Articles
Notes from the truck.
Estimating, contracts and getting-paid guides for people who quote home improvement work for a living.
Contracts
The home improvement contract checklist: 12 things to get in writing
A quote tells a customer what it costs. A contract tells you both what happens next. Here is the list of items that belong in every residential job agreement before anyone signs.
October 21, 2026 7 min read
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Estimating
How to estimate a roof replacement: squares, pitch and waste
Roof estimating is mostly arithmetic plus a few decisions nobody tells you about. Here is the measurement method, the pitch multipliers, and the line items that separate a fair number from a lowball.
October 14, 2026 8 min
Estimating
How to measure siding: wall by wall, opening by opening
Siding is measured the same way every time, and skipping a step shows up later as either a shortfall of material or a truckload of unreturnable panels. Here is the reliable order of operations.
October 7, 2026 7 min
Estimating
Measuring windows and doors for a quote: rough opening vs. actual
The two numbers that cause the most expensive mistakes in window and door work are the rough opening and the unit size. Here is how to take both, and what to write on the quote.
September 30, 2026 6 min
Getting paid
Deposits and cancellation notices: where contractors get in trouble
Collecting money before the work starts is normal. Collecting the wrong amount, or skipping a notice, is how a good job turns into a licensing complaint. Here is what to check before you take a deposit.
September 23, 2026 6 min
Winning work
How to send a quote the same day you walk the job
Being first and being clear is an advantage you can build on purpose. A repeatable twenty-minute routine for turning a site visit into a quote a customer can sign.
September 16, 2026 5 min
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