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There's one less estimator needed in the Seattle market, because two companies are sharing one. Sandy McAdams, CGR, owns Sandy's Design & Remodeling Inc. and pays an outside estimator to do her projects. The arrangement has been going on for about five years.
It began when the estimator was laid off from his job at an area remodeling company. McAdams knew him, trusted him, and asked him about doing her estimates. He started freelancing for McAdams shortly thereafter.
McAdams provides him with the project specifications, and on rare occassions has him visit the site with her. He takes the specs home, does the estimate, and returns the final on a disk.
"I [insert] the estimate into my templates," McAdams says.
She pays by the hour for estimates that, she says, take anywhere from one to five hours, depending on the size of the project. It's those larger jobs that she may call him in for a site visit.
The original intent for this freelancer was to line up other remodelers in the area as a business, but the job market changed and he was soon back with the original company. McAdams asked him to continue working with her on a freelance basis.
At this point, the other owner was consulted. He agreed to the arrangement as long as the estimator worked on McAdams's projects in off times and it didn't interfere with his full-time job. He will now pick up specs early in the morning or after 5 p.m. and drops the completed estimates off at his convenience. The rare site visits are scheduled for evenings or Saturdays.
Rod Sutton is the Editor-in-Chief for Professional Remodeler. Please email him with any comments or questions regarding his column.
Labor's tight, so why not share the talent?