“There’s no such thing as a quick estimate.”

Estimating is one of the biggest parts of pre-construction, and it is also where builders lose time, money, and trust when the process is loose. We sit down with Rick Hughes from Estimating Online to take a look at why the idea of a “quick estimate” is often the start of bigger problems later.

Rick breaks estimating into a four-step process, from the gut-feel feasibility estimate through to rapid software-based estimating, a detailed bill of quantities, and then true costing where the client is committed and trades are quoting a real job. They talk about why context matters, why inputs matter, and why different builders need different estimating strategies depending on the type of work they do.

They also cover trade quote fatigue, fixed price versus cost plus, and why construction still does things backwards by designing first and costing last. If you are trying to tighten your pre-construction workflow, this episode gives you a clear way to think about estimating without getting distracted by shiny tools.

00:00 Introduction

00:29 Meet Rick Hughes

01:38 Why Estimating Matters

03:28 Do You Need Site Experience

10:14 Tiers of Estimating

11:25 Tech Tools and Templates

13:43 Four Step Estimating Framework

14:25 Sponsor Break ProClima Details

15:31 Who Should Estimate and Check

18:46 Stop Wasting Trade Quotes

25:23 Builder vs Trade Expertise

31:01 Common Sense Pricing Examples

33:30 Getting Paid for Precon

35:15 Sponsor Break Systems Webinar

37:19 Tenders And Budget Reality

40:30 Fixed Price Vs Cost Plus

48:56 In House Trades Debate

Our Sponsors:

Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/proclima

MEGT - https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm/megt

Biz Tech Guru: https://www.biztechguru.com.au/

Wunderbuild: https://www.wunderbuild.com/

LINKS

Estimating Online: https://estimatingonline.com.au/

Connect with us on Instagram: @themindfulbuilderpod

Connect with Hamish:

Instagram: @sanctumhomes

Website: www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt:

Instagram: @carlandconstructions

Website: www.carlandconstructions.com/