bid results - help?

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CopperTone

Senior Member
Location
MetroWest, MA
here is the latest bid results - boston, ma
I'm thinking of giving up on this - I can't win - or come close

24400.00
26700.00
33000.00
44250.00 bid rejected - improper paperwork
44700.00 * our bid
48000.00
50000.00
54300.00
79600.00

it is not even possible to complete this job for the 2 lowest prices - material and direct costs associate with this job are 9 grand - JM prevailing wage is 64/hr - so 2 guys at 64/hr is 120 hrs or 3 weeks to complete this job according to the low bid.
My labor figures are 2 guys - 5 weeks 3 days. And that was conservative.

So I cannot even come close to those low numbers - I don't understand why anyone would bid that low? to torture yourself? why? Help - Anyone?
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
It's possible they underbid just to get the job. Maybe the low bidder has a killer crew they want to keep on the payroll, and this job is just 'filler' for them until another huge job comes along for them to tackle.

In other words, they 'bought' the job to keep their best guys.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
I'd guess they missed something serious... switchgear, lighting package, major labor unit miscalculation....

I'd tell the person in charge of choosing, "Well, what are you waiting for? Sign those guys up and get going! I hope you can finish the job before they go out of business. If they go belly-up on you, I'll still be here."
 
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AV ELECTRIC

Senior Member
It would be interesting to find out if any of those bids were union shops. Ive seen non union shops not pay there employes prevailing wage and get away with it. If the employee complains he may be layed off. So you might not have to many complaints
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
AV ELECTRIC said:
It would be interesting to find out if any of those bids were union shops. Ive seen non union shops not pay there employes prevailing wage and get away with it. If the employee complains he may be layed off. So you might not have to many complaints
Click to expand...

Other than minimum wage laws, what are non-union shops required to pay?
 
S

satcom

Senior Member
CopperTone said:
here is the latest bid results - boston, ma
I'm thinking of giving up on this - I can't win - or come close

24400.00
26700.00
33000.00
44250.00 bid rejected - improper paperwork
44700.00 * our bid
48000.00
50000.00
54300.00
79600.00

it is not even possible to complete this job for the 2 lowest prices - material and direct costs associate with this job are 9 grand - JM prevailing wage is 64/hr - so 2 guys at 64/hr is 120 hrs or 3 weeks to complete this job according to the low bid.
My labor figures are 2 guys - 5 weeks 3 days. And that was conservative.

So I cannot even come close to those low numbers - I don't understand why anyone would bid that low? to torture yourself? why? Help - Anyone?
Click to expand...

Why do you think every project, goes to the low bidder?

A recent city housing contract went to the third highest bidder, and there were 12 companies bidding, there are a lot more things they look for other then price.
All the bidders may be listed for the record.
 
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AV ELECTRIC

Senior Member
480sparky said:
Other than minimum wage laws, what are non-union shops required to pay?
Click to expand...

non union shops working on prevailing wage jobs must pay the highest wage in the area the work is being done including benefits Thats usually union shops I worked for a company that installed all the security and fire systems for a prison . they paid prevailing wage for those trades My only job was to run conduit for these systems under the the prevailing wage regulations they classified this under electrician. So the company had to pay me the electricians wage which was quite a bit higher. So bidding these jobs can get complicated on wages you may be digging a ditch get paid for that installing low voltage and thats a different wage .
 
Rewire

Rewire

Senior Member
Location
Lake of the Ozarks
CopperTone said:
here is the latest bid results - boston, ma
I'm thinking of giving up on this - I can't win - or come close

24400.00
26700.00
33000.00
44250.00 bid rejected - improper paperwork
44700.00 * our bid
48000.00
50000.00
54300.00
79600.00

it is not even possible to complete this job for the 2 lowest prices - material and direct costs associate with this job are 9 grand - JM prevailing wage is 64/hr - so 2 guys at 64/hr is 120 hrs or 3 weeks to complete this job according to the low bid.
My labor figures are 2 guys - 5 weeks 3 days. And that was conservative.

So I cannot even come close to those low numbers - I don't understand why anyone would bid that low? to torture yourself? why? Help - Anyone?
Click to expand...

Maybe a one man show with a realative for a helper.Also you should be aware they may be paying apprentice wages for both guys ,first year apprentice is about 50% of JW wage which would give tem six weeks. As long as you have a federally recognized apprentiship program you can pay adjusted wages.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
AV ELECTRIC said:
non union shops working on prevailing wage jobs must pay the highest wage in the area the work is being done including benefits Thats usually union shops I worked for a company that installed all the security and fire systems for a prison . they paid prevailing wage for those trades My only job was to run conduit for these systems under the the prevailing wage regulations they classified this under electrician. So the company had to pay me the electricians wage which was quite a bit higher. So bidding these jobs can get complicated on wages you may be digging a ditch get paid for that installing low voltage and thats a different wage .
Click to expand...

So where did prevailing wage get mentioned by the OP?
 
Davis9

Davis9

Senior Member
Location
MA,NH
CopperTone said:
it is not even possible to complete this job for the 2 lowest prices - material and direct costs associate with this job are 9 grand - JM prevailing wage is 64/hr - so 2 guys at 64/hr is 120 hrs or 3 weeks to complete this job according to the low bid.
My labor figures are 2 guys - 5 weeks 3 days. And that was conservative.

So I cannot even come close to those low numbers - I don't understand why anyone would bid that low? to torture yourself? why? Help - Anyone?
Click to expand...

If the owner has a partner then there doesn't have to be any prevailing wage paid out, except any help they bring on the project.

Tom
 
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LawnGuyLandSparky

Senior Member
Rewire said:
Maybe a one man show with a realative for a helper.Also you should be aware they may be paying apprentice wages for both guys ,first year apprentice is about 50% of JW wage which would give tem six weeks. As long as you have a federally recognized apprentiship program you can pay adjusted wages.
Click to expand...

I doubt they could put 2 apprentices on a job. There's ratios too.
 
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aline

Senior Member
Location
Utah
LawnGuyLandSparky said:
I doubt they could put 2 apprentices on a job. There's ratios too.
Click to expand...
When I was an apprentice we had ratios too.
One J-man for every apprentice.

Often times I was the only one on the job.
I was told if an inspector came around to go hide out somewhere until he was gone.
 
Fulthrotl

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Location
HB, CA (19 Hrs. 22 Min. from Winged Horses)
Occupation
E
fireryan said:
perhaps a union is using target money for job. :-?
Click to expand...

that was my first thought. usually there's one that's way low, but now there
are two that are way low.... of course, there is nothing to prevent the union
from saying to several bidders on the same job that they'll throw in 15k to
whoever gets the bid.

if the two lowest bidders are both NECA contractors, there's your answer.
if they aren't, and it's just an idiot getting ready to fall on a grenade,
you may still be in the running when the grenade goes off.

smile and make nice with the general anyway. tomorrows another day.
 
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