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What's your approach to handling jobs that take twice as long as estimated?

Keiko Tanaka

We're seeing a pattern in our electrical division where complex commercial jobs are running 75–100% over initial time estimates. The immediate impact is cascading delays through the afternoon schedule, frustrated customers, and technician overtime that wasn't budgeted.

From an operational standpoint, I'm less concerned with the occasional overrun and more interested in how teams structurally account for this reality. A few specific questions:

  • Do you build buffer time into every estimate, or only certain job types?
  • How do you communicate delays to downstream customers without damaging trust?
  • What visibility do your dispatchers have into job progress before the technician marks complete?

We're currently evaluating whether to move toward "optimistic" scheduling with explicit buffers, or "realistic" scheduling that bakes contingency into every job. I'd welcome perspective from teams that have made this choice deliberately.

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  • In my experience the estimate is usually wrong because someone rushed it. Electricians looking at a blueprint for five minutes and declaring "four hours" when they've never seen the actual panel location or the access constraints.

    We moved to requiring site photos before any estimate goes out. Slowed our quoting by a day but cut overruns by half. The buffer discussion becomes secondary when your starting point isn't fantasy.

    That said, I don't trust dispatchers to manage buffers in real time. They're juggling too much. Better to pad upfront and let the tech finish early occasionally than pretend someone watching a screen can predict field reality.

  • in reply to Art Kowalczyk

    Art — totally hear you on the site photos, but how do you handle emergency calls where there isn't time for that? Do you just quote a wider range upfront?

    We struggle with this because customers want a number immediately but our field assessment often reveals complications. Thanks so much for any insight!

  • in reply to Deja Washington

    Wide range plus authorization threshold. "Somewhere between $400 and $800, we'll stop and call you if we hit $600." Gives you the out without the overrun drama.

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