How do I draw up a technical quote?

In the building and technical maintenance sector, an estimate is more than just a sales document: it’s the concrete translation of a project, a realistic projection of the human, material and financial resources required to carry it out.

This often underestimated process is based on several key stages. Each one ensures the accuracy of the costing, the quality of future execution, and customer satisfaction.

  1. The site visit: the starting point for any reliable estimate

Even before talking figures, a site visit is essential. This enables the technical teams to :

  • Observe the actual project environment,
  • Identify the customer’s specific needs,
  • Detect constraints (access, safety, space, state of installations, etc.),
  • Note existing or missing resources.

This phase is essential, as it determines the quality of the specifications, and therefore the reliability of the future quotation.

  1. Drawing up the specifications: structuring the requirements

The specifications are the reference document for the project. It formalizes the customer’s needs, defines objectives, details expected services and specifies technical requirements. It may include :

  • The nature of the work (installation, repairs, renovation, extension),
  • The level of performance required,
  • The standards to be met,
  • The timescales envisaged.

This document will be used to study possible technical solutions and evaluate the overall cost.

  1. Analyzing technical solutions: choosing the right means

Once the specifications have been drawn up, it’s time to translate the requirements into concrete solutions. This involves :

  • Selecting the most suitable equipment,
  • Assessing the methods of execution (working at height, trenching, indoor installation, etc.),
  • Choosing the specific materials, tools or products to be used,
  • Planning the technical stages of the project.

It is also at this stage that technical risks and possible alternatives are identified, depending on site constraints.

  1. Costing: combining technical precision and economic realities

Costing is the final stage, but it requires just as much rigor as the previous ones. It involves :

  • Drawing up an exhaustive list of the equipment to be used,
  • Consulting suppliers to obtain up-to-date market prices,
  • Evaluating the labor time required,
  • Estimating indirect costs (transport, equipment hire, security, etc.).
  • Each quotation is personalized, as it depends entirely on the content of the specifications.

Conclusion: a structured process for reliability

A technical quotation is much more than a price: it is the result of a rigorous process, which begins in the field, is built around the customer’s real needs, and is based on precise technical choices. It commits the service provider to the quality, cost and deadline of the project.

Specialized companies like RCK DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICES, based in Cameroon, follow this process on a daily basis in their fields of intervention: electricity, plumbing, air conditioning, video surveillance and industrial maintenance. Their ability to draw up an accurate estimate is the key to ensuring that projects are carried out to the highest professional standards.