Why We Charge For Project Consultations
Every project at Just Grillin Outdoor Living starts with a paid consultation. We have charged for our project consultations for over a decade. We understand that other companies may offer a “free estimate” or “free design.”
We do not – and for good reason.
There is a reason Just Grillin Outdoor Living is one of Tampa – St. Peterburg – Sarasota’s oldest outdoor living companies. Our highly experienced and knowledgeable team has been with us for a long time. The average employee has been with us for 10+ years. Our team has built a foundational reputation for quality and exclusive designs throughout our two decades in business.
With a strong reputation, naturally, we’re flushed with an influx of project inquiries. With the number of inquiries we get there’s no way our team could service all of them without hiring a salesperson disguised as an estimator like most other companies. This doesn’t sit right with us because we don’t hire salespeople. Our outdoor living specialists are professional designers expertly trained in our field to thoroughly survey job sites and create unique and custom outdoor spaces that elevate your home.
Just Grillin Outdoor Living is very client-focused and hands-on with our clients. The services and projects we create are not cheap. There are significant costs associated with many of our projects so it’s unfair to our clients to give them little attention. This is what would happen if our team was bogged down running free quotes all day. Below are some of the main reasons why we charge for our consultations.
You Will Meet With An Actual Designer, Not a Salesperson
Our team’s job is not to sell you an outdoor space. The job is to elevate your outdoor space through collaboration, research and experience. A quick glance at our portfolio will reveal the wide variety of styles and customization our team is capable of. No two projects are the same nor are the styles of every client.
We work with a wide variety of materials and fixtures that require meticulous planning. Our designs are highly detailed down to the most minuscule of details like electrical outlets to ensure we cover everything from top to bottom. During the initial consultation visit, you will get to confide your outdoor goals with our outdoor living specialists to help us refine and shape your goals into a life-like 3D design. Our clients start to get a feel and appreciation for the attentiveness, detailedness and professional manner we treat clients and projects with during this step.
Our Consultation Process Is A Learning Tool, Not A Sales Pitch
Most clients hire for the services in our industry once, maybe twice, in their lifetime. It’s hard to know what hiring a professional company for these services will cost so there can be sticker shock. A project with our team can range anywhere from $10K to upwards of $300K depending on the service(s). That’s a wide range and a substantial amount of money.
Given that you are not doing these types of projects often, it’s critical to work with a company that is going to methodically approach your project with the respect and time it needs. The purpose of the consultation is to gain knowledge on what it’s going to take to create your outdoor space the way you envision it and get an accurate all-in price.
Most free estimates will be vague and not go into detail. This is either because the person quoting is not skilled or the salesperson knows they can quote a lower number and then charge more later with necessary change orders. This is just unethical and sadly, a common thing other companies do.
At the end of our consultation process, you’re going to know what it costs to have your project built by our team to the lofty standards we operate on. We cover all elements including permitting, gas, plumbing and electrical so you have a well-rounded idea of the work involved to create an outdoor space that meets or exceeds building codes and standards.
We Are Preparing To Build Your Project; Not Hoping To Win Your Bid.
There is no pressure from our team to sell anything. We can’t state that enough. Our portfolio, knowledge and experience sets us apart from other companies. Our team works 40+ hours collectively on a single project during the consultation process. We don’t do this because we enjoy doing extra work. Our team does this because we are preparing to bring your outdoor goals to life.
With the amount of detail that goes into preparing for each of our projects, there is no way much of this same detail will be covered in any free estimate you receive which would render it useless. Our consultations end up being a nominal price to have clarity on what it costs to create a project of our caliber.
We Are Serious About Our Work, We Need To Know You’re Serious About Your Project
We mentioned there are significant costs associated with the types of projects we create. For the nominal rate we charge for our consultations, it should not be an issue with a prospective client that is serious about creating a project. Just Grillin Outdoor Living employs multiple licensed contractors, carries workman’s insurance year-round, carries gas licenses to sell and install gas products and pulls permits (when required) for every project. Prospective clients who don’t see the value in these important attributes generally are not the right fit for us.
If you do not feel your project is important enough to spend a few hundred dollars to explore, Just Grillin Outdoor Living is not the right company for you.
Our Knowledge, Experience and Time Aren’t Free
Many of our clients are very successful and skilled in their respective careers. We are not being hired just because we offer the services they are looking for. Our clients recognize that there is tremendous value in how we approach projects and conduct business together. They also understand the value in hiring a company that specializes and clearly demonstrates a high quality of work through documentation rather than words.
Whether our team builds your project or not, decades of knowledge and experience go into consultations to prepare you for a project with us. The information you receive from a consultation with us is powerful.
A free estimate will not be a very long meeting and the only communication you will have after that first brief meeting is the salesperson asking if you want to move forward with the project. We are spending time working towards your outdoor goals together. But just like our experience and knowledge, our time comes with a cost. We spend a great amount of time understanding you and your needs to exceed your expectations and goals.
No Two Projects Require The Same Amount of Work
It’s very common for prospective clients to call in and inquire about a project. We explain our consultation process. Sometimes the prospective client will respond “I see this project in your portfolio. I want the same thing. Can’t you just tell me how much?” Every project has multiple variables to it that without surveying the job site ourselves we wouldn’t know what does and doesn’t exist, among other things. This is just a reckless practice to fire off a quote based on a question like that.
We also have clients who send us dimensions or pictures of renderings and ask for a quote. Any company that quotes based on this without surveying the job site is reckless due to the variables involved with every project. Any company that does this is more interested in getting another sale, not understanding your needs and solving your problems for outdoor living.
We are pros at what we do and have the reputation to match. A successful project starts with good planning. That is ultimately what a consultation is with our team.
Ready To Schedule A Consultation?
We never promise to be the cheapest or fastest in our industry. With 20+ years of experience, we take our time and do things the right way. We treat our clients with the respect they come to expect with the level of service we provide. Most people only do a project of the services we offer once, maybe twice, in their lifetime.
Ask yourself what matters most in your project. Do you want to hire a company that creates an outdoor space that meets all local building codes, looks like a natural extension of your home, is well-built and solves all of your outdoor design frustrations? Or do you prefer to work with a company that side skirts any necessary permitting, lacks design talent, uses unskilled labor, and uses cheap materials and finishes to create something that stands out for the wrong reasons?
You can never go wrong with good design. You will regret cheap design but not until it’s too late. Contact our team today and together we’ll create something extraordinary.
