Every contractor knows the trap: you pour hours into an estimate, walk the job with your trades, do all the planning — and then lose the bid to a cheaper guy. So where's the line between free work and paid work?

In this Coaching Cuts episode, Clark tackles one of the questions he gets asked most: how much should you do for free, and when do you start charging? The answer is the pre-construction due diligence line item — and this is how you build it, price it, and sell it.

Clark breaks down:

• What belongs in a free estimate vs. paid due diligence
• How to build a 90% estimate before you ever ask for a dime
• Why the due diligence line item eliminates change orders and protects the client
• The deliverables that make your due diligence worth every dollar — selections, Gantt charts, finalized numbers
• How to get ballpark trade pricing without wasting your subs' time
• The strategic free work (like a surprise Gantt chart) that wins you the job
• How to price due diligence based on the size and complexity of the project
• Why locking a client into due diligence gives you the room to truly impress them

If you're tired of giving away your best work for free and watching jobs walk, this is the episode that draws the line.

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Contractor Cuts is a weekly podcast for contractors who want to build a better business — covering sales, operations, hiring, finances, and everything in between.

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