# Got any work?



## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

Mildest winter I can ever remember & there is nothing going on. Residential is dead & the few public jobs that have gone to bid are going dirt cheap. I think this mild winter is making me more pessimistic. Must be the lack of snowplowing.


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## skillman (Sep 23, 2011)

I hear you on the snow removal this season so far has been crap.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

Same here, weather is great and we have no work. Haven't had any real work in 5 weeks. I've only plowed twice this year. My dad has been running the dump truck for the past 3 weeks. Hauling fly ash and rip-rap. I have been just tinkering around the shop.

We do have one customer that is waiting approvals on a new development next week. I have a price figured up on preliminary plans and there were some minor changes, so when he gets his final approvals, I'll give him a final price and hopefully and we start on that in March.


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## ctkiteboarding (Jul 10, 2006)

Same here, we've had prefect winter weather for dirt work and nothing going on, no calls from homeowners :sad: , nothing. 

My main clients waiting for zoning approvals on two homes but every time i stop by it seem things are getting pushed back and back. wtf

Been screening topsoil and stock piling it for spring and some small repairs but the fact is we have not been running hard for the last 6 months so irons just sitting and things don't break when they sit. 

cant believe im bitching about things not breaking LOL ,really hoping things free up abit, 

on the tree side, the low ballers have really hit us hard, just cant go to a job and break even. im not doing it if i can make something :no:. 

im sure march will free up some ,but damn this is getting old


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## Moxley-Kidwell (Jan 28, 2011)

We laid a few guys off at the begining of winter. We've been pretty lucky to finish up a few projects and have been working T&M pretty much every day for the last few weeks. Have our mechanic and a few others doing maint./repairs to the equipment if the weather sucks. Pretty lucky, the list seems to stay the same length or getting longer.

On the other hand myself, father in law/partner and 2 foreman have been at a Maryland State Highway/ Maryland Department of Envirornment erosion and sediment control class for the last 2 days 7:45-4:00. What a great time listening to these guys spend our tax dollars and tell us we can also fine you starting at 32,500 min. from (MDE) if your out of spec, sequence, etc... Fine job our government does, one guy acually had the balls to talk about contractors doing some thing to waste our tax dollars. Think everyone in the room thought that was pretty funny.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

*Got any what???*

Been slow here too.

Lots of pricing.....then they change things, and Lots of pricing it again.

I have some good solid customers so hopefully things will end up paying out.

I wish you all well, business will come back stronger than before...we just have to ride this out.......


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

who cares about work anymore...jason, keep sending the titty emails!!!


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

dayexco said:


> who cares about work anymore...jason, keep sending the titty emails!!!


You got it !!! :thumbsup:


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## peteo (Jan 8, 2011)

Somehow we have stumbled on to a decent amount of work. Bidding on a commercial office building, an apartment building that I'm pretty sure we got, a pole barn and a few concrete and landscape jobs. We also landed a nice little storm job at a friends property that includes 400'+ of pipe, a detention area and somewhere in the neighborhood of 50yds of concrete. Hopefully the trend continues. Don't know where its coming from but thank God it is since this winter hasn't made us any money.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

peteo said:


> ....an apartment building that I'm pretty sure we got


If we completed all the jobs that I "thought we had", I would be retired by now. I do not count on anything until papers are signed and iron is on the job working.


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## CanDoExcavating (Feb 11, 2010)

Still loading lime using a long reach now a 240 with 60' of reach creates a whole new level of difficulty loading trucks 50' away from you. 13 basements for march and april.


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## peteo (Jan 8, 2011)

rino1494 said:


> If we completed all the jobs that I "thought we had", I would be retired by now. I do not count on anything until papers are signed and iron is on the job working.


Good point. Probably being overly optimistic but I've got my fingers crossed. Either way I'm just happy the phone is ringing.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

i'm on your side pete...great to hear things are bobbing for you, wine em, dine em, sign em!


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

dayexco said:


> who cares about work anymore...jason, keep sending the titty emails!!!


Hey, how do I get those emails too. Signed, pervert.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

Morning Wood said:


> Hey, how do I get those emails too. Signed, pervert.


PM me your e-mail address. Warning, I send quite a bit of e-mails, some dirty, alot of political and some funny. If you are a democrat, do not send me your e-mail address. :jester:


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

Woohoo, I got some work. Another site contractor called the other day and he as 3 weeks work building a gas well pad. He wants to rent our wiggle wagon with operator. So, I'll be sitting my rear in the haul truck for the next 3 wks. He said that he "might" have another one to do right after that. It will take a little while to get paid, because the gas companies are slow, but it is something to do for now.


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## Little (Jul 22, 2006)

Nothing going on over here either, we are at the point with the one job we do have that we need to jump to another job as this one is being built in phases. We built the new building, now we have to wait for them to move everything and demo the old so we can finish the sitework. Already laid off two guys this friday. 5 jobs for bid on the board, gulp


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## jmacd (Jul 14, 2009)

We have had no plowing to speak of. 
This has been the worst year ever for plowing, about a tenth of what we have done in past years. 

I have quoted many projects and are doing so daily so if a small percentage of the work we bid works out I should have some future work. Have a quote on Tuesday for a public works project but I am willing bet we have 20 bidders all pricing it at cost.


