It takes all kinds

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Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
I just got off the phone with a GC from out of town. Seems he has a project ,public works.

Wants to know if I could give him a price for electrical service. He'll privide the trenching and will install my conduit. Just needs me to properly place vault and conduits. Wants me to provide spec on service main. I had to pry the plans out from him. No spec on main panel.
Owner says, 200 amp, POCO says 200 amp, GC says 150 amp.
Spec book says " Electrician to provide a sufficient power to components".........
One person say 277/480v the other says 480v The cost of the copper could kill the project.

My gut is he's already hired a contractor but is bidshopping to see if it's worth dragging is guy 400 miles to do the work.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
I already told him off and sent him a bill because he's wasted my time.
Just to make a point.

He actually had the nerve to tell me that " If I were to get the specs I might as well do the job myself."
That was after I suggested he just hire me and I will take care of the submittals and such. He wanted a price first. I told him the price would be conditional and meaninless. Or it would have a lot of CYA.

How do you folks deal with these guys.
I'm sure that he has some loyal subs.
 

LawnGuyLandSparky

Senior Member
Sierrasparky said:
I already told him off and sent him a bill because he's wasted my time.
Just to make a point.

He actually had the nerve to tell me that " If I were to get the specs I might as well do the job myself."
That was after I suggested he just hire me and I will take care of the submittals and such. He wanted a price first. I told him the price would be conditional and meaninless. Or it would have a lot of CYA.

How do you folks deal with these guys.
I'm sure that he has some loyal subs.

If he had loyal subs, why is he calling you out of the blue?
 

ultramegabob

Senior Member
Location
Indiana
Sierrasparky said:
How do you folks deal with these guys.
I'm sure that he has some loyal subs.


the minute I get a gut feeling somthing is flakey, I bail, I have other customers to take care of that dont give me grief....

he may or may not have loyal subs, but if he is calling you, he doesnt appear loyal to them...
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
LawnGuyLandSparky said:
If he had loyal subs, why is he calling you out of the blue?

If the loyal subs have a lower price, he'll stick with them. If Sierrasparky can beat them by $1, the job is his.
 

haskindm

Senior Member
Location
Maryland
480sparky said:
If the loyal subs have a lower price, he'll stick with them. If Sierrasparky can beat them by $1, the job is his.


You got it. He won the bid using some "loyal sub's" price and is now shopping the electrical part of the bid to see if he can get a lower price and pocket the difference. Happens all of the time and is one of the main reasons that I hung up my tool belt. One of the happiest days of my life was when one of the scumbag GC's that I had to work for called up demanding a real quick price on a large bid and I told him, "I have closed the business and going to work for someone else and will not be doing anymore work for you." You have to take pleasure where you can. There were allot of tears shed about closing my business, but none over slamming the door on this guy!
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
haskindm said:
You got it. He won the bid using some "loyal sub's" price and is now shopping the electrical part of the bid to see if he can get a lower price and pocket the difference. Happens all of the time and is one of the main reasons that I hung up my tool belt. One of the happiest days of my life was when one of the scumbag GC's that I had to work for called up demanding a real quick price on a large bid and I told him, "I have closed the business and going to work for someone else and will not be doing anymore work for you." You have to take pleasure where you can. There were allot of tears shed about closing my business, but none over slamming the door on this guy!

That's exactly what I thought and did. told him off also language I cannot use here. ust wondering if I should notify my Fellow EC
 

haskindm

Senior Member
Location
Maryland
It would be nice if you have a strong trade organization or contractors association in your area so that you could alert each other to GC's that are pulling this stunt. Around here we were never able to get an association going. Too busy cutting each other throats I guess.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
haskindm said:
It would be nice if you have a strong trade organization or contractors association in your area so that you could alert each other to GC's that are pulling this stunt. Around here we were never able to get an association going. Too busy cutting each other throats I guess.

We actually do. But I am concerned as to retaliation. I had it backfire on a job where many a moon ago.
I spoke with the other guys and then the owner filed a countersuit claiming I had interfered.
I won good, more than what I was willing to settle for originally, but what a headache. Came out ahead in the end.
 
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