Bidding commercial jobs sight unseen.

[Rewire]

Shooting a price of between 12k and 15k does no harm:
QUOTE]
I have to differ with you on this as I have real world experience with this.We do many service jobs that we use to give a range for like $75.00-$100.00 to hang a ceiling fan.We had a few that took a little more effort and we would bill them $110.00 and you would think we were holding them up at gun point and the first thing out of their mouth was I thought you said around $75.00 I have never and I mean never had anyone quote me back my range price.The main problem with a price range is not so much the low end (which everyone will remember) it is the high end that locks you to that price.I think it is better to quote $15,000.00 and bill $17,000.00 than to quote between 12,000.00 -15,000.00 and bill $17,000.00 because what will stick in most peoples mind is thew 12,000.00 number.

 

[ITO]

A guy just called: "Give me a ballpark idea how much you would charge to wire a brand new 3600' bookstore?"

"You're looking at between $12,000 and $15,000" I immediately replied.

I'm just that good... :smile:

Are you nuts? That’s between $3.30 and $4.17/SQFT. Historically anything under $5 is existing service and owner furnished fixtures, or empty square footage out the wazoo.

Book stores for me can run from between $8 and $18/SQFT. (edit I forgot one that had a coffee bar)

You may have a plan, but my experience is 1) they only hear the low number, and 2) no matter how much the scope changes they only remember the low number, and you can almost never go up without creating some distrust.

Let us know how that play worked for you…

 

[celtic]

Shooting a price of between 12k and 15k does no harm:

I have to differ with you on this as I have real world experience with this.

You may find this shocking - but many of us here do also.

The main problem with a price range is not so much the low end (which everyone will remember) it is the high end that locks you to that price.I think it is better to quote $15,000.00 and bill $17,000.00 than to quote between 12,000.00 -15,000.00 and bill $17,000.00 because what will stick in most peoples mind is thew 12,000.00 number.

The main problem is you are comparing apples to oranges.
A HO asking for ONE specific item is not even remotely close to a person asking how much to wire a store front.

If the caller had mentioned ANY specifics, it wouldn't be a problem - as it is, did the caller want 1 fart fan installed in his store or did he need a complete install including a lighting package.


If we are to disagree, let's at least disagree about the same game.

 

[mdshunk]

Bidding commercial jobs sight unseen.

When I read that post title, I thought to myself, "Why would anyone do that.", then I realized what you did. Sneaky, sneaky. One of my favorite lines to people like that is to say, "No more than normal".

 

[76nemo]

I'd be willing to bet that I have far more Hollywood appeal then you ever will.


Isn't the OP the one who said, "Besides wealth and good looks, I have something else most of you don't have,.....experience. I have wired houses, lots of houses"?:roll:

 

[mdshunk]

I'm glad I'm in the company of you fabulous guys. I really don't have anything going for me, save for the fact that my phone rings a lot. :smile:

 

[Rewire]

You may find this shocking - but many of us here do also.




The main problem is you are comparing apples to oranges.
A HO asking for ONE specific item is not even remotely close to a person asking how much to wire a store front.

If the caller had mentioned ANY specifics, it wouldn't be a problem - as it is, did the caller want 1 fart fan installed in his store or did he need a complete install including a lighting package.


If we are to disagree, let's at least disagree about the same game.

I just call them like I see them ,not everyone who post on this form is a contractor and their is a big difference between being a contractor and working for one your coment appeared to come from someone who is the latter.Apples and oranges have nothing to do with electrical contracting but actual experience does and that is what I was attempting to convey. An opinion is a good thing but I have found that experience almost always trumps opinion.The size of the job is irrelavent as the concept I was trying to relay was that giving a price range hinders you in that people will lock on to the lowest price and the higher number will lock you in and make negotiations more difficult than just giving the higher # allowing you more flexability in pricing

 

[bikeindy]

No to mention racist.

You forgot the t on not and used No instead of Not making the sentence you were trying to state not make any sense at all. But I guess even with the t it doesn't make sense.

 

[celtic]

I just call them like I see them ,not everyone who post on this form is a contractor and their is a big difference between being a contractor and working for one your coment appeared to come from someone who is the latter.

If you say so:roll:

Apples and oranges have nothing to do with electrical contracting but actual experience does and that is what I was attempting to convey. An opinion is a good thing but I have found that experience almost always trumps opinion.The size of the job is irrelavent as the concept I was trying to relay was that giving a price range hinders you in that people will lock on to the lowest price and the higher number will lock you in and make negotiations more difficult than just giving the higher # allowing you more flexability in pricing

How can you equate the "experience" of hanging 1 CF for a HO (that they probably bought themseleves) to answering a nothing phonecall in regards to a commercial property?

The size is very relevant as a HO only hears low number...anyone in business (any business) knows there is a range of figures available for any product.

It's been my experience that when you mix apples and oranges you get fruit salad.
No baloney, it's true.

 

[bikeindy]

HO: how much to hang a fixture in my entryway?
Me: how tall are the ceilings?
HO: I think 18'
Me: how big is the fixture?
HO: Average I guess.
Me: between $20 and $300.
HO: when can you do it?

I get to the job and have to hang this monster 425 lb, I explained to the HO that it would be much more than we discussed since this was way above average to most Americans. She said no problem I thought you were prety low on your estimate. Finished the Job and got a $250.00 tip.

I don't think there is a problem with ballparking or giving prices site unseen, if you didn't sign a contract you can always walk back to the van and do the next job, ring ring... hello... my first job was cancelled can we show up early?

 

[bikeindy]

It's been my experience that when you mix apples and oranges you get fruit salad.
No baloney, it's true.

Or a strange tasting drink depending on how you mix them.

 

[Energy-Miser]

You forgot the t on not and used No instead of Not making the sentence you were trying to state not make any sence at all. But I guess even with the t it doesn't make sence.

Not to split hair here, but I think sense is spelled "sense". e/m

 

[Rewire]

Or a strange tasting drink depending on how you mix them.

two fingers of vodka