Builders and contractors - do you charge for the initial site consultation?

We do not charge for the initial consultation although we all should.  We take our time and expertise that we have paid for and dispense it for free.  A doctor, lawyer, dentist etc. charge for their initial visit and so should the building industry.  Whether you went to school or gained your knowledge in the school of hard knocks, we do deserve to be paid for our time.

I used to do free estimates however it always seemed that they were just shopping or dreaming about their project. If they were shopping they were not concern about quality or reputation they just wanted cheap. I have implemented a Detail Fee. This is the same kind of fee the big box stores charge to come out and measure. I tell them that if they choose us to do the work we will apply that money to their bill. This weeds out the somedayers and shoppers. Keep in mind this is for our flooring company. Our carpet cleaning company I can usually bid projects on the rooms being cleaned during our initial phone call. Big carpet cleaning projects I will go out to measure and estimate.

Regarding our construction firm we have to take a slightly different approach. Being the amount of Refferal’s and site consults we have to undertake *14-21* per day. And the average size of the consult taking between 45 minutes-1hr we have implemented a small consult fee to access those who are ready to move forward and want an expert opinion on the work and process. If I did not implement this fee I would have double the sites to visit and from my experience those willing to pay a small upfront fee have on average been in a much progressive mindset to start or schedule the work with a 3-5 month period. As opposed to just wanting information and an idea on what they need to do. Has been very successful for us thus far. Also an engineer well versed in the type of work needing done will be sent on each consult. 

No I do not charge unless advice is all they want. People want to meet me first to see if I connect with them and we are a good fit. I'm meeting them for the same reasons. 

I do charge for designs though, and I believe every company should. That is a lot of your time, creativity, and expertise you are giving away for free if you don't. 

We do NOT charge for initial visits, estimates, or site consultations. These types of appointments only cost the contractor their time. The most valuable thing you can give a customer is your time. Contractors and business owners alike NEED to put in this "time" for their potential customers or they will have trouble finding customers, keeping customers, and getting word of mouth referrals from customers. 

Definitely, we charge for the initial visit and consultation. We provide services throughout the state of Texas.  When you provide unique services, charging for the initial visit allow you to keep the lights on regardless if you get the job or not. 
Charging for consultations allow you to give clients all the information they need to assess their future project. Not having to sell everyone on doing a project offers a special kind of freedom. It offers us the ability to be honest. 
The majority of the time we are rewarded with the projects that we really want and great reviews.

It’s a double edge sword by doing what we say, how we say it will be accomplished, Allows us to do our best.

Wking 

Yes, I do. Because time is something one cannot get back. Being mindful of another’s time and respectfully setting boundaries upfront is critical for having meaningful conversation and for creating lasting relationships. 
in my field the relationship and initial consultation is as important as the end product left behind. If a contractual agreement is signed, the amount of the consultation fee is absorbed back into the total amount for the project. If they do not wish to sign, they know ahead of time and have agreed that 75% of that consultation fee is non refundable so that my time has not been wasted. 
I have not had to return any monies yet. So it works for me. I’m sure it doesn’t work for everyone. But for me, it’s insurance that I’m not losing a precious commodity that I’ll never get back.

We have a open and honest conversation with potential clients on the phone. We request pictures if it's an existing water feature. Once we have discussed their expectations and budget, we will setup a design consultation that we do charge for. If they go forward with the proposed project we refund the fee.  

if it’s a large job I tell the client that if we get the job the fees associated with this visit will be reimbursed in the contract for the job at hand.

Estimates are 15-20 mins of time and it’s a range of best case to worst case scenario. Anything more then this is a proposal and we charge for proposals. 

Ask yourself how much is your time worth. Lawyers don’t do anything for free. Doctors always ask for co-pay the minute you sign in. Plumbers clocks start the minute they touch their van. Why shouldn’t we as contractors charge for our time. 

We sell products so it’s totally different, but I work with contractors and builders all time. In fact, we refer install work for customers interested in our doors to contractors and the biggest complaint is that the customer was only interested in getting measurements or one I also hear a lot is that the customer asks the contractor for a more inexpensive option. As a result, I’ve personally taken more time to “vet” the seriousness of the customer. One of contractors has taken the position of taking a $300 “deposit” for his time with the understanding that they will credit it towards the install if it should go forward.
I’m am not honestly not sure what the right approach is. In our business, we are busier than we have ever been with homeowners remodeling or adding ADUs due to COVID and working at home. Most of the installers we work with are often booked 6 months out.

I can also see the invaluable information a client can get from a builder or developer and just to shop prices. Not sure but I really hope things turn out good for those businesses struggling. At the very least, I try to do my part by shopping local and small businesses, even if it’s slightly more expensive than box chains, let’s all help one another. Best.