Installation method for every budget

[mdshunk]

I have been known to often say, "There is an installation method for every budget". It still gripes me, however, when I get underbid on work and the person who actually got the work sinks to an all-time low, as far as workmanship goes. This is a little diner I looked at a while back, which really needed a 320 upgrade by my figures. Looks like some handyman did the "upgrade". Double ugly, but I bet it was cheap:

FYI... that gold sticker above the meter at the 1 o'clock position is an inspection sticker. I'm not sure how it passed being directly over a gas meter like that. The wall is cinder block ("slump block"), so I'm not sure why they felt the need to run the service cable on an angle like that.

 

[480sparky]

Is that the 'before' or 'after' photo? :grin:

I especially like how the working clearance was maintained.

 

[mdshunk]

Is that the 'before' or 'after' photo? :grin:.

Yeah, that's the after. The before was pretty much identical, so I'm not sure what they gained. That piece of PT plywood behind the meter can is totally unnecessary. The old SE cable riser ran up that piece of 2x4 lumber you see just to its right. The installer left the old SE cable clamps hanging from the lumber. He didn't even care to remove the old stuff.

 

[brother]

I have been known to often say, "There is an installation method for every budget". It still gripes me, however, when I get underbid on work and the person who actually got the work sinks to an all-time low, as far as workmanship goes. This is a little diner I looked at a while back, which really needed a 320 upgrade by my figures. Looks like some handyman did the "upgrade". Double ugly, but I bet it was cheap:

FYI... that gold sticker above the meter at the 1 o'clock position is an inspection sticker. I'm not sure how it passed being directly over a gas meter like that. The wall is cinder block ("slump block"), so I'm not sure why they felt the need to run the service cable on an angle like that.

Can you call the inspector and have him/her check that work and be sure its 'wired' correctly??

 

[mdshunk]

Can you call the inspector and have him/her check that work and be sure its 'wired' correctly??

I could, but I already know it's pointless. I've got other stuff to worry about. I just took a picture to share. I try to "visit" work I lost to see if someone knows something I don't.

 

[augie47]

look at the bright side. you didn't get stiffed on your bill. in my experience with restaurants, thats always a good possibility...especially when they are looking for "cheap"

 

[satcom]

Is that a parking space in front of the meter, and it that pipe in front of the gas meter to protect the gas meter? Hope the owners brother in law the inspector, sobers up soon.

 

[mdshunk]

Is that a parking space in front of the meter, and it that pipe in front of the gas meter to protect the gas meter? Hope the owners brother in law the inspector, sobers up soon.

That's actually an alleyway, subject to vehicular traffic and even truck deliveries to the diner. That pipe thing in front of the gas meter is installed by the gas company. I took the picture by standing on the porch of the house next door, which was for sale and unoccupied.

 

[roger]

Sounds like you need to learn how to trim your bid and still do the type of work you want to do, otherwise chalk this up to the customer got what he paid for and move on to the next bid.

IOW's, (don't take this wrong) get over it.

Roger

 

[mdshunk]

OW's, (don't take this wrong) get over it.

I understand. Without a doubt, I'm over it, but I was in a picture posting mood today.

 

[mdshunk]

Sounds like you need to learn how to trim your bid and still do the type of work you want to do, ....

It just now dawned on me what you're saying here. I'd rather trim the work to suit the margin I need, rather than trim the price to get an invitation to do a certain level of work. I don't know if that makes sense or not. Maybe we're both saying the same thing.

(I had planned to pipe this service from the point of attachment to around back of the building, where there's plenty of room, to get it out of the alley. That pipework alone would probably be more than they paid for the "upgrade" pictured.)

 

[masterinbama]

I Know what you mean Marc I get the "my Brother-In-Law knows a guy that can do it cheaper" reply all the time. I priced a 200 amp back to back service change not to long ago everything was wide open no roof penetration.I wound up with $1100 in material and permits and $1200 labor. They guy got the brother-in-law deal for $1250. I can do short order cook work for $150 a day + tips and wouldn't have any overhead. makes me want pull my hair out.

 

[mdshunk]

I Know what you mean Marc I get the "my Brother-In-Law knows a guy that can do it cheaper" reply all the time.

That reply doesn't bug me as much as seeing the actual job the cheaper guy did, only to see that he used materials and methods far worse than even my low standards permit.

