Wag
- Thread starter laketime
- Start date
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qcroanoke
Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
- Location
- Roanoke, VA.
- Occupation
- Sorta retired........
Wild A** guess
qcroanoke
Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
- Location
- Roanoke, VA.
- Occupation
- Sorta retired........
USMC1302
Senior Member
- Location
- NW Indiana
Agreed, but where I come from it was always a "SWAG", a "Scientific" WAG
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Just hope he doesn't hold you to that WAG.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Educated WAG is close to a Scientific WAG, but not quite as close.
WAGs are sometimes accompanied by the motion of reaching towards the sky and grabbing a number. This is more PC than reaching behind you.
WAGs are sometimes accompanied by the motion of reaching towards the sky and grabbing a number. This is more PC than reaching behind you.
I guess he is thinking about floor or siding work, and there is no such thing as standard commercial office, they all have different conditions and requirements, you will be better to estimate the job using unit pricing, after you visit the site and discover all the conditions.
ceb58
Senior Member
- Location
- Raeford, NC
Agreed, his wanting a WAG or ballpark number will be all he remembers when it comes time to do a real estimate. If you just simply said " yes, $4.85 sounds close" with out doing a take off first and coming up with a correct $ amount. Then you do the take off and it comes out at $7.25 then he will try and hold you to the lower number or just walk away. Get a set of prints, do the take off, and come up with a $ amount for the job as the prints show. If he wants to break it down to sq-ft price then let him do the math.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Just got done with a WAG. Now I have a letter wanting to know why my WAG, which they agreed I would not be held to and they acknowledge in the letter, was so far below the actual costs.
ceb58
Senior Member
- Location
- Raeford, NC
Sorry to sound mean but, it was because you fell into there trap. Your only answer to them now is because you were not provided a set of prints to do an accurate estimate with. Its no different than my asking you how much dose a new car cost? You can say $25,000.00. I can then say your way low on that price for a Bentley or a Lamborghini. See, not enough information up front to give a professional answer.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
I never gave a WAG. I took a stab now and then, but a WAG was out of the question. I have pulled numbers out of my hat from time to time, and I even "ventured to guess" once and did give a guesstimit to a friend a couple of time.:grin:
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
Well I guess if he will supply the fixtures I will wire 10K Sq ft of commerical office space to code minimum for $48.5K, power only, service not included. That's the best SWAG I can come up with.
Is that for the office space on the 10th floor? and will do all the core drilling for the floor recpt's and does that include the server room, and kitchen area?
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Don't worry about sounding mean. I had told the Guy I didn't want to grab numbers but he wanted a guesstimate anyway. I knew better. Just came back & bit me.
Split Bolt
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Virginia
Whenever I look at a job, the last thing the homeowner or contractor asks is always "Can you give me a ball park or a guess?" I'm the type of person who likes to think the job through as I am driving to the next call or home. Then I sit at my desk and figure a price. Even today, after 27 years of working in this business, I will occasionally fall into the trap of shooting a number off of the top of my head. As soon as I do that and I am driving away, I ALWAYS think of something I forgot in my WAG! (an AFCI breaker, special dimmers, or whatever) When I catch myself getting sucked-into this trap, I tell them I don't give estimates without thinking them through because I always forget something. When they insist and claim they won't hold me to it, I'll say "A million dollars," smile and walk away!:grin: Long story short: When you give a WAG, no matter how many times they say they won't hold you to it, that is the price they remember and anything above that means you are trying to rip them off! (in their minds) DON'T DO IT unless you are prepared to honor your WAG!
The two main things that will cause customer problems, are guessing a price, and trying to do the job T&M
Split Bolt
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Virginia
So true, so true! I guess we're doomed from the get-go!
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