Did I estimate too much?

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ceknight said:
Your bid looks reasonable to me. I wouldn't worry too much about the other guy being $1500 less, it's his cross to bear.
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I am not a contractor - however, about 10 years ago I heard a saying that if you get every job you bid on you are not charging enough. I took that to heart and raised my fees.

You really need to look at all of your expenses - this is a very difficult task to do for most people. This includes a salary for you as well as a business profit (for your management of the business).

Just remember that if you cannot make more being in business for yourself (with all the headaches of payroll, insurances (I spend $30K a year for E&O, health, disability, life and vehicle insurances - ouch! - for a 2 person operation) than you could working for someone else, then you should close up shop and work for someone else.

I would also think in your business, you will uncover alot of things once you get stated and the HO will start asking for a bunch of small extras that you will end up doing gratis.

Anyway, just my 2 cents worth.

Regards,
Tony Shupenko, PE
 
emahler said:
(watch out for Celtic, he wears a pocket protector;))
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LMAO.

Lemme tell you...a pocket protector and some tattoo's is a fierce combiation...people don't know if you're gonna bury them with numbers or kick their butt :D ...either way, they know they are going down ;)
 
RUWIREDRITE said:
Vinnem,
Dont Fret Too Much About Your Bid, It Looks Pretty Solid, I Guess, It Depends On What States And Areas Your In To See If It Is Competative. I Am A Jersey Based Ec And Has An Average Sized Shop Which We Bid Many Residental Projects Across The State. I Found Out Thru Many Years Of Estimating These Projects Your Always Gonna Be Low Bidded By Other Contractors Who Perhaps Have Less Overhead And Profit Margins.we Mostly Use Unit Pricing To Get Bids And Stick With It, Because If You Figure Your Expenses To Do Specific Type Of Work You Should Be In The Same Ballpark As Most, You Will Never Compete With The Guy Working From His Trunk With No Overhead. I Never Changed My Bid On Most Projects, Due To Sometimes I Been Asked To Sharpen My Pencil To Get A Job, And I Figured If I Must Do That, What Will They Think Of My Original Number ,was I Overcharging Them Or What?you Go With The Flow, Win Some, Lose Some.all In All If Your Honest You Will Get Work.when You Bid List Everything Your Gonna Give Them For The Price Your Asking, So The Customer Can Weigh Apples Against Apples. I Found Out Alot, Most Contractors That Bid Low Leave Out Alot Of Items That Cost The Consumer A Great Deal Later After Awarding Someone The Contract.
Food For Thought.
Happy Easter , Hope It Helped
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And I nominate this one for second-hardest to read. Here's how it should look, with some spelling and punctuation also corrected. Let me know if you think it's easier to read.


Vinnem,
Don't fret too much about your bid, it looks pretty solid. I guess it depends on what states and areas you're in to see if it is competitive. I am a Jersey-based EC and have an average-sized shop.

We bid many residental projects across the state. I found out thru many years of estimating these projects you're always gonna be low-bid by other contractors who perhaps have less overhead and profit margins.

We mostly use unit pricing to get bids and stick with it, because if you figure your expenses to do specific type of work, you should be in the same ballpark as most. You will never compete with the guy working from his trunk with no overhead.

I never changed my bid on most projects, due to: sometimes I have been asked to sharpen my pencil to get a job, and I figured if I must do that, what will they think of my original number? Was I over-charging them or what?

You go with the flow; win some, lose some. All in all, if you're honest, you will get work. When you bid, list everything you're gonna give them for the price you're asking, so the customer can weigh apples against apples.

I found out a lot (?), most contractors that bid low leave out a lot of items that cost the consumer a great deal later, after awarding someone the contract. Food for thought.

Happy Easter, Hope it helped.
 
ok so your a grammer specialist

ok so your a grammer specialist

no pun intended.i do have a masters degree in english, but a minors degree in typing and computer spell checker. forgive me
all is good!
 
Romex Racer said:
If someone offered you $500 to take a baseball bat and beat a stranger to death would you do it? If your answer is no, you are not cut out for residential electrical contracting.
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If any of these strangers that you speak of are politicians, lawyers or
General Contractors I may even give you a better price than that. If we can get some sort of volume business going.
 
smoke detectors

smoke detectors

In my area smokes must be on the master bedroom lighting ckt. If the circuit trips you will know soon enough and have to fix the problem. If the circuit trips on a ckt by itself you may never know the ckt is out( unless of course they are combo bat backup) the job will get knocked down.
 
That is a nice looking set up. The way the wires are ran down to the panel are the way wire is supposed to be installed, not bundled with tywraps or installed in 2-2" conduits like alot of people do. Great job on the craftsmanship.

