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Notes from the estimating desk

Short, practical pieces on how estimates are built, classed, priced and defended. Written from live projects, names removed.

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Pricing basis8 min read

Reading a vendor quote like an estimator

Scope splits, exclusions and validity. The checklist we run before a quote is allowed to carry an estimate, and the sheet that makes quotes comparable.

May 27, 2026Read
Pricing basis9 min read

Building a labour rate from the ground up

Base wage, burdens, premium time, small tools and supervision. Why an all-in rate borrowed from another project is the most common pricing error.

March 25, 2026Read
Pricing basis8 min read

Indirects are not a percentage

Site overheads on a long, remote or phased project can exceed the direct labour. Build them from the schedule and the organisation chart, not a ratio.

February 4, 2026Read

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