Job Time Estimator From Past Similar Jobs
Takes the details of a new job and the owner's records of similar past jobs, then gives a time estimate with a low and high range, showing which past jobs it was based on and why.
Before and after
Estimate for Miriam Townsend, 2718 Mapleridge St, Lockglen: 10.4 to 13.8 hours, likely 12.1 hours, one worker, not including driving.
Door planing and rehanging (6 doors)
- Past jobs used: Mehdi Steele (5.5 hrs for 3 doors, 1.83 per door) and Nasser Weeks (11 hrs for 8 doors, 1.38 per door). Both are the same task.
- Hours per door: low 1.38, high 1.83, average 1.60
- 6 doors: low 8.3, likely 9.6, high 11.0
Stair tread squeak fix (1 tread assumed, count not given)
- Past job used: Mei Swanson (1.5 hrs for 2 treads, 0.75 per tread). Same task.
- The new job says "a squeaky stair tread," so I counted 1 tread.
- 1 tread: low 0.75, likely 0.75, high 0.75. Only one past job, so this has a narrow range.
Cabinet door re-hinging (4 doors)
- Past jobs used: Naomi Wall (2 hrs for 6 doors, 0.33 per door) and Nathan Wilkins (2.5 hrs for 5 doors, 0.50 per door). Both are the same task.
- Hours per door: low 0.33, high 0.50, average 0.42
- 4 doors: low 1.3, likely 1.7, high 2.0
Adjustments from your notes
- 1950s home, doors likely out of square: your past door jobs include one with sticking corners (Mehdi Steele), which is the high end of your door range. The likely figure uses the average per door. I did not add extra hours beyond your past jobs.
- Working alone: all past jobs appear to be your own hours, so no change.
Total math
- Low: 8.3 + 0.75 + 1.3 = 10.35, rounded to 10.4 hours
- Likely: 9.6 + 0.75 + 1.7 = 12.05, rounded to 12.1 hours
- High: 11.0 + 0.75 + 2.0 = 13.75, rounded to 13.8 hours
This is a planning estimate from your own past jobs. It is not a promise of how long the work will take.
Questions for the owner
- Is it only one stair tread, or more than one? Past hours were 0.75 per tread.
- Do you want supply runs and cleanup added? Your notes say past hours include everything except driving, but they do not say how much of that was supply runs.
- Will you need extra time to drill new cup holes for the cabinet doors? Your Nathan Wilkins job needed it on 2 of 5 doors, but you did not say whether Miriam's cabinets need it.
- Do you want this converted to a price? Send your hourly rate.
What it does
Takes the details of a new job and the owner's records of similar past jobs, then gives a time estimate with a low and high range, showing which past jobs it was based on and why.
Use it when: Use when a handyman needs to estimate how long a new job will take based on past similar jobs, such as "how long should this take," "estimate the time for this job," or "based on my past jobs, how many hours for this."