# bidding



## 78 hotrod (Jan 31, 2006)

what are some of the things you guys put in your bids. do you up charge? charge for tool use. and do you have any samples of your bids i am just trying to get an idea


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## Multi-Tasker (Jul 11, 2005)

Hi 78

Some of the newer info.I have seen talks about a tool charge on power tool use.
I have not done it yet. 
Markup helps pay for my time to select and pick up a item (10 to 30%)
I will not make a bid without going to the job site to look at it. Too many things to miss.

Joe


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## noreast05 (Sep 4, 2005)

You must charge a mark up above you overhead if you want to survive. More importantly ..... make money. You buy a saw blade to cut something for a client right. That needs to be figured into the job. You need to know what all your cost are including your profit in order to figure out what to charge.


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

I charge by the cut. $25.00 per cross cut of a 2x4. $30 if there is a bevel or miter involved. Tile is double that.:thumbup:


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## Aceinstaller (Feb 5, 2006)

Geeeeezzzzz greg, 

That seems a little steep from where I live. Are you doing homes for the stars?


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## noreast05 (Sep 4, 2005)

Well you need to factor in the cost of travel..... Trip Charge


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## DecksEtc (Oct 27, 2004)

Greg Di said:


> I charge by the cut. $25.00 per cross cut of a 2x4. $30 if there is a bevel or miter involved. Tile is double that.:thumbup:


Ace, Greg's joking.


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

DecksEtc said:


> Ace, Greg's joking.


Or am I?....:whistling


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## redwing510 (Jan 28, 2006)

If he's not, I'm packing up my sh*t and moving to NJ!!


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## NHCharger (Oct 23, 2005)

I alway ask the home owners if they watch any of those home improvement or DIY shows. If they do I alway add in a home owner interference factor.


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## Rambone (Feb 19, 2006)

*Bids*

Hi I'm new here but yes I do charge for Travel time, blades, anything related to the job that cost me $. Sometimes I even factor in my lunches. I had one guy who said he wanted to help first of all that doubles my price, come to find out all he could do was make sandwiches and browies.::furious: well they were good though.


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## boo (Aug 24, 2006)

someone told me that labor usually works out the same as material? Is that true


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## R&S Exteriors (Aug 4, 2006)

boo said:


> someone told me that labor usually works out the same as material? Is that true


Whoever told you that is probably no longer in business.

It would depend on what the project is and how high-end the materials are. If they are real high-end then labor may be close.

It also depends on what he is referring to as "labor". Is he including profit and overhead in "labor". If he is then he definately won't be in business long.

Labor should be figured out by figuring out # Man Hours to complete the job X your hourly rate. Then add your profit margin and overhead cost margin + materials.


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## Double-A (Jul 3, 2006)

boo said:


> someone told me that labor usually works out the same as material? Is that true


How could it? 

Paint grade crown moulding, $1.60/lineal foot. You gonna install for that price? Crown a small bedroom, say 52' feet. You think you can put up crown in that room for $166.40?

Print out R&S's post and keep it in your wallet. Next time someone tells you labor = materials, ask them to read it and find the flaws in it. I think they are talking through their hat.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

boo said:


> someone told me that labor usually works out the same as material? Is that true


I have stated in a past post, that for a *rough guide*, or starting point, _material cost multiplied times 1.3 gives a rough starting point. _I use this only when I am doing something I have never done before, or unsure of in materials, if my initial estimate is lower then material cost. 

There are so many other factors involved that I suppose it isn't even close for a lot of jobs, but as I said...it is only a guide, and can be helpful as a check on an estimate.:whistling


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

R&S Exteriors said:


> Whoever told you that is probably no longer in business.
> 
> It would depend on what the project is and how high-end the materials are. If they are real high-end then labor may be close.
> 
> ...


I re-read this so here is an example that works for this scenario. Insulated siding here is $160 a sq...so who wouldn't side for $160 a sq labor? In this area (Oklahoma), siding installs for about $125. 

The more I think about this, the more examples I can find at one end of the scale, then the other end...like kitchen cabinets...

Now at the other end, we installed a Tamco steel roof a few years ago, and since it was the first one, I used the material cost rounded up for the labor...and it worked out...not a big profit, but we were learning on that job, so if I were to do another one, it would actually have a nice margin built in.


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## Peladu (Jan 8, 2006)

There is and never will be one constant formula used to estimate projects, since they all differ.(almost all)


Sqft to Insulate a wall is different than sqft to rock a wall.

Nevertheless, I have heard of guys using the Material times Three way of bidding.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

The problem about bidding in unfamiliar territory is always going to come down to man hours and how to protect yourself. If you have never done the specified work, or used the specified materials before, how would you know the man hours to allow? When we get brick quotes form masons, it is always so much a brick (by the thousand) plus extras. Right now that number is $400 a thousand plus materials (sand, cement)...now if brick are purchased for 350 a thousand, the 1.3 rule will work...of course, this is silly since only a mason will make money at this..and we aren't going to start laying brick...but I was thinking bricks since I just hung up the phone from Acme.


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## boo (Aug 24, 2006)

Thanks alot guys for all your insight. It really helps me. I've been trying to find a consistant system. But I think you all are right, every job is different. I have a book called RS Means that I use alot. I normally figure up my material and figure the man hours x my hourly rate. Then I compare it to My RS means book to see how close it is. RS means book is a National sq. ft. price estimater. It works well for me


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

boo said:


> someone told me that labor usually works out the same as material? Is that true


I build custom cabinets and other stuff. I find that the labor is around 3 to 5 times what the materials cost. $7000.00 in materials for a kitchen (ie: veneered ply, solid stock, hardware, finishing supplies etc) will yield a $30-35K final kitchen price tag (installed). A lot of building is done by sq ft or LF. Once you have things figured out by writing everything down, time, material, subs, PITA factor then you can come up with your own formulas for determining pricing.


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

boo said:


> RS means book is a National sq. ft. price estimater. It works well for me


A MUST buy personally, yearly subscription but its worth its weight in gold.


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