You should request a written estimate of the costs of the work to be done and the materials to be used from the electrician or plumber you want to hire. The costs can be evaluated many different ways. The most common types of evaluations are the following: a fixed overall price for the entire project, or an hourly rate for a predetermined number of work hours.

Contents of an estimate

For example, the estimate should include the following information :

• a description of the work to be done and the materials to be used;
• the total cost of the work, with detailed items;
• the terms of payment;
• the scheduled start and end of work dates.