travis perkins estimating service

toulouse

Travis Perkins are offering an estimating service, which looks really good. For £52 they look at your plans and estimate all the different things that need to take place and then they break it all down into materials and labour. This could be brilliant for someone like me who hasn't got a clue.
Has anyone out there used this service? is it accurate?
I was thinking of getting their estimate and then handing it out to builders so they can do a more accurate quote.

ukwoody

Ummm. cant comment on that service they offer, but I can tell you they are damn dear for materials. Your builders shouldn't need that quote to work it out from, and personally knowing how TP works, I doubt it will bear much relation to real life anyway, and almost certainly work out to be far more expensive.
Lets say their estimate came in at £10K. Now I KNOW I can get the materials for far far less then TP prices. If you gave that to me I would think, umm, My price worked out to be £7K, they suggest £10K, I'll make it £9K and the customer will be happy and I'll have made a very good mark-up if not a killing. (except I can't rip people off like that.)

Woody

adaze

You don't have to go on and buy from them. Though they aren't always too expensive, if you are in the trade and have a good rep you can get prices on some things way below standard pricing.

An estimate is only ever an estimate, but if you are going to buy the materials then it is a good idea certainly if you are inexperienced. If you only have a simple plans it may be just as easy to work it out yourelf....

P.s. I wouldn't give iit to your builder. Hold on to it and then compare with your builders estimate, if there are any discrepencies then check them out. If nothing else it may mean that mistakes aren't made.