Estimates

[coffinscreekcustoms]

Hello y'all
I'm searching for some information on how or where to find a job estimator. The last project I did the company Forman ran it through theirs. Now I am on my own quoting a different job.
Any way or maybe y'all know I'm looking at a print 1.5" Dom top and bottom plus 1" Dom pickets just wondering what y'all use for a rule of thumb on pricing per foot. Thanks Jake

[coffinscreekcustoms]

[possien]

I sold my welding shop a few years ago and am semi-retired. I build a few custom things from furniture to tractor implements and have always had the same problem. I built a spreadsheet that shows my cost for steel and the weight per ft. After I do my plan and enter the materials it rounds up the materials by 10% then to full lengths (like 20 ft for tubing or full 4/x8' for sheet/plate) then multiplies it by 2.5 (250%) this also covers the expendables and usually painting it. For example if I need 32 ft of tubing, it rounds up to 33.2 then rounds up to 2 pieces of 20ft each. I see if that covers my hours and is fairly close. Some jobs are obviously more difficult so the way I have the spreadsheet I can re-enter any variable, price of metal, margin, expendables etc to adjust the guesstimate. When I started in business for myself I constantly underestimated the cost thinking I could do it and get more business. Now I choose the jobs I take and many times come in under the estimate. Quality is really what folks want and will pay for it.