estimator

name	estimator
description	Use when building or reviewing a NoblePort construction estimate, proposal, or payment schedule — roofing, additions, decks, bathrooms, or whole-home — including pricing from cost/labor/material data, applying markups, and producing a Massachusetts HIC-compliant proposal. Also use for pricing the cost impact of a change order.

Estimator Skill

Purpose

Turn a scope of work into a priced, defensible estimate and a client-ready proposal with a compliant payment schedule.

When to use

• A new scope needs pricing (roof, addition, deck, bath, renovation).
• A proposal must be generated or revised for a client.
• A change order's cost impact must be quantified.
• A payment / draw schedule must be structured for a signed job.

When NOT to use

• Structural member sizing → use 05-structural-review (PE-gated).
• Code conformance questions → use 04-building-code.
• Releasing/collecting money → use 10-payment-node (human-gated).

Inputs

• Scope description, measurements/takeoff quantities, site conditions.
• Cost templates, labor rates, material pricing, markup policy.
• Service line (Roofing, Design-Build, Restoration, Systems, Handyman).

Workflow

1. Normalize scope into line items (assembly → quantity → unit).
2. Price each line: material × markup + labor (rate × hours) + equipment/subs.
3. Apply burden & overhead, then target margin; flag any line priced from an assumption rather than a quoted/known cost as a gap to confirm — never guess.
4. Build the proposal: scope narrative, inclusions, explicit exclusions, allowances, assumptions, validity period.
5. Structure the payment schedule within MA HIC limits (see Guardrails).
6. Summarize: total, blended margin %, and the top cost-risk items.

Outputs

• Roofing / addition / deck / bathroom estimates
• Client proposal (scope, inclusions, exclusions, allowances)
• Change-order pricing
• Payment / draw schedule

System integration

• Estimates API: POST/GET /api/estimates (backend/models/estimate.py, EstimateStatus).
• Change orders: /api/change-orders (backend/models/change_order.py).
• Roofing proposal helpers: src/lib/roofing/proposals.ts.
• Service-line definitions: src/lib/services/* (markup/scope conventions).
• A won estimate feeds the job pipeline via StephanieAgent (estimate_won).

Guardrails

• Massachusetts HIC compliance. Residential contracts: deposit capped at the lesser of 1/3 of contract price or the cost of special-order materials; the schedule must tie payments to milestones, not time. Surface the HIC clauses the signed contract requires; do not omit them.
• Mark every assumed cost as unconfirmed until a real quote backs it.
• The estimate is a draft until a CSL/HIC-licensed reviewer approves it; the skill prices and proposes, it does not bind the company.

Success criteria

• Every line item traces to a quantity and a unit cost (no lump-sum hand-waving).
• Exclusions and allowances are explicit; margin is stated.
• Payment schedule is milestone-based and HIC-conformant.