time and material estimate
- noun
- Specialized
:
presupuesto por tiempo y materiales
- The contractor gave us a time and material estimate instead of a fixed-price quote.
Examples
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Before starting the renovations, the client requested a time and material estimate to better understand possible costs.
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Many software projects use a time and material estimate to allow for flexibility in the scope of work.
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The contractor provided a detailed time and material estimate for the renovation.
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Can you send me the time and material estimate for the project?
-
Before starting the renovations, the client requested a time and material estimate to better understand possible costs.
-
Many software projects use a time and material estimate to allow for flexibility in the scope of work.
-
The contractor provided a detailed time and material estimate for the renovation.
Synonyms
133
2.8
A written guess of how much a job or service will cost
1
3.5
A document that gives the likely value of something for tax or insurance
How Certain
- Specialized
4
3.7
- Specialized
1
6.7
- Specialized
1
4.1
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
time + and + material + estimate
The phrase literally combines 'time' and 'material' with 'estimate', so its meaning—an estimate based on the time spent and the materials used—is directly derivable from the constituents. This compositional, business-terminology construction is logically transparent and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the component words, despite being somewhat technical.
Etymology
Time and material estimate comes from old building work where a tradesperson charged separately for their time and for the material they used, so you can picture a carpenter counting his hours and the wood he uses. That's why the phrase means an estimate where you 'pay for the hours and materials' instead of a single fixed price.