Talked to a kitchen remodeler about herringbone patterns...

She said most clients don't realize it adds a full day of labor, maybe two for a big space. It made me think we should explain the time cost upfront, not just the material price. How do you guys quote for complex patterns like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo2382mo ago

Honestly, yes, a separate line item is the way to go. I started doing that a few years ago when I kept getting questions about why my quotes were higher than the competition. Ngl, once I broke out the pattern labor as a specific charge, people stopped arguing about the price and started asking about the pattern itself. Tbh, I even put a little note under that line explaining it takes an extra day of careful layout work. That way they see the time cost directly, not just a big number. It saved me a ton of headache on the back end when clients see exactly where the money goes.

jesseb203mo ago

Add a separate line item for pattern labor on every quote. Honestly, we even break it down by square footage thresholds, like an extra half day under 50 feet and a full day over that. Tbh clients appreciate seeing exactly what they're paying for instead of a vague "installation fee.

claire_ramirez223mo ago

Ever try adding a small "design layout" fee? I found that calling it that instead of just "labor" makes people way less likely to question it.