When I was contracting my target market was public money plans and specs jobs, state and towns. I thought everything would be on a higher level, competence, integrity, quality demanded. And as a sole prop I did think the scale jobs would give me an advantage.
10 years it was never like that. I can name competitors on the bid who also targeted that market, several gone out of business owing millions of dollars, one name went out with 10 or so years of jail time. Same guy bought Rowland his cigar boxes and got millions of dollars in changes owed to him by the state (don't know if he got paid them all but the jail was Federal white collar crime).
During that time UConn had a 2000 project, 10 years during the 1990's, one billion in construction completing in 2000. I bid a lot of stuff I did not get. 2000 came and the State Police opened a full time two person office on campus just for code violations and UConn had a lot of unfinished buildings. Saw some real cheat work when I looked at what they did.
School construction in this state had a rep that they would all go into litigation at the end to get paid. Guys would step in front of that who were winning bidders.
If you can be prime contractor for select jobs that could be a good gig and everyone at that level charges enough for what you have to deal with. Quite a few subs compete with low quality work and not knowing what they're doing. That was the time guys needed changes to make their numbers, one way or the other.
Not to put you off it, give it a try. But it can be quite a crooked market. Personal relationships help. They spend a lot of money and like seeing the same guys. There is a learning curve to their routine. They can keep or knock off whoever they like.
