How Would You React?

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We tried to bid high end all the way around, but it was assuming there was going to be some sort of electrical plans eventually. What I am going to have to do, one part anyway, is really adjust my material mark-up and extras. We have a good relation with the GC, and I have talked to him a little, and my biggest concern is dumping changes orders and unexpected extras on him that the HO.
 
ITO said:
You have to be proactive here and produce a clear scope. You can do this on a job like this by drawing a set of ?shop drawings?. Basically you need to draw some electrical plans? maybe that was not in your bid but it?s too late now so call it damage control and learn the lesson. Then ask the owner to approve your drawings in writing. If this involves an lengthy walkthrough with said shop drawings in hand then bite the bullet and do it, having a clear scope is worth it.

The approved shop drawings will be your base, if they make changes in the future you may be able to get paid for them and being able to show how it was a change in scope will help. If they complain about work that has been installed you have the approved shop drawings to fall back on.

Anything done without approved drawings of some kind, is subject to change and is hard to get paid for.

As a bonus when the job is over, you turn over a copy of your shop drawings as as-builts and you look like a pro.

Good luck.
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This is a great post. I underlined and colored blue what I think are the really important points. (lol, like my opinion matters).

Very well said ITO.
 
360Youth said:
We tried to bid high end all the way around, but it was assuming there was going to be some sort of electrical plans eventually.
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I smell a job bid by the sq. ft. ( the old foot stink ):grin: :grin:

At this stage of the game it all comes down to what you agreed to do in your contract and what the GC agreed to. Even if one is not provided you can always come up with a clearly defined scope of work with provisions made for change orders.

I would get with the general contractor and see what's in his contract with the homeowner. If he was smart enough to cover himself then you shouldn't have a problem. If he gets a percentage he won't care how many change order get dumped on him.
 
Gezz i thought i was the only one that got one like that.everything that you said i have been thru on this job.decorator and home owners wife are makeing all dessions.bet ive spent 100 hours with just meetings
mine is only 6000 square foot remodel and add on.i have probaly moved every thing in the whole house at least twice.some even more.probaly took out enough wire to do a 2000 square ft one.
this one is a t&m.as of march 25th i will be have been on this job (off and on) for 4 years.got a rough-in about 3 weeks ago and they are still changeing things and havent decided what kind of insulation they want to use.as long as they pay me i will stay another 4 :grin:
 
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ITO said:
Anything done without approved drawings of some kind, is subject to change and is hard to get paid for.
Good luck.
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Not only hard but at times impossible and you will have little recourse.I added extra cable and phone jacks to a new house and when I billed for it the HO did not want to pay claiming they asked to have existing outlets moved and not more outlets added.I had nothing in writing to show they had approved the additional work it was an expensive lesson I learned early
 
I am turned off by residential work for these reasons. I treat all jobs the same though. I will not start a job if the plans are not complete or been approved in writing. I have seen to many subs redoing there work for assuming. Also if the owner wants to change something that is fine. I will complete that work after he signs off on the change. Like said before documentation is your friend. Not doing it will cost you eventually. And when you get tired of working for free you will come around and start doing your paperwork.
 
my biggest concern is dumping changes orders and unexpected extras on him that the HO.
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Well, there's your problem right there :)

You said it was a 9K sq ft house?


How big is YOUR house?

Your biggest concern should be how much money you can earn by providing them with a top notch electrical and lighting system.
 
220/221 said:
Well, there's your problem right there :)

You said it was a 9K sq ft house?


How big is YOUR house?

Your biggest concern should be how much money you can earn by providing them with a top notch electrical and lighting system.
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OK, of course the first concern is making the profit, and the most possible, but I also want to keep relations with the GC profitable as well. Neither one of us should be dealing with this headache. "Top notch" is not a problem (no ego intended :grin: :roll: ), I am just curious about how much would you push the issue or just bite the bullet and make up time losses elsewhere. The house will be to code and any questions that arise beyond that, my planned response at this point will be, "Let's just take a look at what the plans show here..." :) There will be a walk-thru "approval" before insulation and drywall. It is up to them to speak at that point.
 
220/221 said:
How did you bid it without a print?


I would have bid it high and spent whatever time was necessary to get everything laid out right.
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If I don't have a set of plans I just quantify the job...so many duplexes, so many SP switches, so many 3ways, dimmers, lights, etc. At the end it's easy to see if the quantities are the same. I still do COs if the quantities change by more than a little.

Dave
 
Tiger Electrical said:
If I don't have a set of plans I just quantify the job...so many duplexes, so many SP switches, so many 3ways, dimmers, lights, etc. At the end it's easy to see if the quantities are the same. I still do COs if the quantities change by more than a little.

Dave
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That is what I doo it is simple the HO has a good Idea of the cost and I explain at walk through when they start getting can light happy that we have x built in for cans and each extra will cost y. they don't mind they are having a home built exactly how they want it.
 
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