One of the more critical parts of being in the driveway paving business is providing accurate estimates to potential clients. It may seem as simple as measuring the size of the area to be paved, but there are a lot of underlying pieces to a driveway… quite literally! Let’s look at those factors to help better understand how you estimate driveway paving projects.
Main Expenses
There are two main expenses you will encounter when estimating a paving project. Those are the cost of materials and labor required for installation. The first one can be broken into two categories. Sub-base and final pave.
Material Costs
As a paving contractor, you must consider all the possible material costs. This is especially true in today’s economy. Is the driveway in total disrepair, or is this a new driveway installation? You will need to factor in the cost of stone necessary for a good sub-base. When you calculate the asphalt required for the job, be sure to get the latest price per ton. With fluctuating gas prices, the oils used in the asphalt process will affect the price.
Labor
Your next concern is labor. How many workers do you need on the job site? Again, be accurate as you don’t want to come up short and scramble for a body to complete an important task. Part of the consideration for labor can also include what pieces of equipment you need on the job.
Also, take into consideration any specific work a driveway will need. For example, it may have runoff issues and need a swale installed. Maybe the driveway needs to be pitched a certain way to address these runoff issues. Be sure to capture the time required to address problems like this in your estimate.
Scheduling
Another consideration is scheduling. When driveway paving work is in demand during the prime summer months, you can certainly pad your estimate a little. Work is plentiful, and pavers are scarce. Take advantage of this to turn a little extra profit for your company.
You are probably used to doing all your estimating and scheduling the old-fashioned way. With a pen and paper. What if we told you there was a better way? A method that allows you to streamline not only your company estimating and scheduling process but also a better way to organize your database of clients. One that is easy to use and saves your most precious commodity… time!
At Compass Wave, we offer a suite of tools to do the heavy lifting for you in all the key areas mentioned above. Our tools are user-friendly and quick to learn. We provide the ability for you to get back to what you love doing and spend less time juggling clients and filling out paperwork. Give Compass Wave a try!
