An estimate is an approximate cost related to your project. This is used to give you a realistic cost so you can budget accordingly.

T&M is based on the time (hours) and materials it takes to complete the project. This is used when troubleshooting or diagnosing issues or problems as there is no way to know how long it will take to figure out.

We offer free estimates to help you budget for any project, big or small. However, if there is troubleshooting involved we offer T&M, which stands for Time & Materials. This is based on what it says… the time or hours it takes the technician to do the work and the Materials the tech needed along the way. Providing an estimate to troubleshoot is not a common practice…

You want to know how much a project will cost you before it begins, right? Of course, and so do we! However, getting an estimate for your project might be the wrong thing to do, and here’s why!
When an Estimator comes to your facility or home he doesn’t always have access to walls, ceilings, attics, etc… So he has to guess. Yep, I said it, he guesses!!! It IS an educated guess, usually based on years of experience, but still a guess nonetheless. This is why they call it an “ESTIMATE”.
On the other hand, the technician who comes out to do the work actually gets into the walls, ceilings, attic, and the places the estimator could not see and knows exactly what it will take to complete the job.

Estimates can go in a couple of directions:
Scenario #1: Job goes smoothly, tech is done in 2 hours. Once the tech is finished, he writes up the invoice based on the estimated figure and you pay the price you were told and everyone is happy! (even though the estimator might have had 4 or more hours in the project)

Scenario #2: The tech gets into the walls and says “We found something in the way and now we’re going to have to take a long way around… that is going to cost you $xxx.00 more”.
Either way, you may have paid more than you needed too???

A good rule of thumb is if the project is less than $1,000.00 ask for it to be done on a T&M basis as this will allow the contractor to do what is right and give you the best bang for your buck…Unless you don’t hire Redline Electric & Solar… Other contractors might take advantage of T&M and treat it like a blank check. But not us! #IAmRedline