GC question

[Adam Betley]

Hi all,

I was hoping to get suggestions/recommendations on this question. First, here is a background.

I am looking to purchase a multi-unit (3-plex) home near where I live. The house is in rough shape. Not having a vast experience in repairs I want to estimate how much it would cost to fix up the home. Do GC's normally offer estimate services on homes that have not been purchased? Do they charge for these services? I found a few GC's online that say they give free quotes. However, I do not own the home yet and my offer on the house is going to be based on cost estimate of repairs.

So you see my dilemma. I do not want to put an offer in until I can get a good estimate on the cost of repairs, but I would like to do that the least expensive way possible...ideally free.

Thanks for your time and suggestions.