How to estimate labor time for a new material
When a client requests a different technique—like swapping standard pavers for stone mortar—it is hard to know how much more time the work will realistically take. Because the job cannot be done for the same cost, contractors struggle to determine the labor difference needed to calculate a fair price. This uncertainty forces them to ask other professionals what they would typically charge for that specific labor.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Estimating the time for a single unit (like one stone) and multiplying it by the total amount.Did this help you?
- 2Sticking to bidding only on familiar projects you know you can deliver at high quality.Did this help you?
- 3Being honest with the client about it being a first attempt and offering a discount.Did this help you?
- 4Asking other professionals on forums for pricing adviceDid this help you?
- 5Calculating a flat rate based on per-unit pricingDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I can’t just do it for the same cost, so I’m wondering what labor difference you would typically expect so that I know what a fair discount is.”source ↗
“I quoted someone for like 30 ft for standard paver retaining wall, but they are wanting to do a kind of stone mortar wall and I’m not sure how much more time it’s realistically going to take.”source ↗
Where this came up
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