Upscale Remodeling

We are a Design/Build remodeling firm located in Ithaca, NY. While we specialize in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, we also do many different kinds of projects from small handyman projects all the way up to large scale remodeling and whole house remodeling projects. I grew up in this business, working with father and grandfather, so remodeling has pretty much been my focus from a very young age. I know it well and I enjoy it still after all these years.

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

We used paper and pencil along with spreadsheets and then did all our proposals using Microsoft Word.

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

The repetitiveness of writing proposals and preparing detailed estimates. They took a considerable amount of time.

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

I like not having to rethink every project and every task. Using Clear Estimates allows us to have the specifications for each of our tasks pre-written and the cost pre-determined which saves a ton of time and aggravation. While we end up editing many of the tasks for each project, the basic information is there.

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

It’s simple and easy to customize.

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

I like the flexibility and the simplicity of the program. We have uploaded our own custom database of pricing, tasks, and specifications. This took a bit of effort but we now have an estimating and proposal writing system that is customized to fit our company. Above all, I like how nice our proposals are. The format is simple and easy to read and that part is nearly automatic just by creating the estimate.

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

I enjoy helping people bring their dreams to life as well as improving their quality of life over-all by way of remodeling their homes.

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

When we first meet with a customer about a project and determine that they are a good fit for us and us for them, we will either discuss ballpark costs/ranges for their project or commit to some basic estimating. If we need to do some number crunching in most cases this only on a preliminary level. We almost always create a preliminary estimate in the beginning which will later turn into a more detailed (Formal) proposal as we develop their project. In most cases, we are using the ballpark estimate or the rough preliminary estimate as the only estimate of costs before we ask for a retainer and have them sign a Project Development Agreement. Then we are essentially getting paid to do the more detailed work including estimating, scope and specification writing, etc…

What does the Upscale Remodeling team enjoy doing when not completing remodeling jobs?

We have 14 team members so our hobbies vary widely. I personally enjoy hunting, fishing, and gardening when I’m not busy developing my business (which I also enjoy).

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

Of course… for all of the reasons mentioned above.

“I enjoy helping people bring their dreams to life as well as improving their quality of life over-all by way of remodeling their homes”

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