When planning a renovation and building project, sometimes you know exactly which tradespeople you want to work with.
But other times, you don’t have anyone in particular in mind, so you reach out to a few companies to get some quotes. But which quote will you choose?
Some will have a lower price, others will be higher. Obviously you have a budget to meet, but is there ever a reason to choose the higher price?
Yes!
At CRA, we know we’re rarely the cheapest plastering quote. But there’s more than one good reason for this – there’s FIVE good reasons!
What we quote is what you’ll pay – no more, no less.
Wait – isn’t that supposed to happen?
Sadly, companies that offer cheap plastering quotes will typically skip over the finer details of a job and fail to do their due diligence in accounting for all the costs of a project. Then, once you’re locked in and halfway through the job, those extra costs will appear in the form of a fat, unexpected bill that you either pay or risk derailing your project.
At CRA, we have an experienced team of dedicated estimators who make sure that all costs are delivered truthfully and up front so you never experience nasty surprises.
Sometimes, companies will “buy” a contract. This means they’ll offer a plastering quote on a job that’s so low, they actually take a loss on the job, just so they have work for their team during a quiet period.
As a builder or renovator, this can feel like a dream opportunity to get a great bargain… but it can quickly turn into a nightmare if the company collapses part way through the project, or starts hitting you with extra bill after extra bill towards the end to make up the shortfall.
At CRA, we offer competitive prices on our plastering quotes without ever “buying” a contract. This is because we want the best outcome for our builders, clients and team. Buying contracts only ends in hurt and pain in the long term for everyone.
Some companies offer cheap plastering quotes because they staff their team with unsupported apprenticeships and here-today-gone-tomorrow subcontractors. Communication is poor, the quality of the work suffers, and the project rarely goes according to plan.
At CRA, we carefully select our team members for their skills, reliability, professional attitude and communication. Our apprentices are matched with senior plasterers who genuinely care about training up the next generation, and oversee all work completed.
We also employ our plasterers on full-time salaries and further support them with additional training every year.
Experience and training like that results in high quality work done right and on time the first time.
With so many moving parts and even the weather playing its own unpredictable role, there’s a certain amount of flexibility required in the construction industry.
We always go the extra mile to be on site when we need to be, such as for deliveries or to work with other trades, and we adjust our schedule to as needed to suit the builder and always show up ready to go when we’re needed.
And we make it our personal mission to finish every job on time.
We’re not just here for a good time – we’re here for a long time!
Part of the CRA identity is that we’re consistently investing in our business systems, training and organisational structure to ensure our operations are robust and resilient.
Why does that matter for our clients? It means they can rely on us to be consistent, professional, trustworthy and excellent communicators every step of the way. It also means we’re not in danger of collapsing or disappearing half way through the job.
We care deeply about our relationship with our customers and reputation truly matters to us. That means we’re not here for a quick buck – we always play the long game that leaves everyone truly satisfied with a job well done.
It can be tempting to simply choose the cheapest up-front quote, but unfortunately, there are a lot of companies keeping themselves afloat (or sinking!) with bad faith tactics that cost their clients far more in the long term. Sadly, there are too many stories of projects that have gone off the rails because of dodgy practices and too-good-to-be-true quotes.
The reality is, a higher quote could actually save you money in the long run if it comes from a trustworthy, reliable and experienced company who aren’t hiding nasty surprises.
