Good-Better-Best Estimates: When Options Help Customers Decide

A profitable estimate converts uncertainty into explicit scope, assumptions, options, and change rules. The goal is not to predict every hidden condition.

Start with the actual condition

Use. Use comparable scopes and state assumptions clearly.

Show. Show optional work separately from required work.

Record. Record why the customer accepted, declined, or deferred.

Step-by-step decision process

1. Define the scope. Define the customer problem and the result being purchased.
2. Separate the scope. Separate labor, material, equipment, travel, overhead, and risk assumptions.
3. State the scope. State exclusions and the conditions that trigger a change order.
4. Track the scope. Track the outcome so future estimates use actual job data.

Scope and documentation

For good-better-best estimates: when options help customers decide, document the sales stage, evidence collected, scope assumptions, price basis, exclusions, next action, owner, and outcome. The record should help the next estimate improve instead of merely storing a PDF.

Common mistakes

• Quoting before enough diagnostic information is available.
• Reducing price without reducing scope.
• Treating every lost estimate as a pricing problem.

Questions to resolve

• Which assumption has the largest effect on price or close rate?
• What customer evidence is needed before the next step?
• How will this outcome be categorized for later analysis?
• Which part of the process should change if the pattern repeats?

Sources and editorial notes

This article is a planning guide, not a substitute for emergency services, legal advice, code interpretation, manufacturer instructions, or an on-site professional assessment. Verify current requirements and programs directly.

• sba.gov
• cslb.ca.gov

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Next step

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