Landscape Estimator Anna Turner advocates a check list and thorough verification of supplied information to avoid oversights and errors in pricing.
I’ve been pricing landscape projects for more than 20 years and I still make mistakes daily. I will for as long as I do this job. So, what to do about it?
I’ve set up a series of checks that help me reduce the mistakes.
First thing
The first thing I do is read all the documentation carefully. I go through the landscape design drawings, specifications, and architectural drawings to gain a firm understanding of the site conditions and access. I then make a list of items within the landscape scope and a list of items I’m excluding from the quote. The list of exclusions helps me understand how the build will unfold and allows me to account for things like machine-hire charges more accurately.
Site versus drawings
Before I start measuring, I always check the drawing is to scale. It’s ideal to do a site visit and check the site measurements match those in the drawings, but if you can’t visit the site, at the very least check the drawing is to scale. You’d be surprised how many times the scale is labelled incorrectly on a drawing.
The process of reading the drawings and measuring up allows me to digest how different elements on the site interact, and how the project needs to be built. At this point I like to flag any discrepancies within the documentation with the Landscape Architect (LA) and get those cleared up before I start pricing. It isn’t always possible to get the answers quickly enough, but it’s more efficient if you can.
I price each item in the order I would build it. I start with demolition and excavations, move through the hardscape elements, and finish with planting and mulching. Pricing this way reduces my chances of missing any costs.
Colleague sanity check
While I price, I write notes.
I write detailed descriptions in the Bill of Quantities (BoQ). Detailed descriptions give the client confidence I’ve covered everything, while at the same time protecting against any misunderstanding.
I write a list of clarifications that I include with the quote. These clarifications, along with the BoQ descriptions, clear up any discrepancies between my pricing and what the client/LA might be expecting. I always write a clarification if I have priced to build/do something that goes against the documentation.
I also write internal notes to the build team. Of course, they will only see the notes if we win the job, but this is the best time to write them. I write them while my decisions are fresh in my head. The notes go a long way towards handing over the job, and they force me to double check my choices.
I’m not afraid to ask colleagues for their opinion when I’m pricing something difficult. I often ring a trusted colleague bounce ideas off and work through all the options before I start with the calculator.
Once I’ve finished pricing the whole project I go back through and check my work. First, I check I’ve priced all the items on the list I made at the start of the process. Then I check to make sure the rates are sitting where I expected them to. I never look at rates while pricing because I don’t want the rate to influence my costing, but I do check them at the end. I look at the rates to spot any mistakes I may have made, like typos or missing a cost. If I have made a mistake like this, a rate check usually picks it up.
One of the most important steps is to get a colleague sanity check. My work doesn’t go out the door without a colleague casting an eye over it first. Don’t forget this step.
Accuracy
The final layer of checking comes once we’ve won the work. You may say it’s too late by then, but it’s better to know a problem early on, when you have more time to rectify it, than later in the build.
Handover to the build team is important. If the team spots a mistake or underpricing, that’s the time to plan how to claw the money back. Keeping the budget front and centre helps the team to work with it, because no matter the mistake, now we have to wear it.
It’s important to check the allowances what happens on site against the quote. Ask, “How many square metres did they lay in a day?” and adjust all your future pricing around that. The more information you have from the site, the more accurate your pricing can be.
Client management
Last, we need to manage the client. Some mistakes are not directly our fault. The most common cause is the client misunderstanding or changing their mind. Clarifications come into play here. Use them to gently push back to the client to point out what is in the contract versus their understanding/desires. An absolute must is to walk the client through the contract before they sign. This helps manage their expectations and gives them confidence in the contract.
You can never eliminate mistakes, but you can reduce them by following the right processes. Continuously try to improve the accuracy of your pricing by getting feedback from the build team and close the loopholes by learning from the mistakes that do come your way.