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Alwayslearningelec said:
Thank you.
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Alwayslearningelec said:
Thanks. Doesn’t help production that I have a working foreman who’s 64, ready to retire and has a terrible attitude and an apprentice . Thanks appreciate the support. Hopefully I still work there ..lol. I’ve NEVER been laid off or fired in my career. 😊
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Have you spoken with your Foreman?

Is your apprentice learning bad ways from him?
Might be something to nip in the bud or you could have a repeat employee.

Just saying from experience.
 
Look for addons that might not be getting billed for but taking up manhours. Your foreman should be informing you of these small but cumulative costs that over time will hit the bottom line. Get these all the time "while you're there can you do this too?" from HO or site GC. On large projects will add up rapidly.
 
nizak said:
Have you spoken with your Foreman?

Is your apprentice learning bad ways from him?
Might be something to nip in the bud or you could have a repeat employee.

Just saying from experience.
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I have spoken with my foreman…im PMing the job as well. He’s not a good guy . Other PM’s refuse to have him on their job and the other owner said he would’ve fired him years ago.
 
Looking at all the factors, especially your batting average, it would appear your bid isn't the main problem. If the owners are not willing to address the problem with the foreman there is little you can do.
Next bid you work on give the owners two numbers...one "standard" and with that foreman,,, may get their attention.
 
If it's a $2M job and the materials are only $165k I would have to imagine that's a pretty good ratio of labor and materials.

If it's too tight to make money with employees, how about subbing to a 2-man shop (owner+help)?

You might pay out less than your j-man gets by himself
 
Why not just handle in writing. Then you have a record to put in job file. Then when in you monthly meeting in can be used with your progress report after a site visit.
Be professional at this point. Then chips fall where the fall. You can't fix what you don't know. I would take it on as a challenge for a building exercise, you'll be better for it.

Good luck
 
So unbelievable ..lol. I just got an invite from several GC's to bid a project on this same campus. It's a large campus and this building is about 1/4 mile away. It's going to be going on at the same time. I guess this might be able to help my current job in some ways...although not sure yet how.

It's probably a $2-3M job.
 
James L said:
If it's a $2M job and the materials are only $165k I would have to imagine that's a pretty good ratio of labor and materials.

If it's too tight to make money with employees, how about subbing to a 2-man shop (owner+help)?

You might pay out less than your j-man gets by himself
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Sorry, the light buy is $310k. That was day to day material
 
Alwayslearningelec said:
So unbelievable ..lol. I just got an invite from several GC's to bid a project on this same campus. It's a large campus and this building is about 1/4 mile away. It's going to be going on at the same time. I guess this might be able to help my current job in some ways...although not sure yet how.

It's probably a $2-3M job.
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Easy, make the formen do both.
 
Alwayslearningelec said:
Maybe a possibility. Have to think that through. That would give me an edge when bidding but I need to make sure I account for proper supervision/working foreman.
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Is this union/prevailing wage?

You definitely have to control your costs on this. With demo and install, the killer is often the status of the other trades. Every day the GC tells you an area is ready to demo or start installation and it isn't, you have to charge him for the lost time. Three or four times at >$1700 a pop will stop that crap in a hurry.

Try to maximize workflow by holding labor until there are 3 or 4 areas ready to go.
 
gadfly56 said:
Is this union/prevailing wage?

You definitely have to control your costs on this. With demo and install, the killer is often the status of the other trades. Every day the GC tells you an area is ready to demo or start installation and it isn't, you have to charge him for the lost time. Three or four times at >$1700 a pop will stop that crap in a hurry.

Try to maximize workflow by holding labor until there are 3 or 4 areas ready to go.
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Thanks . Union. What you saying makes sense . That’s exactly what I was thinking …holding out until out labor is absolutely necessary so once going he can really go. I just don’t know enough about installing and sequencing to really judge well enough .
 
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