March 9, 2026Stop quoting from a flat-rate card
Flat-rate cards are easy and wrong. They overcharge the simple jobs (so you lose the booking) and undercharge the hard ones (so you lose money). Accurate quoting starts with treating each job as its own job.
Survey the job — virtually or on site
You can't quote what you haven't seen. A video survey or an on-site walkthrough catches the third-floor walk-up, the piano, and the packed garage that a phone call misses.
The faster you can turn a survey into a quote, the more often you win the job before a competitor calls back.
Base estimates on your real history
Your own completed jobs are the best estimator you have. How long did a similar move actually take, with a similar crew, over a similar distance? Estimates grounded in your history beat any generic rate sheet.
Account for access, distance, and complexity
The variables that blow up a quote are usually access (stairs, elevators, long carries), distance, and complexity (specialty items, packing). Surface them up front so the price reflects the real work.
Choose binding vs non-binding deliberately
A binding estimate gives the customer certainty and you predictability; a non-binding estimate flexes with the actual job. Know which you're offering and why, and make sure the customer understands the difference.
Tools like Spear OS build binding and non-binding estimates from your real job history, so the number is defensible either way.