Picking Your Projects

[Sparky555]

Along the lines of free estimates I was wondering if anyone else picks their projects, or more to the point, avoids certain projects.

I had a call asking for a free estimate on a pool hookup, a fairly common call this time of year. Last year I gave at least two bids for pools & I believe both clients said I was "almost triple" their other bids. It leads me to believe that someone has a laborer digging the trench, & likely doing the electrical work while he's there. So I avoid bidding on pools for new clients looking for free multiple quotes. If I can't get a decent percentage of the projects I feel like I'm working for the competition providing a higher bid so they can get the job.

I've read in other threads about guys doing panel changes or even service upgrades under $1000. Personally, I'll especially avoid the live utility work if there's no profit in it.

Anything you avoid?

Dave

 

[ultramegabob]

I pass on alot of residential work, there is no money in wiring new houses, and too many fools who will rewire a house for peanuts...

 

[mdshunk]

Anything you avoid?

I avoid certain types of customers, but not certain types of work.

 

[Sparky555]

I don't know if there's any connection, but I had two different clients in the last year that I imagine were born in the same Valley of Hell. They signed contracts & then SCREAMED at me to try to get out of paying for the work. Both their names ended with "barski".

Dave

 

[iwire]

Both their names ended with "barski".

Dave

And that means what Dave?

Lets avoid generalizations here.

 

[mdshunk]

Isn't Barski the nickname of the cameraman on Dirty Jobs?

 

[iwire]

Isn't Barski the nickname of the cameraman on Dirty Jobs?

Yes and a producer director.

 

[tmbrk]

For service work I try to stay away from homes over 50-60 years old. I personally find them to be too much hassle. I don't like working with lathe and plaster. If I do price out the job it's alot higher because of the PITA factor.

 

[mdshunk]

For service work I try to stay away from homes over 50-60 years old. I personally find them to be too much hassle.

I think a lot of guys think like you, and I'm pretty happy about it. I've made a decent life out of serving this market. The one I was working in on Friday said 1861 on the cornerstone (actually the cornerstone was mounted high up in the gable end for some reason).

 

[peter d]

For service work I try to stay away from homes over 50-60 years old. I personally find them to be too much hassle. I don't like working with lathe and plaster. If I do price out the job it's alot higher because of the PITA factor.

No doubt about it, that work really stinks sometimes. It's tedious, painstaking, dirty and downright frustrating sometimes. It's also the majority of what I've done in my relatively short career and I'm glad to have gained that experience dealing with old buildings.

 

[nakulak]

I know a contractor who thinks like this:

- if the job is a pita, jack em up front (ie. if you get the work, make it worth your while)
- if the client looks like a pita, jack em up front
- if the client is green, low ball them, then jack em with extras
- if the work looks good, give them a competetive bid


I subscribe to some, not necessarily all of the above. I find the best work to be negotiated/word of mouth reference/networked though.

that being said, at some point you are going to innately pick your jobs, by the simple fact that you are likely to be competetive at whatever it is that you are good at (your bread and butter), and not necessarily as competetive at stuff you don't do very often.

 

[mdshunk]

I know a contractor who thinks like this:

- if the job is a pita, jack em up front (ie. if you get the work, make it worth your while)
- if the client looks like a pita, jack em up front
- if the client is green, low ball them, then jack em with extras
- if the work looks good, give them a competetive bid

That's business, in a nutshell. I just delete the "client looks like a pita", since I try to not work for this type of person. I struggle to fill the customer list with "nice people".

 

[Sparky555]

And that means what Dave?

Lets avoid generalizations here.

I didn't mean anything by it Bob. Almost all of the people I work for are very friendly, courteous, respectful & grateful. The experience with these two clients was the polar opposite on all counts & it was shocking. I'm not inferring that anyone with a similar name would send a red flag up in my mind, more like a little smile remembering two immature clients behaving badly. My motto is...I don't care who they are as long as the money is green.

I happen to work in a lot of old homes. It might be typical for electricians to prefer working new construction or commercial because there's no swimming in insulation. I enjoy finding hidden J boxes under a mountain of insulation & fishing. I'm not very fond of the occasional roofing nail in the head, or scratching down my back.

Dave

 

[macmikeman]

I pass up on anything that I think will end up in lower profit than I want and need to have to stay in business. This is not community service, this is business. The other thing is rewiring houses. I used to do plenty of them. I am now 52 going on 53. I don't mind attic work for an hour and a half while performing a service call, but 8 hours of it for 5 days in a row is a young mans game. Also like another poster has said, there is too much lowballing in the house rewire market to even bother with it.

 

[Chamuit]

I pass up on anything that I think will end up in lower profit than I want and need to have to stay in business. This is not community service, this is business. The other thing is rewiring houses. I used to do plenty of them. I am now 52 going on 53. I don't mind attic work for an hour and a half while performing a service call, but 8 hours of it for 5 days in a row is a young mans game. Also like another poster has said, there is too much lowballing in the house rewire market to even bother with it.

I agree with you. Although, I have bid on jobs and gotten them after bidding them high. Last year, there was one I knew was going to horribly time consuming. My bid was double the normal price, still got it. This year I ran into a lady who I could tell was a bossy general PITA. Bid the job on the high side since I was bidding against at least one other guy. (I was more than double the lowest guys price.) Still got the job because I returned phone calls and looked professional. Also, the job is way higher than the original bid. She keeps adding stuff.

I really get pissed when the profit margin falls. So, you bet I pass on some jobs.

 

[Chamuit]

I don't care who they are as long as the money is green.

I happen to work in a lot of old homes. It might be typical for electricians to prefer working new construction or commercial because there's no swimming in insulation. I enjoy finding hidden J boxes under a mountain of insulation & fishing. I'm not very fond of the occasional roofing nail in the head, or scratching down my back.

Dave

Very funny Dave! I feel the same way. Interesting how other (non-electricians) do things and actually make them work.

 

[480sparky]

I hate to pass up work, but not all work equals money. Some people think what you charge per hour is what you are paying yourself. I WISH! Only in my wildest dreams!

There are, on occasion, some jobs I end up passing on by saying "I'm simply too booked up right now to take care of this." just to not have to deal with it. Some work I would even consider too hazardous to do.

 

[ultramegabob]

I have looked at some jobs where the previous work everywhere was so bad that I just wouldnt touch the place unless it was a total gut job, Pass....

 

[Riograndeelectric]

you should try working in the Denver market. to many Electrcians and to may unlicensed handy man. I am a 1 man shop and get beat out by low ball bids . I have friend that owns a big shop 50 guys and only does commercail and he gets beat out by low ball bids from Electricians who have no idea what they are doing or just bidding to keep there guys busy.

Denver is to flooded with too many low ballers. most customers are only looking for the cheapeast price and sometimes will request the job not be permitted this drives me crazy I do list in my contract though that if the building dept shoiws up and red tags the job that I will charge them for my extra time going to the building dept to obtain a permitt

 

[tonyou812]

old houses with multiple tenants. Knob and tube/ old bx with dried out wires. I cant stay away from them. I always tell myself no more but if im not busy I take them