What The Hell

fourseasonswa

Wallmaxx that looks like the Puyallup fair behind you. Well I live in Olympia willing to travel for work so if you ever need so if you ever need some quality framing siding or roofing done just let me know. Just please don't cut my price in half

chelsea

That sucks dude. I remember when I was younger,my buddies landlord wanted a price for a new roof and removal of a billboard. Guy almost fell over when I gave him the price. Found out later he had someone do it for just about the same amount that I had figured just for materials.

Warren

Tell them to save the "garage sale" priceng for actual garage sales. Never lower your price. You lose credibility when you do that. Sometimes I will throw in some additional work (ie felt install, add a door, minor trim detail, etc) but I will not lower my price. Bidding should not be guesswork. You calculate the price using one or more of various methods.

wallmaxx

Lynden Fair - a couple of hours north of you.

Double-A

So you like the guy and he can get you more work, but isn't that true of most of your clients? I mean, do you hate 51% of them? Are they buying headstones from you? Then what is different about this guy, other than he's mistaken or being mislead.

Have him name that tune. Equal is equal. Have him show you the specifications for the bid he received for 6k. If he can't, then he doesn't have a bid, he has a WAG. If he can, then show him what the difference between what you're offering and what he's really being offered. Don't forget warranty and insurance. If you're a real business, educate him on what it takes to be a real business and let him decide if he's going to stake his future shop on the back of a wild azz guess, or you tried and true experience.

Approach him as you wish, but if you can't talk plainly with him about what really is important when hiring a contractor, like the things I've mentioned, then he really should do some more shopping and comparing. He might know where to buy all the kewl tewls that all the kewl kids have this year, but as far as buying a building to put them in, I think the kid is lozt...

Good luck

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oldfrt

He comes back saying he can get it done for $6000 I'm stuck in limbo I can slam it together for that price and barely make the bills I like the guy and he can get me more work but it blows my mind that I'm that far off. I don't like putting my name of stuff thats just slammed together I want the work but I need some other thoughts on this any input helps. I Just built a 36 x 40 with lp and shigles for the gables 8/12 for $14,500 which he never even questioned my bid. Am I way off here I'm so confused[/quote]

I was out there last week,and it looked like a lot of new building is still going on(at least near the golf course in Lacey,by Martin Way).I was told a lot of those homes were bought by guys in the Service.So work doesn't seem too scarce.

iF HE PROMISED YOU MORE WORK,HE'S JUST WORKING YOU !!

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KennMacMoragh

So he wants to build a 2,400 square foot shop, framing, siding, and roofing for $6,000? That's $2.50 a square foot, can he even buy the materials for that cheap?

Don't try and compete with that, I wouldn't even build a dog house for $2.50 a square foot.

Inner10

Thats such a bogus line, if I hear thoes words slip out of someone's mouth you won't be able to see me through the cloud of dust behind me running away.

john5mt

Where are you getting your materials at? 15000 sounds more like a materials bid for 40X60.

6000 grand for that garage????
no way
your three doors will cost at least 2500 bucks.

windows and entry door minimum 750

Concrete:3000

Oops out of money

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Birch

I believe he is quoting labor pricing only.

lavrans

I'd hope it was labor only. I wouldn't budge on price, or believe the "more work" line. Well- it might be true that he could get you more work, but it's easy to get work that loses you money. If you've got enough volume you can go quite a while before you realize that you're actually losing money.

Scribbles

I was upset today when a client needed me to drop my price 15%, but I told the client I would review the estimate. I went back over the bid and did drop my price, something I very rarely do without changing the scope of work. I had some room on the material, and I like the client so I did drop my price, but I only dropped my price 6.5%. If I am asked to drop a price more that 20% I don’t bother with even reevaluating the numbers.

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fullcompass

for '480sparky'

And far as dealing with family it's a 'slippery slope'.

NWBuilder

Run fast and Run far!!!

Graham J

I just built a 20'x24' garage on my property, by myself, for myself. (I did get some help from my dad and brothers, but it was free). The materials alone, from concrete ($2100) to electrical (close to $2000, including some other stuff as well) is closing in on $16,000. That involves gravel for the base, rebar, concrete, the package (to lockup), vinyl siding, and some machine work to prepare the site. My labor is not even counted in the guess.

Don't lower your price at all. Working for family can be very rewarding, and also a real nightmare.
Regards,
Graham

cbfx3

I bid a 10k square foot house @ 151k .. extremely cut to pieces! seems like it had around 40 or so hips and valleys all on different elevations ... real difficult structural plan with loads of steel beams everywhere (even in the roof!) Durango Framing bid it at 46 thousand...


as if I had 100k in profits?? haha I say let them do it. An old wise man once told me its OK to go home tired .. but dont go home tired and broke

jmthouston

cool dam avatar

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custrel

It makes sense. In OR/SW WA the construction trades rate of unemployment is 25%.

33,000 construction workers are out of work right now, and with no one hiring, of course they are going to do the one thing they know how to do - construction.

The Carpenter's union just agreed to a pay freeze and a 15% pay cut on all jobs under $4million. Guys who were used to making $32/hour plus benefits are scraping by on unemployment and side jobs.

Bitching about the 'lowballing hacks' just won't cut it over the next couple of years because you can't stop desperate people from trying to make a living.

People are going to have to lower overhead costs and expect to make less profit if they want to keep in business with the influx of low priced competition.

custrel

Definitely words to live by.

IHI

That's well and good but i'm being forced to play the hand of barely making expenses myself to stay afloat, nothing like treading water all season and pray nothing goes wrong since it'll throw the whole money thing outta whack.

Only way i can see to cut cost any deeper than i am already is to drop all insuraces, stop pulling permits, give people a "cash deal" and go hack status.

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