Greg, maybe it will help if you think of Mike as just another successful contractor who has written a book.
Mike's attitudes, if his story is to be believed, are something he was raised with; he learned the trade from his father. Not many of us can say that. A lot of my stumbles are clearly because I'm learning as I go along.
Mike has many interesting ideas in his book, and his take on quotes is only one. You can be sure I'll be bringing up other positions in new threads; I just want this thread to run the course first.
I would not have brought in his attitude towards negotiating over the quote, except that negotiating is so much a part of the quote process.
It appears that most responses disagree with Mike's "be detailed" position, but also agree with his 'don't dicker' position. If life were logical, half the responses ought to show support for the man, rather than the uniform cynicism.
IMO, "Make it Right" is a worthy read for everyone here. Find it at your local home center. I find it to be a gold mine of information - not about materials and methods, but about running a business.
