ESL Podcast 236 – An On-Site Estimate

I work for a building contractor¹ and I spend most of my workday giving on-site estimates. I mainly go to people’s homes, discuss the work they want done, inspect the site, and give them a quote.

Robert: You want to expand your kitchen, is that right?

Abigail: Yes, with our growing family, we need more room.

Robert: It looks like it’s about 200 square feet right now. You want to double the size?

Abigail: That’s the idea, but I want to get it done quickly, say within two months. Is that possible?

Robert: Well, we’ve finished jobs like this before in under three months, but that’s without any delays. Sometimes getting the exact materials the client wants or finding structural² problems that don’t appear until we start work can set us back.

Abigail: That’s my greatest fear. I’m afraid of delays and cost overruns.

Robert: Well, we try to be upfront with our clients by giving them a breakdown³ of the costs of the materials and labor⁴ involved in the project. We also give them a schedule of when the work will be completed. You’ll get a detailed⁵ estimate in writing, at no charge and with no obligation.

Abigail: How long does it take to get the estimate?

Robert: We usually mail or fax the estimate within two days.

Abigail: That’s great. Let me tell you exactly what we have in mind...


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

2 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

3 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。