I need to take some pics of things our guys do. We got one person that is pretty slick at terminating branch wiring if given the time.
 
Sean,

Very nice. you obviously had someone who cared do the work inside. However, on the outside, it appears that the nipple between the meter and disconnect is sloped for drainage. is that an optical illusion?

what do you think Capt. PP (Pocket Protector)?
 
dEDICATED CIRCUT TO SMOKE DETECTORS

dEDICATED CIRCUT TO SMOKE DETECTORS

As an installer/ Inspector I have found that most maufactures do require A dedicated circut to smoke detectors.
 
Did I estimate too much?

I could not have said it better than Petersonra did. I get all my jobs by word of mouth and I'm usually higher than all others, what matters is you are happy with your bid no matter what. Experence is the best teacher. Semper Fi
 
did I estimate too much

did I estimate too much

LarryFine said:
And I nominate this one for second-hardest to read. Here's how it should look, with some spelling and punctuation also corrected. Let me know if you think it's easier to read.


Vinnem,
Don't fret too much about your bid, it looks pretty solid. I guess it depends on what states and areas you're in to see if it is competitive. I am a Jersey-based EC and have an average-sized shop.

We bid many residental projects across the state. I found out thru many years of estimating these projects you're always gonna be low-bid by other contractors who perhaps have less overhead and profit margins.

We mostly use unit pricing to get bids and stick with it, because if you figure your expenses to do specific type of work, you should be in the same ballpark as most. You will never compete with the guy working from his trunk with no overhead.

I never changed my bid on most projects, due to: sometimes I have been asked to sharpen my pencil to get a job, and I figured if I must do that, what will they think of my original number? Was I over-charging them or what?

You go with the flow; win some, lose some. All in all, if you're honest, you will get work. When you bid, list everything you're gonna give them for the price you're asking, so the customer can weigh apples against apples.

I found out a lot (?), most contractors that bid low leave out a lot of items that cost the consumer a great deal later, after awarding someone the contract. Food for thought.

Happy Easter, Hope it helped.
Click to expand...
Larry, I have always respected your thoughts and i do appreciate your commits but i thought e-mails as fun and a learning experence. some of us like to type like we talk besides when i graduated in 1966 we didn't have english books. Thank's Larry just having a little fun with you, all your commits are appreciated. Semper Fi Buddy
 
LarryFine said:
And I nominate this one for second-hardest to read. Here's how it should look, with some spelling and punctuation also corrected. Let me know if you think it's easier to read.


Vinnem,
Don't fret too much about your bid, it looks pretty solid. I guess it depends on what states and areas you're in to see if it is competitive. I am a Jersey-based EC and have an average-sized shop.

We bid many residental projects across the state. I found out thru many years of estimating these projects you're always gonna be low-bid by other contractors who perhaps have less overhead and profit margins.

We mostly use unit pricing to get bids and stick with it, because if you figure your expenses to do specific type of work, you should be in the same ballpark as most. You will never compete with the guy working from his trunk with no overhead.

I never changed my bid on most projects, due to: sometimes I have been asked to sharpen my pencil to get a job, and I figured if I must do that, what will they think of my original number? Was I over-charging them or what?

You go with the flow; win some, lose some. All in all, if you're honest, you will get work. When you bid, list everything you're gonna give them for the price you're asking, so the customer can weigh apples against apples.

I found out a lot (?), most contractors that bid low leave out a lot of items that cost the consumer a great deal later, after awarding someone the contract. Food for thought.

Happy Easter, Hope it helped.
Click to expand...

Thanks to Larry for sorting this out. I got about a third of the way through this post as it was originally typed and skipped the rest. No offense intended to our friend from Clinton, I just found it really hard to read.

Exit 8A here, by the way.
 
Interesting aside: My dispatcher @ work just got an estimate to rewire, completely, a 4-room 2nd fl. addition on his house, old work, no access above or below. Kitchen 2 bedrooms a lr. and a bathroom. This addition was done in the 70's with aluminum as a mother/daughter apartment. Existing house all copper. Separate service 100a and separate boiler.

2 kit. SA circuits and 1 refg. ckt. 2 GFCIs & 5 outets.l
Boiler ckt.
Bath 20a gfci ckt.
2 15a ckts. for livingroom & bedrooms.
About 28 outlets total
1 set of 3-ways & fixture. (stairs)
Kitchen and bath lights and switches 2sw / 2lts.
1 40a 240v range ckt.
New 100a meter, 100a disconnect in basement (grouped next to existing main breaker panel.) And 100a 20 ckt pnl. on 2nd fl. (In the actual addition.)

Without doing any patching, $15,000.00.

Figures 2-men @2 x 8 hour days.
 
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