how do you bid a job??

[cceinak]

Hi

I have a question about bidding work. I recently just got off a job where the bid documents did not match the specification documents. To dwell a little deeper, the company was given a scope letter on what was supposed to encompass the work. If you look at the prints, etc, it looks pretty strait forward. But? if you dive into the spec book, (it?s a government job), things get very murky. One of the many examples is of equipment grounding. The scope of work included installing large concrete utility vaults for underground communication conduits. The drawings show a 1/0 tail coming into the vault and attaching to a ground bus. The scope letter says, installing conduit and grounding of communication vault. That was what was on the bid document. And it gives you a nice detail in the blueprints. Pretty easy stuff you would think. However, if you look at the specification, grounding of the vault has many, many other details. All racks, pulling irons, manhole lids etc. shall be grounded. To make a long story short, this is just one of many examples on how the electrical company has to cough up a lot more money. When I first think about it, I immediately say, well, electrical owners fault, he should have been very vigilant when he submitted his bid. But? then I start to wonder about the prints themselves. First off, they don?t show you how the would like the vaults grounded. Any special applications needed? What is the correct method? How do you bid that? With the time line on some bids of jobs being short, do you truly have to sit down with a specification book that is 2 inches thick and painstakingly go through every finite detail on what they intend you to do?? This job has seen tons of problems like this. The general contractor has to sell the entire job to the owner, (The government) and when the owner goes through the work with a fine toothcomb and says, ?hey, this does not meet spec, then the contractor is going to go back on the sub. I guess this entire dialog is more of a general voicing, but if I would ever want to be a commercial contractor, jobs like this one really stick in my mind. Not only that, but just the expense to bid a large job like this, to go through the documents so methodically, to spend tons of man

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: how do you bid a job??

the electrical industry is made up of all types of different "job faceits"(spelling?). and if you know what is "expected" vs whats "shown" on the prints you have a huge advantage. especially in the government jobs where specifications have no end! i know someone who bids only "airport" work. the specifications just blow most contractors away due to added costs to cover the unknowns!!! i used to do office interiors and some buildings have very strick material requirements - i have seen many a contractor bit the dust - have the full floor roughed and inspected by the city - and have the building walk up and tell them you cannot use diecast fittings in this building and/or "solid wire only"... you need to watch a few of these jobs and see what is actually being provided by the regular contractors. in a way it helps keep new guys out of these jobs which makes everybody's job easier.................02 cents

 

[cceinak]

Re: how do you bid a job??

Hey charlie, thanks for the reply. Yes, i sure can see how that would be a problem. I worked for a contractor one time that did a school on a military base that was a remodel. On many of the stairways and in other exposed areas we ran a lot of surface mount conduit do to the remodel work. After we got done, the Army Corp inspectors came and did a walk through. Throughout the entire job the company had run regular 4sq boxes with push-out KO seals. They all got flagged. The corp went back into the specs and on the last line of just one small paragraph it says, "in all exposed areas, boxes with screw in flanges shall be used" Bell boxes would be a good example. When you look at it, it makes sense. They don't want the kids pushing out the knockouts. But I guess what i am saying is just one sentence in one little paragraph could bankrupt you! Also, this was the only place it was shown. No heads up in the prints at all! Also, another thing that really bothers me, is that the inspectors only come at the end of the job. That is way too late if you have something obvious like the box example. I mean, hey, its in everybodys best interest to do a good job. It was certainly for this electrical contractor, they pride themself in good work. It was just a oversite that was extremely expensive! Again, thanks!