Clients ask us every day for quotes while they mean estimates and vice versa. But there is a big difference: a good expert always estimates how much time the job will take. So if the hourly rate is clear he also has an estimate of the labour cost. He can (but rarely does) share this estimate with the Client: “The job will cost me ~X hours so it will cost you ~€Y in labour“. If the Client prefers, the expert can also quote a fixed price: “I ask €Z for the job, no matter how many hours it costs me“. Z may be lower than Y if the expert can work entire man days on the job, but also higher (because the expert runs the risk of the job taking longer than he estimated). So what is wiser to request: an estimate or a quote? That depends:

• A quote (or a proper estimate of material cost) usually requires an inspection visit, which costs you time and often money too (the first hour of inspection is deducted from the final invoice, though). If you would like the expert to advise you and/or measure, it is usually better to ask for an inspection & quote
• A quote is ideal if the job is big and well defined, such as “Repaint 350m2 of smooth walls with roller – 1 coat, RAL 9010“. And if the job is this clear you can even avoid the inspection
• An estimate is better if the job is relatively small and hard to define / estimate, such as “Stop bad smell in bathroom“
• An estimate is simpler & quicker. That is why the MrFix app offers you the choice between “An expert ASAP (free estimate)” or “An expert (inspection & quote)“
• If you know and trust the expert (or building repair service MrFix) then an estimate of man hours should suffice. Please note that MrFix always gets you a estimate and the minimum possible estimate is 1-2 man hours. MrFix advises Clients to follow a simple rule of thumb: ask a quote only for jobs of more than a day’s work / ~€1,000, which are usually worth an inspection visit

MrFix asks Clients to provide the specific info that a serious expert needs to quote a fixed price. If you see that info in the MrFix expert app then please tap ‘Accept Job & Quote fixed price’. Then you can input the man hours with any discount on the standard rate (we recommend 10-20%) or else the labour amount you want to quote. You can also enter your fixed price for any materials costs. If you prefer then you can tap ”Accept Job & Propose Inspection first’. Please note that most inspections are not efficient and many Clients do not want them. If the Client supplies the info you need then you can cancel the inspection and send MrFix your quote input. Please do not send any estimate or quote amounts directly to Clients: you even risk breaking Dutch law. We will invoice any inspection visit in the same way as job execution: with a 1-hour minimum. For quote jobs of more than 1 day / ~€1,000 we deduct the 1st hour of the inspection from the final invoice.

When you accept & schedule the Job we ask you to share your estimate right away. MrFix tries to make sure the Client provides you all relevant info, but sometimes you just cannot make a serious estimate. In such cases please:

• Tap on a rough initial estimate: whichever number of hours you think makes most sense for the Job without unexpected obstacles or special circumstances
• Ask the Client for more information via Chat and adjust your estimate there if appropriate. If you do not get the information then please tell the Client via the Chat that your estimate is not yet reliable and offer to inspect the Job first. Once you start the job, you can usually see more precisely how long it will take. Or sometimes you discover problems that make the job take longer than expected. In either case you should tell the Client during the first hour AND mention it in the Chat.

See also: “What if the Client wants a quote (fixed price)?”

When we started our service in 2010, we found that Clients often went through the entire estimate/quote process but the expert turned out not to be available when the Client needed him. Our best painters, for instance, are usually fully booked ~12 months ahead. So we ask the Client to indicate at the start when the expert is welcome. We then mail the the expert’s appointment proposal together with his estimate/quote.

Our Clients and experts prefer not to spend time on inspection visits. That is why MrFix makes it easy for you to ask each other questions in advance (preferably via Chat) and share photos and the like. Sometimes the Client asks for advice or the expert has to do precise measurements so they require an inspection visit. Then we invoice that just like job execution: usually the minimum of 1 hour of labour per man is sufficient. For jobs of more than ~€1,000 / one day’s work, the expert offers that hour of inspection as a discount if you accept the quote/estimate (it will be deducted from the final invoice). We mail you the expert’s quote within 72 hours from the inspection visit, unless there is a delay in obtaining input from the expert’s suppliers.

See also: How to achieve a 5-star inspection?

MrFix has a few tips to help Clients make sure the job is done well at a reasonable cost:

