I’ve been in the construction industry for 40 years, and some things never change.

Prices go up, recessions come and go, and contractors are still giving away their valuable time and knowledge for free.

In my first 15 years as a remodeling contractor, I didn’t charge for my plans and estimates on jobs. I would fool myself into believing that I would add some money into the bid to cover the cost or chalk it up as a “marketing expense”.

But one day in the not-so-distant past I had a wake-up call.

I went to meet with a referral about a room addition. At the time, I was extremely busy and not looking to take on another project. So out of the blue, I told the potential client that it would be $750 to do the plans and estimates. I assumed this $750 would give me an easy out and I wouldn’t have to do the project.

Imagine my surprise when he wrote me a check on the spot for $750.

Not only did he turn out to be one of my best clients to date, but he also taught me a valuable lesson: I could charge for my plans and estimates. From that day on, I charged a fee for all the work I did designing and budgeting projects.

I left the contracting business in 1996, but I will never forget the struggles I went through all those years before I learned that I could (and should) charge for my services.

Don’t make the same mistake I did.

In my free guide, 15 Reasons You Should Be Charging More for Your Home Plans, I have outlined 15 compelling reasons why contractors and designers should be charging for their valuable services.

Read through it and gain a better understanding of why you deserve  to get paid for what you do.

When I was a remodeling contractor, I wish I would have had access to a guide like this. I wish someone would have pulled me aside and told me that it wasn’t necessary for me to do all of the work on plans and estimates for free. I could have spent more time with my family, put more cash into the bank, and done a much better job helping clients that were actually serious about their projects.

To Your Success,

Dan Baumann

ChiefExperts.com