You've met with your contractor and now they are hard at work preparing an estimate. They will take into account everything you talked about, including your notes, the Yardzen design, and anything else that came up in your meeting.
There are a few types of estimates, and your unique situation will inform which type you receive:
A ballpark number informally sent via email
A formally drafted estimate lining out every element and material discussed
Multiple estimates if the project was phased or you discussed a few different options
What's Next?
You should use your estimate as a conversation and planning tool for you and the contractor to use to arrive at a scope of work or contract.
However, “changing scope” before signing the contract (adding or removing line items in the estimate) is very common.
In other words, if the estimate comes back too high for your budget, consider changing the scope of the project as opposed to negotiating over the price.
You may have follow-up meetings or a call to lock in a scope of work and budget for the project. Your contractor should draft something that details the scope of work as well as timelines that are applicable. This should outline any unknowns and refer not to exceed a number if this is important for you.
Remember that Yardzen is still here to support you. When you placed your order with us, we made a commitment to assist you in getting your dream project built, so if you or the contractor need the CAD plans revised, we can help.