Ballpark Estimates: Avoiding Them to Protect You

“Can I get a ballpark price?” I bet you’ve heard this and probably even said it yourself a few times when it comes to gathering pricing on a project or event. How about, “I won’t hold you to it!”? Unfortunately, they often do hold you to it and then you’re left navigating a conversation on why the final quote or price is outside that ballpark. It’s a slippery slope, into dangerous waters, with sharks circling, who haven’t eaten in a month, you get the idea. And believe it or not, we get it! Wanting to have an idea of how much money you’re looking at spending makes sense, and rather than just saying “we don’t offer ballpark estimates, sorry”, we’d like to be completely transparent and go into some detail of why we avoid them.

BBB’s OPINION

The dangers of on the spot estimates are huge. So much so that the BBB (Better Business Bureau) actually recommends against them, as they’re often used as a bait and switch tactic with contractors. They’ll give you a low ballpark range just to get the job and then suddenly you’re into the project and there are all of these things they hadn’t accounted for, now they’re increasing the price little by little and you’re experiencing ‘sticker shock’ over and over. 

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

A ballpark estimate anchors your expectations to a random number. As a business providing a service, our natural instinct is to please the client or potential client. Of course we want to do business with you and have the opportunity to build a relationship, of course we want to be able to give you a quote, but we also want you to have solid and accurate information from the start and with concrete, no two slabs are alike, therefore, no two estimates are alike. There are so many different mixtures and ratios of sand, gravel, and lime, AND installation methods that it’s truly impossible to know what you’re dealing with. Was it poured in summer or winter, did it have to sit in a concrete mixing truck for a 45 minute commute from the plant to your site before being poured, or, how was it finished? Those are just a few of the reasons we tend to avoid giving out a price without being able to see it and test it. Test it? Yes! Typically it’s multiple choice, but if it doesn’t get at least a B+ it doesn’t pass. Ok, maybe that’s not quite how it works. The density and moisture content of concrete is always going to be different and those two aspects play a large part in where your price comes from, specifically the moisture, so we perform testing to make sure we know what we’re dealing with. 

MOISTURE IN CONCRETE

Did you know concrete is like a sponge? Hydrostatic pressure occurs when there is moisture under your slab. Like a sponge, it soaks into your slab and off gasses, or essentially finds the path of least resistance, often through the top of your slab. When this presents itself, we use a sealer, or water barrier, to prevent the moisture from escaping and impacting your project. 

REPAIRS

Another aspect we have to consider is repairs required prior to completion. Some cracks and pitting are common and are no problem to handle, but we do run into situations, more so on pool decks, where there is damage beyond repair. There could be hollow spots underneath, cracks too large to repair, foundational issues that could require re-leveling or even demolition and a re-pour, unfortunately. These issues can be hard to detect to the untrained eye and some are nearly impossible to see through photos. 

MOBILIZATION

Last, but not least, is mobilization. We use 1,000lb. diamond grinders, among other things, that are cumbersome and we need to ensure we’re able to get them into the spaces properly. Even something such as the grade of your property can play a part in whether or not we’re able to get the equipment where it needs to go, depending on what area we’re addressing. 

Taking all of this into account, part of our business model is having a highly trained estimating team that will come to you free of charge and perform the necessary testing, assess your area and take all of the information they gather on site combined with your preferences and create an estimate before they ever leave your home. We value our clients and our reputation and we want to provide clear and concise information you can reference, instead of possibly setting someone up for disappointment by throwing out numbers we may not be able to stand behind. We hope that the “method to our madness” brings you comfort in knowing we’re doing our very best to provide you with the very best and we look forward to whatever projects you may have in store for us. Give us a shout for your free condition testing and estimate. 

Andy. (2017, January 12). Why we don’t give ballpark estimates. Foxsoft. https://foxsoft.net/ballpark-estimates/

elburz. (2022, April 8). Dangers of Ballpark Estimates. The Interactive & Immersive HQ. https://interactiveimmersive.io/blog/business/dangers-of-ballpark-estimates/