need it, so there was no way to see what condition the deck was in. There were even more "issues", but you get the idea.

The Solution That's Fair to Both Parties

In both cases there was no accurate way to estimate the scope of work. If we quoted a fixed price, we'd have to make it really, really high to cover contingencies, and the terms wouldn't be acceptable. If we bid the projects with unsubstantiated optimism that they would turn out to be no larger and/or no worse than what could be seen, we could be in trouble. 

This is why in both cases we recommended the only fair solution: charging by the hour plus the cost of materials, equipment and supplies. The homeowners would pay only what the work actually cost and we wouldn't lose money on a job that turned out to be much larger than expected. It also would have given them total control of their project because it at any time they were unhappy with the way things were going, they could have paid us for what we'd done and sent us on our way. (BTW, in more than thirty years in business that's never happened!) 

Even after explaining all this, both homeowners pressed us very hard to give them a firm price. We understood and were very sorry that we couldn't do as they wished, but over-charging to protect us would have been unfair to them and under-charging and hoping for the best would have been unfair to us. We much prefer that our pricing for work with a lot of unknowns be just right for both parties. 

The Kitchen Ceiling Repair Project

We just completed a major repair project on the ceiling in our kitchen and family room. It wasn't much fun, but it had to be done. We were "lucky" that we were snowbound for a few days last month and able to focus on the work so that Roger could complete it in record time.  

Phase 1 - The New LED Lights

The gaps in some areas were 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

The project began when we ditched the old halogen lights in the kitchen in favor of LED lights. It was easy for Roger to make the switch and the new lights are a big improvement, but as you can see, they didn't fit the holes exactly so he had to make cosmetic repairs. 

Roger puts up a debris containment tunnel.

The first step was to sand the ceiling around the perimeter of each light. Falling debris and some escaping dust particles are inevitable, but Roger created a series of "containment tunnels" to minimize the clean up. 

Filling the voids in the ceiling.

Next Roger filled the voids between the light and the ceiling with   3-M Patch Plus Primer. After it dried he added more where it was needed, sanded again and caulked the perimeter of the light to create a smooth transition to the ceiling. 

As you can see, this is fussy work. There were eight lights to fix and some were quite challenging because of large gaps between the light and the ceiling.

Note that the rim of the light has gotten a first coat
of the ceiling color so it will blend in.

After Roger fixed the lights, he moved on to the next phase - cracks in the ceiling that were really bugging us.

Phase 2 - Repairing Some Cracks and Bad Taping 

After the first of the two long cracks was repaired.

We have an open plan and the kitchen ceiling continues to the family room. Two long cracks had appeared between the two areas from faulty sheet rock installation and bad taping, along with a couple of smaller ones. We could see the cracks coming and going, making invisible repairs very important to our peace of mind.

Fortunately Roger is an expert at solving difficult cosmetic problems, but I have to admit that fixing the cracks was an even bigger and messier job than Phase 1. It meant a major disruption to our lives for a few days, but it was part of the process so I just accepted the chaos.

Phase 3 - Painting

Because of the extensive repairs, touching up the paint was impossible and the entire ceiling had to be repainted. That meant the kitchen and family room had to be cleared so that everything could be covered with plastic. Then Baci and the other cats had to inspect the preparations to make sure Roger had done them properly. 

Late that night the kitchen was covered 
and ready for painting.

While Roger prepared the paint, Baci inspected 
the family room.

Once the lights over the island were wrapped in plastic, the only light source for this picture was a work light, but you can get an idea of how much covering up had to be done.

The Happy Ending

It took a full day to paint the ceiling, but when all the work was done and the drops and plastic were removed, it looked great. Everything is back to normal now and you can't tell that Roger worked miracles fixing the cracks and the areas around the lights. 

There were two long cracks here.

All eight new lights had to be worked on.

Compare this with the "before" picture above.

Baci smiles in approval while she calmly waits 
for the plastic and drops to be removed.

If you have a project with cosmetic repairs that will require an expert touch, call me at 828-692-4355 and schedule an estimate. Chances are, Roger can work miracles for you too.