Finding Time Contracting

Finding Time, LLC. is a local, family business that specializes in preventative maintenance, repair and remodeling for commercial and residential clients. Troy Mueller and his team have been serving Appleton and the greater Fox Valley area for more than 18 years. We are proud of our reputation for quality work and craftsmanship as well as outstanding customer care. Our mission is to ensure the longevity of our company by building client relationships based on trust, integrity and consistent performance. We strive to meet or exceed the expectations of our customers by providing them with clear and accurate estimates, on-going communication and attention to detail. Finishing a project within budget and on time is our company standard.

Before using Clear Estimates, how would you estimate, what did you use?

I used both Xactimate and Xactremodel from Xactware. They are very old programs and very cumbersome to set up & use, very difficult to train other users etc..PLUS you need to set up SQL Servers on windows PC’s

What was your biggest estimating pain point before using Clear Estimates?

Getting Xactimate setup on any computer system typically takes 4-6 hours, then trying to cross train into the estimating dept, because of how hard & expensive it was to add users.

What aspects of Clear Estimates make you most satisfied with your purchase?

The template layout, the ease of use and the web browser platform is great, I can log in from any device that has an internet connection and access my projects

When using Clear Estimates, what function do you find most useful?

I really like putting the estimate into Word to give a good thorough final proof. We do higher end work, typically for well-educated individuals. Therefore, I feel sentence structure, spelling are as important as the estimate itself. It shows our high level of perfection and professionalism

What aspect of the remodeling process do you enjoy the most?

We love building relationships by changing the way homeowners view contractors and standing back at the end of project admiring the transformation we’ve made in our clients home and life.

Walk us through an example estimate, explaining how Clear Estimates is used.

We will receive a phone call for a request, Randy who handles business development finds out what the potential client is seeking and schedules the initial appointment. Our backlog for estimates is 3-4 weeks. Therefore, the appointment will get put on a shared google calendar and I will go to the appointment. At the appointment, I listen carefully to the desired scope of work. In many cases, I have to solve problems or maintenance issue solutions. Once I get back with the information, notes, pictures etc.. I will create an estimate in Clear estimates and put together a preliminary estimate. Depending upon the scale of the project, it could be one and done, or most likely, there will be revisions. I will go back and forth and until we come to an agreement then we get a signed estimate/contract.

“We love building relationships by changing the way homeowners view contractors”

After using Clear Estimates, have you been able to measure improvements in estimates produced or time saved?

I wish I would have better documented my transition, however, we appear to be closing more jobs than ever before. I attribute a good portion of our recent growth to the template layout and how easy the estimate reads as a recipient.

What does the Finding Time team enjoy doing when not completing remodeling jobs?

We have a great group of guys on our Crew. Troy, the owner, has a horse farm and is into the equestrian lifestyle. He also has a pigeon coop and races homing pigeons. We also have a few Whitetail Deer hunters. A few guys are into atvs and four wheeling. Plus, most of us have children which keeps us busy with youth sports and other clubs. Not to mention we are trades people and enjoy home improvement, remodeling, construction and tools!

Would you recommend Clear Estimates to a competitor or another contractor in the residential industry?

Yes. It is affordable and easy to use

To view more of Finding Time Contracting’s great work, click here