{"id":1236,"slug":"misrepresentation-negligence-detailed-estimates","title":"A detailed online estimate with no reasonable basis can expose you to misrepresentation or negligence — even when labelled \"estimate\"","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["estimate-quote-law","accuracy-risk-published-data"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** A provider can be liable in **misrepresentation** if an estimate is false/misleading or has no reasonable basis, and in **negligence** if it is negligently given — even when labelled \"estimate.\" Courts (Croshaw v Pritchard line) decide estimate-vs-quote on what a reasonable person would *understand*, not solely on the label.\n\n**Source:** Fenwick Elliott Grace (construction law firm) https://feg.com.au/construction-law-updates/can-an-estimate-be-binding/ ; corroborated by League & Williams (above).\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**Caveat:** Australian + commonwealth jurisprudence; Ontario-specific applicability not separately researched in this brief, but the principle (objective test + reasonable-basis requirement) is consistent across common-law jurisdictions.\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** The risk argument against shipping a too-precise calculator without input upkeep. Pair with [[estimate-vs-quote-legal-distinction]] and [[rule-commit-to-input-refresh-or-dont-ship]].","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"estimate-vs-quote-legal-distinction","title":"Estimate vs quotation — the legal distinction and why \"it's just an estimate\" may not save you","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-customer-facing-calculators-smb-june-2026","title":"Research brief: customer-facing calculators & tools for SMBs — the honest case (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"source-incentive-meta-finding-calculators","title":"Source-incentive meta-finding: nearly every \"calculators convert\" source SELLS calculators; independent material clusters on the risks","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-build-calculator-only-if-pricing-formulaic","title":"R1 — Build a customer-facing calculator only when pricing is genuinely formula-driven and buyers comparison-shop","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-label-every-estimate-with-vintage","title":"R3 — Label every published estimate as an estimate, and show its vintage prominently","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-commit-to-input-refresh-or-dont-ship","title":"R4 — Commit to a documented input-refresh schedule before shipping any customer-facing calculator; if you won't, don't ship it","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-20T16:50:09.559Z","updated_at":"2026-06-20T16:50:09.559Z"}