Before the visit · Practical checklist
What do visits without a job cost?
Before agreeing to a visit, clarify the task and see what the trip costs you. Start with an illustrative calculation, then use six questions to collect the details.
Open sample PDF ↗Example: replacing a kitchen window
One request brings together the task, a photo and approximate dimensions reported by the customer. The specialist still needs to verify them.
Illustrative examples · fictional dataWhat visits without a job could cost over a year
If 5 free visits lead to 1 job every month, the other 4 remain unpaid. The annual example assumes this repeats for 12 months; it is not observed market data. Use your own time, hourly value and travel costs.
€2,400
per year if 4 free visits without a job recur every month
€200/month × 12
Per month: 4 × (1 h × €30/h + €20 travel) = €200.
Hypothetical time and travel cost, not market statistics or a promise of savings with VAU.
Six questions for your customer
The result
What needs fixing or changing, and what result do you want?
Photos
Can you send an overall view and a close-up of the problem?
Equipment
What make and model is it? Can you photograph the accessible label?
Known dimensions
Which dimensions do you already know, in what units, and how were they measured?
Address and access
What is the address, floor and access route? Are there parking or entry restrictions?
Timing and previous work
When is the work needed, and what has already been tried or changed?
Allow “I don’t know”. Mark customer dimensions as unverified; do not infer measurements from photos.
Before you agree to visit
- Check whether the task, location and timing fit the work you take on.
- Separate what the customer reports from what you must inspect or measure yourself.
- Clarify missing details, the scope and conditions of the visit directly with the customer.
Advance information helps you prepare; it does not replace a professional inspection or measurements.
Why ask for details early?
These sources describe related work problems and practices. They do not measure VAU’s effect.
Italy
Describe the work
Confartigianato guidance covers the work description, quantities and dimensions, extras, and photos before, during and after the work.
Professional guidance from 2022, not a survey.
Read the guidancePoland
44%
This share of respondents identified unclear customer expectations or frequent changes of decision as a cause of costs and delays.
Oferteo commercial sector study: 136 renovation and construction firms, May 2025.
Read the studyUSA
40%
40% of respondents named customer communication and 31% admin/paperwork among their most time-consuming daily tasks. These are respondent shares, not shares of working time.
Jobber commercial survey: 1050 US service business owners, December 2025; report published in 2026.
Read the reportSources checked: