Estimating Services

Our Mission

To help your company win more bids by providing you with the most accurate, precise, and detailed estimates possible. Our main goal is to not only win the bid, but to help you increase your profits! Being the low bidder is easy, but winning the bid and making money on it requires experience, skills, and the right tools. When you hire our company you are hiring an entire team of estimators, contractors, engineers, and business professionals to work for you! Our success is based on more than just estimating; we help you understand the financial side of your business to ensure your company's success.

Estimating Services                     

If you are new to the electrical contracting industry, or if you are a seasoned electrical contractor, we can provide these estimating services to help you get started in the industry, or gain that competitive edge in your market area. Charter Estimating also uses these estimating services to guide you through the electrical estimating process.

How Our Estimating Services Work For Your Company

Choose Estimating Services Needed: You can choose from the different levels of estimating services that best fits your company’s needs. Material and Labor Take-off for when your company wants to enter the numbers in to their own software, or Complete Estimating Service including submitting your proposal on your companies behalf and bid tracking. We also offer budgeting services for you when projects do not have complete drawings available. 

Acquire Plans: Plans can be obtained in several ways. Charter will get them, the contractor will supply them or email, or a hard copy can be ordered. Verification of project information such as bid dates, whether the job is union, non-union, or open shop, etc.

Accurate Estimating: Once we receive the project, we read all the specs, plans and scope of work are reviewed. Company procedures at Charter have multiple cross checks and balances to minimize errors. Our on screen takeoff allows us to have better control over how we set up a project and reduce errors. We use your suppliers for all quoted material pricing and equipment. 

Relationship Building: Obtaining a bidders list that includes all bidders is vital to winning a project. Provide us your "invites to bid" from a specific contractor. We will find the other contractors bidding the project and make sure your estimate gets into their hands. We offer these services so that your company is known to the General Contractors in your area.

Bid Closeout: Knowing how the numbers need to come together on bid day for a competitive estimate is just as important as an accurate take-off.  Our numbers analysis will be performed and important information regarding the bid will be shared with you. Finally, any adjustment to the estimate is done and we work closely with you to finalize the bid before it is sent out.

Bid Tracking to get Results: Post bid follow up calls are made to confirm who won the bid, and what your placement was compared to other bidders, because bidding doesn't stop on bid day. We use the information to adjust numbers on the next bid when necessary. We do follow up calls on all of our estimates, as it is vital information to help bid-win ratios.

Contract Negotiation: Winning the project is great, but negotiating the terms of the contract is a crucial part of ensuring that you make a profit. This is a difficult issue for many estimators and companies. Before signing a contract, many electrical contractors have a qualified person review it. Some do that even before starting an estimate. Analyzing risky language during an estimate and putting in allowances for that language is a good way to prevent losses. Oftentimes, there can be requirements in a contract that make it impossible to profit from change orders.

Lien Form Usage: Knowing how to use your leverage when signing away your rights to apply liens can be costly. We provide some insight on that subject that will help you get your money before you sign a lien waiver.

Retainage: This is a portion of the agreed upon contract price deliberately withheld until the work is substantially complete to assure that the contractor or subcontractor will satisfy their obligations and complete a construction project. The retainage is always a sore subject when it comes to the end of the project. You and your workers have worked hard to put in a project on time and the General Contractor holds a percentage of your money. Learn how to negotiate a lower percentage on the front end so you can keep the money you worked hard for.

Avoid Costly Contract Clauses: Many of the contracts you will receive from the GC will have hold harmless clauses that cover the GC. Be sure to only accept the clauses you are able to maintain control over or are able to insure. Remember that every contract is negotiable, and don't be afraid to walk away from the project if it appears it may do your company harm.

Change Orders: We can provide you with change orders. We all love change orders, so why not get paid for them? Some contracts will have clauses that will prevent you from getting paid on change orders, especially those clauses that say "No changes or extra's allowed." Whenever there is an amendment, variation, or deviation to the original contract, a change order should be executed in writing to modify the original contract. 

Collect Your Money: We offer essential estimating services to help your company not only survive in the construction industry, but to win in this industry. When you hire us to help you with your estimating needs, we take that very seriously and we offer not only the most accurate estimating services, but we help you grow your business! We have the best technology to aid us in computer generated estimates, along with the experience as electrical contractors to guide you through the process of acquiring the plans, bidding, close outs, managing the project start to finish, and collecting your money.

Bidders List: We will get a bidders list for your project so your bid goes to every contractor bidding the project. Even if your GC loses the project, you still have a shot at winning with another contractor. 

Why You Can Count On US

• We are a professional estimating services company offering quick estimates or our long term estimating solutions for contractors nationwide.
• We offer our five point process that is a proven method for successful competitive bidding.
• Estimating is our Only business and it's what we love and what we do Best..
• Give us an opportunity to earn your business, and we will not let you down

Q: Do I need to be the low bidder to win the project?

A: No. A great percentage of electrical work is acquired through the estimating process, and most jobs are awarded to the contractor who has the best "perceived price," but not necessarily the lowest.

Why Choosing Charter Estimating is Good Business

We Want To Earn Your Business!

Send or Upload Your Plans Today For A Free Quote! 

Need Help On How To Get Started? Check Out Our Electrical Cost Estimating Services!