Suggest to budget rough non-binding number investigation and shoring $50-$100,000.

[Cholo234]

<<Suggest to budget rough non-binding number investigation and shoring $50-$100,000.>>

This sentence is a direct quote given by our condominium's property manager from a repair company that ostensibly was contacted with regard to garage repairs. I don't understand its meaning, and, consequently, would like to ask if someone here can suggest what the sentence means. Thanks in advance!

If required to paraphrase what it means, I'd say it means the repair company wants the property manager to suggest that the the condo owners (or the board of managers) budget $50,000 to $100,000 for shoring work to be performed in the garage. (I guess you could call this post a kind of reality check.) Maybe repair contractors use a kind of "universal shorthand" in communicating.

 

[learner4ever77]

My guess would be the same as yours - that it's stating a rough estimate of $50-100K for "investigation and shoring" work.

 

[Cholo234]

My guess would be the same as yours - that it's stating a rough estimate of $50-100K for "investigation and shoring" work.

Then what does number mean? Is it referring to money? (I don't think I've heard it collocated with investigation in this sense before.)

 

[learner4ever77]

Yes, if I am interpreting the note correctly, number would be referring to the estimate. In that case, number would not be directly attached to "investigation and shoring". My interpretation is that he's just scribbling a note, not writing a grammatically correct complete sentence.
Here are some examples of the collocation "rough number":

rough number in a sentence | Sentence Stack

 

[JulianStuart]

We know very little about the rather cryptic context but one possibility is

"Suggest to budget {rough non-binding number investigation} and shoring $50-$100,000."

where the suggestion in {} is to come up with a number for the cost of the investigation but that it will not be a binding number, while the repair company thinks 50k to 100k may be the likely range of the recommendation that results from the investigation. So the manager should plan an investigation (and budget for it) and expect the repair costs to be in the range of 50k-100k.

 

[Cholo234]

"Suggest to budget {rough non-binding number investigation} and shoring $50-$100,000."

where the suggestion in {} is to come up with a number for the cost of the investigation but that it will not be a binding number, while the repair company thinks 50k to 100k may be the likely range of the recommendation that results from the investigation. So the manager should plan an investigation (and budget for it) and expect the repair costs to be in the range of 50k-100k.

Thanks. I appreciate your clarification of the sentence.

 

[JulianStuart]

Thanks. I appreciate your clarification of the sentence.

It's the only way I can make sense of it, but that's no guarantee

 

[Cholo234]

Maybe the author could have used the plural (as in e.):

8. numbers,
a. a considerable quantity; many: Numbers came to the parade.

b. numerical strength or superiority.

c. metrical feet; verse.

d. numbers pool (def. 1).

e. Informal. the figures representing the actual cost, expense, profit, etc.

f. arithmetic.

Try as I might, I could not connect the word "number" to the word "investigation."

 

[Keith Bradford]

I'd have thought it was:
"I suggest that you budget (rough non-binding number) as follows: Investigation and Shoring = $50-$100,000."

 

[JulianStuart]

I'd have thought it was:
"I suggest that you budget (rough non-binding number) as follows: Investigation and Shoring = $50-$100,000."

That's another viable option.

 

[Cholo234]

If we're allowed a bit of humor in this thread, here's a short joke about an ensign and the captain of a Navy vessel that I'll paraphrase.

The ensign gave the captain the following message: "Of all the *#@& idiots in the Navy, you are the worst." The captain responded: "Take this downstairs immediately and have it decoded."

(Upon reading the subject sentence, I felt I needed to call the property manager and have him "decode" the message.)