• Request your job as soon as possible. MrFix can usually arrange an expert within 24 hours, among other things because the 50% rush surcharge incentivises the expert to change his schedule and prioritise your job. Even without a rush surcharge it is wise to request your job as far ahead of the execution as possible: then you will reach more and better experts. For example, our best painters are typically fully booked about 12 months in advance.
• Prepare well:
  • If possible, consider in advance what material you need and whether you want the expert to deliver it. The quality of paint in particular varies so much that the same painter gives a 3-year guarantee on his paintwork if the Client provides paint that he has left or buys it at any DIY store but the painter offers 10 years if he supplies professional paint. If the expert supplies the material it is more efficient if he picks it up on his way to the job instead of driving back and forth to the supplier after his arrival (the expert charges that driving time).
  • If possible, think in advance, which type of expert you need. A qualified electrician can of course hang your lamp, but if the wiring is present then most all-round handymen can do that job too: their rate is considerably lower.
  • Describe clearly on the request form a) what the problem is and b) what the expert should do (including what you may want to do yourself). If possible, add a photo (or floor plan, or survey) and indicate brand; model, colour, number and measurements as requested. And enter your contact details correctly. Appointments often go wrong due to weird errors: sometimes the house (or floor) number is missing or the street name is misspelled.
  • Choose if you want just an estimate (price indication) or a binding quote (fixed price): just click button “Expert ASAP” or else “First a quote” on the request form. See also “What’s wiser: a quote or an estimate?”
• During the job: Ask the expert to share a ‘Before’ photo via Chat at the start of the job and an ‘After’ photo upon completion. This establishes the situation immediately before and immediately after the job in the event that the expert did not do the job exactly according to your instructions or he caused any damage, for example.
• After the job: check immediately if everything is in order. MrFix does its utmost to select experts for you who always do everything perfectly, but unfortunately they are people and do not always meet the expectations of the Clients (people too). Getting angry will not help in such cases, but agreeing a fair solution does.
  • If you find that the expert has not done the job exactly according to your instructions, briefly repeat those instructions and summarise the shortcomings and then share them via Chat. MrFix reads that and ensures that the expert puts things right as soon as possible. It helps if you indicate right away which dates and times the expert is welcome back. It does not help to say that you never want to see an expert again, especially if you have ordered the expert’s warranty (minimum 3 months). This normally means that he does not charge the labour of the follow-up visit (just any material and parking costs).
  • The same applies when the expert causes damage to your belongings. Share a short, factual description of the damage with a few photos via Chat and indicate how and when you want the expert to rectify it. The expert should have liability insurance and is often able to fix the damage himself, so do not call on a third party too soon.

MrFix helps Clients and experts agree the price for building repair & maintenance jobs without misunderstandings or unnecessary delays. In practice that means the expert estimates the labour cost for jobs of less than a day’s work / ~€1,000 based on the info the Client shares. For bigger jobs a quote is usually better, although most experts need to inspect a job before they can quote a fixed price. Inspections and quotes can prevent major problems but also cause them. MrFix tries to help Client and expert to avoid problems so the process is smooth & fair.

5-star building repair inspections

Inspecting a building repair job seems simple, but it is not. Clients often choose MrFix after a contractor came to inspect but left an unprofessional impression. If a contractor does not even do the inspection properly he gives the Client little confidence in his execution of the job. An expert needs to get 5 aspects right for a professional inspection:

1. Scheduling. The expert should first check by when the Client needs the job to be completed. If he cannot meet that deadline then should not waste time inspecting. And he should make sure there is enough daylight & favourable weather: you cannot inspect a roof well when it’s slippery & dark
2. Preparation. The expert should check the job request, ask any missing info and check any external sources to make sure he can assess the job properly
3. Tools. The expert should bring/wear what is relevant to the inspection: safety shoes, helmet, (head)light, ladder, measuring tape, (paint) colour chart, CO/other gas detector, pressure gauge, moisture meter, voltage detector, outlet tester, thermometer, (IR) camera…
4. Advice. A paid inspection visit entitles the Client not only to a binding quote but also to professional advice. The expert should make sure he can provide it
5. Communication. The expert should ask the Client questions before the inspection, let the Client know if he’s delayed, use professional clothes & toolkits, ask before entering rooms / stepping on clean floors, listen carefully so the scope of the job is clear and finally: submit his quote input to MrFix within 48 hours

These things together will result in a 5-star inspection.

MrFix has negotiated fair rates for building repair & improvement on behalf of Clients with the respective experts that:

• Apply to inspections for quote jobs and to execution of smaller jobs that do not require a quote
• Range from €45 to €115 per man hour based on complexity and scarcity of skills:
  • Professional cleaner €45
  • Painter (low VAT rate, see below), All-round handyman (incl. building contractor) or Gardener €55
  • Tiler or mason €65
  • Plasterer or wallpaperer €70 (both low VAT rate, see below)
  • Carpenter €70
  • Locksmith or Glazier €75
  • Electrician or Computer expert €85
  • Plumber €95 (note: a central heating fitter, roofer or damp proofing specialist are €105)
  • White goods expert, A/C specialist or Furniture upholsterer €115

For regular (estimate) jobs the expert should instruct MrFix to invoice right after each visit. Once you tap button ‘Tap to complete Visit’ in the app then you can tap action ‘Invoice Visit’ right away and fill in:

• Your man hours. The app automatically fills in your hours based on the moments when you tapped to start and complete the Visit
• Any material cost: for each type of material a short description, number of units and unit cost (excluding VAT)
• Any parking cost (excl. VAT)

If the Visit was to execute a quote job then you tap either ‘Schedule next Visit’ or ‘Instruct MrFix to invoice’ and enter only any EXTRA hours, materials or parking costs.

The best way to request a Job is via the MrFix app:

1. Choose a Job type: tap one of the Popular Job types on the Home page or type in the search bar and tap the job type that is closest to what you need
2. Enter the relevant info and upload 1 or 2 photos (not mandatory)
3. Enter your house number & postal code
4. Make one or more dates available
5. Tap “An expert ASAP (free estimate)” or “An expert (inspection & quote)”

If you prefer, you can call us at +31 20 675 0333 (Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00h & 14:00-19:00h, Sat-Sun 13:00-17:00h). For €9.95 incl. VAT we will enter the Job into the system for you

• MrFix finds you serious Clients who actually want you to help (not just an estimate or quote) and who pay your invoice on time
• MrFix asks the Client for all info you need: not only about the job and location but also when you’re welcome to start
• MrFix quotes, invoices and collects payment on your behalf
• MrFix supports you with appointments and communication, for example by following up on quotes or any bad debtors

Please also see: What does MrFix NOT do?