Reasonably accurate estimates aren't that hard to get if engineers and management REALLY want them. Just remember that estimating a project is a project unto it

Reasonably accurate estimates aren't that hard to get if engineers and management REALLY want them. Just remember that estimating a project is a project unto itself. You just need to break things down into small bits that can be accurately estimated and be honest about the bits you don't know enough to estimate and dig down into those bits until you know enough to accurately estimate them. It's not easy and it takes time. I used to do a lot of fixed price work and you'd live or die based on how well you could do this. Let me tell you, nothing is worse than busting your ass on a project for six months only to lose money on it. Ugh.