Residential Bidding

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lloyd B

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Need some tips from the residential pros.With the commercial work slowing down a bit i have picked up some big additions to bid if i want.I heard you bid by the box is that right,could someone give me a quick run down on how you bid out the houses.I did a takeoff today the same way we do the commercial bids and it just seems really high,any advice sure would be appreciated.
 
Sorry Lloyd, this is always a topic where almost anybody would give you a number, couse there is so many variables, where you are, your over head expens....and so on. Here in North jersey just to give you an idea for an addition, of course dealing with rerouting wires and runiing new circuits from panel, I would charge 90 per recep & sw, at least 125 per H R and depending on house would add easy 5 hour extra for old wiring. But again it depends in your situation. I hope it helps.
 
Hi lloyde

Just like mtn said the areas were your from seem to have a big effect on the pricing. But just for a diffrent prospective, I never bid by the box. To me there are way too many variables and it could be i just never learned that methood. But anyway i just like to add up my materials and figure out how long it will take me and multiply that by my hourly rate. Also keep an eye out for the unexpected for instance in our area if the addition exceeds x amout of square feet you have to add hard wired interconnected smokes to the whole house if no smokes exist.
Good luck hope it works out for you.
 
R2006 said:
Also keep an eye out for the unexpected for instance in our area if the addition exceeds x amout of square feet you have to add hard wired interconnected smokes to the whole house if no smokes exist.
Good luck hope it works out for you.
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Ouch, thats a tough one. In my area, if part of the house is not getting renovated, that part if it qualifies as an area where current codes would require a smoke alarm like sleeping areas, then a batt. only will suffice for that area only. On the renovation/ addition part of the dwelling, electric with battery backup required, but hey thats the easy part of the house anyway.
 
Macmikeman

Dont i know it, the only nice thing about it is i dont even have to sell it it comes right from the township as a requirement to pull the building permit. And some of the houses in this area are kinda big. in some cases old too so no smoke detectors exist and the township requires the whole house to be protected as per there code (the most we had to add in one addition was 15 hardwired interconnected battery back up smokes to the main house plus the addition).
 
Thanks to all who replied,i gave the GC the price thinking it would be high and he jumped on it,he said it was in the middle of all the other bids and he also said an electrician just showing up was half the battle, he signed a contract with with 25% down.With the commercial contractors it takes forever to get money out of them usually 30/60/90 days,then you got to go find them.So may as well try the romex a while,at least you can wear shorts.
 
R2006 said:
Macmikeman

Dont i know it, the only nice thing about it is i dont even have to sell it it comes right from the township as a requirement to pull the building permit. And some of the houses in this area are kinda big. in some cases old too so no smoke detectors exist and the township requires the whole house to be protected as per there code (the most we had to add in one addition was 15 hardwired interconnected battery back up smokes to the main house plus the addition).
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I thought that 12 was the max?

Tom
 
I bid resi by doing a takeoff, same as commercial. I can give some quick and dirty estimates on a "per hole" basis, but I'll only sign on the dotted line if I've done a takeoff. Granted, some guys have "assemblies" in their takeoffs that are darned close to just counting holes. I've never been comfortable with that, and I still plan-wheel off as much of the romex as I can.
 
R2006 said:
i just like to add up my materials and figure out how long it will take me and multiply that by my hourly rate.
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That IS the basic formula for bidding by the box ;) , by the box you simply break down each item to a dollar/time value based on material price and effiency (hourly rate).

Like this:
15AStandardDuplexRecp.jpg


This is the price for a standard outlet...no hr, no cb.
 
Thats just how i bid the job Celtic,but a lot cheaper,no wonder he jumped on my bid,i bid ten dollars a box cheaper.I live in the south ,so mabey the prices are a little less here,i like your program on exel looks like you have a lot of time invested.Do you know where i could get some proposal sheets to down load to word.
 
CELTIC

Ive seen your lay out before and it looks excellent. The pricing you have is it just your experience or is there some sort of book for this. Or i wait till you finish it and just buy it from you.
 
lloyd B said:
Thats just how i bid the job Celtic,but a lot cheaper,no wonder he jumped on my bid,i bid ten dollars a box cheaper.I live in the south ,so mabey the prices are a little less here,.......
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That $50 +/- price is grossly outdated.....today's price is $70.02....but then again, I'm in NJ ;)
At $45 per, you may have sold yourself short BUT who am I say you did?
Your market conditions (for the most part) are different than mine....and who knows....maybe a low entry number gets you in the door and you make it up on extra, changes, moves, etc...or you simply needed the work.
Whatever the case, IMHO, if your numbers are close to/based on that example of mine - you won't lose any money :)


lloyd B said:
.....i like your program on exel looks like you have a lot of time invested.Do you know where i could get some proposal sheets to down load to word.
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Yup...made with Excel 97..and it took quite a few hours (to say the least)...currently, it isn't 100% complete. I wanted to add some more items...like permit fees(and time to file same, inspection scheduling and time, etc), services and grounding, pools (which I have even done a single pool job to the best of my recollection), etc....


R2006 said:
CELTIC

Ive seen your lay out before and it looks excellent. The pricing you have is it just your experience or is there some sort of book for this. Or i wait till you finish it and just buy it from you.
Click to expand...

It's a work in progress...when it's 99% done (because their is ALWAYS something to add ~ AFCI's for example) ...I'll probably just give it away.

Thanks guys.
 
I would strongly reccomend that you use a residential electrical estimating software program. Mike Holt lists the major programs here.

Most of them allow you to download their program for a trial period. I personally use a program called TurboBid. It is listed in Mike's list of major programs or you can find it here.
 
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