How to Know "What's Fair" Before Asking Contractors—. A Negotiation Weapon Available for ¥5,500

Tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade of this route, through which about 90% of Japan's crude oil imports pass, is now directly hitting construction sites in Japan. An era has arrived where materials used for everyday renovations—insulation, paint, modular bathrooms—can no longer be delivered due to tensions in a distant strait.

The HORIZONs Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Toshikatsu Oga, Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture) is currently releasing "Estimate Free Checker," an AI tool that judges whether a construction/renovation estimate is fair in 30 seconds for free. Against the backdrop of soaring building material prices accompanying the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz from February 2026 onward, the company is working to protect clients with a tool that detects opportunistic price hikes and a PDF for negotiation.

Opportunistic Price Hikes Taking Advantage of the "Materials Not Arriving" Chaos Have Begun

Due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz from February 2026, Japanese construction sites are facing an unprecedented crisis. TOTO temporarily suspended new orders for modular bathrooms (Nihon Keizai Shimbun, April 2026), sealing material prices surged by over 30-40%, and shipment restrictions on insulation and roofing are occurring one after another (Shinken Housing, April 2026).

Contractors taking advantage of the excuse that "materials are soaring" to tack on essentially unnecessary costs are rapidly increasing. The "structure of overcharging" that professionals with 30 years of construction experience have felt on-site is accelerating at this very moment.

Naval vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz (2026). Due to the de facto blockade by Iran, the supply of petrochemical products to Japan has plummeted. Suspensions of production and price hikes for construction materials such as insulation, paint, and modular bathrooms are occurring successively.

Strait of Hormuz Blockade—The Lifeline Through Which 90% of Japan's Crude Oil Imports Pass Is Now Cut Off

In February 2026, Iran effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. Due to the blockade of this strait, where about 90% of Japan's crude oil imports pass, the supply of construction materials made from petrochemical products began to be halted and restricted across Japan.

TOTO has temporarily suspended new orders for modular bathrooms. Sealing materials have increased by over 30-40%. Shipment restrictions for insulation and roofing are successive. This is not just a "prices are rising" problem, but an unprecedented supply crisis where "goods simply aren't arriving."

Taking advantage of this chaos, "opportunistic price hikes citing soaring material costs" are rapidly increasing in the construction and renovation industry. Clients have no means to judge whether the presented estimate is a "legitimate price increase" or an "overcharge."

HORIZON SHIELD faces this problem head-on.

API Access to AI Diagnosis Surges Immediately After Release

Following the service launch, API access to the free AI diagnosis has surged. Amid successive news reports of soaring building material prices accompanying the Hormuz blockade, a demographic of clients harboring anxieties like "Is my estimate okay?" is flooding the tool. The numbers show that anxiety over construction costs is reaching a critical point.

Know the "Fair Budget" Before Renovating?? Background of the Reverse Estimate Diagnosis PDF's Creation

"Just write down the work you want done. KIRA will conduct an interview and calculate 3 plans."—A reverse estimate diagnosis where you know the fair budget before consulting contractors. Grasp the budget sense through 3 plans (Premium, Standard, Economy) and head into negotiations with solid grounds. The free interview is limited to one time.

A "Reverse Estimate Diagnosis PDF" where you know the fair budget before requesting an estimate from contractors. Acquire a negotiation weapon for ¥5,500. "I want to renovate, but I have absolutely no idea how much is fair."

Many clients end up signing contracts at baseless amounts just doing as contractors say.

HORIZON SHIELD's "Reverse Estimate Diagnosis PDF" fundamentally changes this structure. Before requesting an estimate from a contractor, AI calculates a rough fair budget (Free *Partially paid). Furthermore, for ¥5,500, it discloses an accurate amount on par with small-to-medium builders, delivering it the same day as negotiation material complete with market comparison graphs, 5 negotiation phrases, and source data. There is a difference of hundreds of thousands of yen in the final payment amount between a client who heads into negotiations with contractors holding this material, and a client who knows nothing. Now, as material prices continue to soar due to the Hormuz blockade, is precisely the time clients should arm themselves.

Judge if an Estimate is "Too High" in 30 Seconds—Estimate Free Checker Now Available

We have released the "Estimate Free Checker," an AI tool that judges whether construction/renovation estimates are fair compared to market rates in 30 seconds for free.

Simply by inputting the type of work, construction area, and estimated amount, it instantly compares it against a market database supervised by professionals with 30 years in construction. It supports 20 types of work including kitchens, bathrooms, exterior wall painting, and new construction, and because it operates on local calculations with zero API costs, absolutely no fees are incurred by the user.

▶ Estimate Free Checker: https://shield.the-horizons-innovation.com/widget.html

Judge for free in 30 seconds whether your construction/renovation estimate is "too high." Simply input the type of work, area, and amount.