Extra extra extra

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WV Sparktition

WV Sparktition

Member
Location
Charleston, West Virginia
I just finished up a "bid" job in which a fire burned out two of eight apartments, and we rewired the two and re-deviced and made safe the other 6. New appliances, new everything. My "boss" installed exposed bulb, F20t12 fixtures over the sink in the kitchen...HUD disapproved the installation saying it was a safety issue, so the GC bought 8 new covered flourescents and i re-installed them today. My boss is calling this an extra which i could see, but he has forgotten some main parts of his "bid". He bid to wire all appliances, and re-device, and cover all openings. The GC installed all the cover plates to help us out, the GC wired all the dishwashers and disposals. So in an attempt to piss my boss off, after his bill of EXTRAS, he billed my company for the things he did. Making me look lazy, and slandering my name with the GC and boss...

This was more of a rant but i do have a point. Is it comman practice to Bid low, then extra the hell out of the customer? just wondering
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
WV Sparktition said:
This was more of a rant but i do have a point. Is it comman practice to Bid low, then extra the hell out of the customer? just wondering
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That is not an uncommon way to do it. Personally I don't do much competitive bidding so I bid on the high side then the customer loves it when you come in lower than expected. :smile:
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
WV Sparktition said:
My thoughts on the matter also...but we get a job with someone, and after all Extras are done, we never recieve any jobs from them again
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Nickel and dime someone and they may get annoyed but there may be other reasons that you are not getting jobs from them. If you are bidding jobs competitively then you have no choice but to give the bare bones unless otherwise specified. Is it possible the builders don't like your bosses personality or work?
 
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emahler

Senior Member
why didn't you just do your job? maybe the boss bids a job one way, but since the guys in the field don't fulfill the contract, on time, the GC gets ticked and gets another EC...don't know the truth, I'm just raising a contrarian point...
 
WV Sparktition

WV Sparktition

Member
Location
Charleston, West Virginia
Well i bought the cover plates, the GC VOLUNTARILY offered to do the plates, while i was away from job...the appliances he wired because again i was away from job...his company is so so, do this then bounce to this...id have 40 hours just standing around waiting on appliances to go in...and it was not up to me to set them, just wire them.
 
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emahler

Senior Member
WV Sparktition said:
Well i bought the cover plates, the GC VOLUNTARILY offered to do the plates, while i was away from job...the appliances he wired because again i was away from job...his company is so so, do this then bounce to this...id have 40 hours just standing around waiting on appliances to go in...and it was not up to me to set them, just wire them.
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ok...just asking
 
C

CopperTone

Senior Member
Location
MetroWest, MA
there is a fairly large EC near where I live who is famous for perfecting the art of the change order and upcharge.

there is one theory to bid the prints based on what they say not what you know it needs then if you get the job change change change. cha ching cha ching cha ching.
another theory is to bid it based on what you know it will need not what it says and you probably will be high risking not getting the job.

if you bid public work you are best off bidding the prints and change order after you get the job because lob bid gets the work in most situations.

if you bid a private job then you may have an opportunity to explain your high bid to a GC you do lots of work for and still land the job.

real change orders do happen.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Another option is to bid the prints as you have them. Include a letter with your bid stating that you have noticed items that are not on the print but should be. Or you have noted alternate methods that may reduce costs. Offer to do some value engineering at that point.

Don't list the issues you see, simply state there are some. If they want to know what they are, give them your price.
 
Dnkldorf

Dnkldorf

Senior Member
CopperTone said:
if you bid public work you are best off bidding the prints and change order after you get the job because lob bid gets the work in most situations.
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I think this depends on your area, and what public work project your talking about.

My experience has been the opposite. If you don't catch things and ask questions before your place your bid, your stuck with it. You can't change order stuff you should of caught, or that was buried somewhere else.

It would be nice though.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
WV Sparktition said:
I just finished up a "bid" job in which a fire burned out two of eight apartments, and we rewired the two and re-deviced and made safe the other 6. Is it comman practice to Bid low, then extra the hell out of the customer? just wondering
Click to expand...

It is a common practice to bid a job with the intension of making money on additional work.

Trying to get extras on an appartment job is not a good place to depend on extras. Apartments are bare bones and they never come back with the idea of adding 10 can lights or a hot tub or much of anything. When one burns they go back with as close to original as possible (if it meets code). The budget gets so close on jobs like this that you don't make money unless you finish in record breaking time.
 
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