 

[480sparky]

I Know what you mean Marc I get the "my Brother-In-Law knows a guy that can do it cheaper" reply all the time.......

I've been e-corresponding with someone (they won't give me a phone #), who first asked me how much it would cost to do the work they wanted.

I responded with $2400 (based on the info they supplied).

Just yesterday I got an email from them asking what my 'best price' was. I replied "$2700."

The sent me another email today saying "2700?!?! I thought you originally said $2400! We need your best price!"

I replied "'Best price' is actually $3000. 2700 is still a 'pretty good' price."

 

[satcom]

I've been e-corresponding with someone (they won't give me a phone #), who first asked me how much it would cost to do the work they wanted.

I responded with $2400 (based on the info they supplied).

Just yesterday I got an email from them asking what my 'best price' was. I replied "$2700."

The sent me another email today saying "2700?!?! I thought you originally said $2400! We need your best price!"

I replied "'Best price' is actually $3000. 2700 is still a 'pretty good' price."

Feeling a bit down today, and your post made me laugh!

 

[roger]

It just now dawned on me what you're saying here. I'd rather trim the work to suit the margin I need, rather than trim the price to get an invitation to do a certain level of work. I don't know if that makes sense or not. Maybe we're both saying the same thing.

I think we might be saying the same thing but I'm not sure.


Roger

 

[bradleyelectric]

I got a phone call today, just got back from vacation last night and had plenty to do around here and wasn't looking to try to sell a small job so it went kind of like this. Woman says shes looking for someone to come out and do a little electric work about 30 minutes from the house. connect a range hood, install a counter receptacle the wiring already there, run wire to a porch light, the porch light already hung, just no wire run to it. I'm always kind of leary about this "wire already run to outlet" and have no idea why someone would hang a light that doesn't have wire run to it. I told her I could do it at my hourly rate of $200/ hr. She asked me if I thought it could be done in an hour. I told here I had no idea with out being able to see it. So she asks me if maybe it could be done in 2 hours. Than said they were will to pay good money to do the job, they were figuring about $300. I told her I don't know what it would take to run the wire to to the porch light with out seeing it. She asked me if I'd like to come look at it. I told her it would be at my hourly rate to come look at it. She balked. I did think it was funny she thought $300 was good money to do the job, but truth is someone will probably jump at it and she'll get what she pays for. I probably could have sold the job at good money, but still had bags to unpack and yardwork to do.

 

[tmbrk]

I've been e-corresponding with someone (they won't give me a phone #), who first asked me how much it would cost to do the work they wanted.

I responded with $2400 (based on the info they supplied).

Just yesterday I got an email from them asking what my 'best price' was. I replied "$2700."

The sent me another email today saying "2700?!?! I thought you originally said $2400! We need your best price!"

I replied "'Best price' is actually $3000. 2700 is still a 'pretty good' price."

Ha Ha! That's awesome.:grin:

 

[r_merc]

Marc.

Sometimes you have to be like Alton Brown when he is making buscuits. You just have to know when to walk away. Looks to me that you were bidding Apples and Oranges. I agree it is frustrating when you are trying to provide a good job for a decent price and then get beat by someone who will do the minimum just to get by. I have a competator here who has a bad habit of giving away his work and wonders why he works like a dog including Saturdays and Sundays. He gets alot of work from builders whose only concern is the low price. That is the only thing they get. I have been behind him on service calls from new home owners and they would rather pay me than call this guy back. Seems you have high standards of your own work. Keep it that way.

Rick

 

[mdshunk]

Sometimes you have to be like Alton Brown when he is making buscuits. You just have to know when to walk away.

I understand what you're saying, since I've said that a time or two myself. I subscribe to a slightly different sales approach. Start with the premise that buyers are liars, and purpose to never prejudge, and at least look at everyone's work. I've sold enough work that on the face seemed like they'd never bite that I think it's worth test driving every customer. I know I've done electrical work on buildings where my newly installed equipment was the most expensive single feature on or in the entire building. You just never know. It's all about ratios, when it comes right down to it. I'm closing 2 out of 3 on a regular basis, so there's still that one out of 3 that you need to pitch to get out of the way. "From the guttermost to the uttermost"; everyone with a dollar to spend is potentially my customer.