Hey guys, looking for a little advice regarding a recent issue i have ran into with billing on a new construction job. I am looking for some logical answers here.
We are the general contractor on a custom new home and are within 45 days of completion. Prior to our start we had to fill out a line item sheet for all phases of construction on this project, so we can take completion percentage draws throughout construction. This job was not a cost plus job, but instead a fixed cost project with any change orders to be cost plus.
On our line item breakdown we incorporated our profit and overhead into a few of the various lines. Our latest draw request shows that we were requesting 100% of electrical rough-in. Our homeowners seen our draw request and assumed we were making upwards of 70% on that particular line ( not the circumstances due to incorporating our profit and overhead into a few of the various line items). They are now requesting breakdowns of everything to " ease their minds" .
When talking to them they mentioned that they were unsure as to how to save money if this was how it was going to be on every line item. I explained to them that on material finishes, i would give them an allowance to meet or beat and if they were under budget on allowance items they could put those funds else ware to upgrade or just save the money.
Has anyone ever been put in this situation on a FIXED COST project. I would assume that on a fixed cost project nothing matters other than allowance items, productivity, and quality. I have nothing to hide but get irritated when people think they should be the only ones making good money and if you are making above what they may think is "reasonable" then you are in the wrong. I am not in this industry to make a wage, but instead to make a living and work hard while doing so, and build a business, not maintain one.