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## Little (Jul 22, 2006)

A little side note, great Ad at the bottom, i checked that Benchmark out and damn that is one sweet workbench haha


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## ranteso (Nov 11, 2010)

Been busy since last March and there's no end in sight. Mostly repeat clients and a couple new. Talking to two guys now to come on board. 
Remodeling is stronger than ever.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

dayexco said:


> yeah, me and my big mouth. i need to STFU


Hey nothing wrong with rants. Yours is dead on but it makes my eyes hurt trying to read it.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

dayexco said:


> yeah, me and my big mouth. i need to STFU


Naw, keep talking, it is refreshing to hear some of this from someone else. I was doing a similar exercise here a week or so ago, when I got under priced by a farmer who also does excavating....

I'm sure he has inexpensive "farm" tags on his trucks as well as a few other perks I am aware of....


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## burntside bob (Sep 27, 2010)

*Day you have an excellent handle on costs*

A contractor has to know what his/her costs of doing business is, and have it always in mind. To many have never learned how to figure out what it costs to be in business, no idea! 
If you look at a job and the next second give a price quote for it, without putting a pencil to the paper to figure out what it will cost to do the job; well they are not really business men/women, they are equipment operators, there's a big difference.
If you can not do the job with out taking cash out of your pocket to pay for the previlige of performing the work, don't do the work. 
Small business USA is wonderful but some of the people in business just should not be in business. 
I wonder what's wrong with the bankers and finance companies that provide the money for these people to enter business when they can not even balance their personnel check book, I know they put up every thing they own as colleratial for the loans, but the point is the bankers should realize that these people have no idea of whats going on with the business side of the operation after the first conversation.


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## CanDoExcavating (Feb 11, 2010)

$375 per hour wow


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

well, you should know, as many basements you've dug..that it's not all production time. well then again...maybe in your instance it is. as busy as you guys are in soo foo, i'd think you guys would be up around $4-$4.5 a yd.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

andrew (backhoe1)...when you get on, what are throw and go basements going for in the brookings area?


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## CanDoExcavating (Feb 11, 2010)

Down here in the sun belt of south Dakota we install sewer and water and dig the basement( walkout, garden view, or full) in a day , winter work sometimes takes longer( don't wanna get out of the machine. Brrrrrrrr) there are 3 co. Down here that don't have grade checkers in the hole, me, Midwest, and Empire. So that is about a 10 hr day. Other co have 3 guys ex operator, grade monkey, skidder op and we end up being done at about the same time. So a 2500 sq/ft bsmt (walkout)and 65' of sewer and water= $3560 so I guess yeah you are substantially higher up there but that is how it works. Bigger city's more work lower prices, smaller towns less work higher prices. Seems stupid but it is the way it is. And we are all about the same down here per cu/yd.


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

We are finishing a job next week that we started in December that we priced in October, 2010.

I have one 3 day job estimate out that I have not heard back from. 

I have an appointment to look at a 1 - 2 day job tomorrow.

I have a note to call a woman April 1 about a 1 day job, something I priced last July.

So only 2 calls for work since September.

Do we have work? No, not so much!


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## peteo (Jan 8, 2011)

Gene, 

That was by far the best rant I've read in a while. I like the way you break it all down since there's a few things in there that a lot of people don't take into account. Keep it up!!!

On a side note-I think this site is great. Being a younger guy and not being in business very long there is a ton of valuable info here if you just look for it. Thanks to you guys for the pointers along the way and I hope you guys have a busy and safe year.


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## jmacd (Jul 14, 2009)

Went to my bid opening on Tuesday for site work at a school in northern NY about 1 hour away from home.

We were the low bidder by 3%. I should be happy but now I have to figure out how to make money on the project. 

The thing I don't under stand is how the companies that are so much larger than us can quote so close. I self perform the work, I drive the dump truck, run the excavator, etc. The project is rate pay so my employees have to get about $35 plus an hour for a laborer. The rate for drivers and operators are more. 

These other guys are not doing the work them selfs they hire it all out at rate pay and hope the project supervisor makes a profit. 

I run my job, I control the pay role and the project on a daily basis so you would think that my overhead would be less than the larger companies. If that is the case and I am still concerned about the bottom line and making money then how do they do it?


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

jmacd said:


> Went to my bid opening on Tuesday for site work at a school in northern NY about 1 hour away from home.
> 
> We were the low bidder by 3%. I should be happy but now I have to figure out how to make money on the project.
> 
> ...



i asked that question of a larger underground contractor at a bid letting where they bought the job by about 15% lower than 2nd bidder...bear in mind, this company has some back up bucks...they're wealthy...and it "kinda" makes sense..i couldn't do it...he goes..

let's say my overhead is $20k a month. i sit home, do nothing, i'm down $240k...if i buy some jobs for cost or a touch below...and i can bring in $15k a month...now i'm down only 60k. vs. 240k....he said, can't do it forever, but can do it long enough til economy picks up, keep bills paid, crew around, etc.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

The bigger companies can work at a lower % profit because they work off of volume.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

rino1494 said:


> The bigger companies can work at a lower % profit because they work off of volume.


i'd agree jason...but negative profit is still a loss...it's apparently a business decision on how long you can ride it out?


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

I have 2 condo duplexes w/ utilities to dig along with oil tank removal. Also picked up plans for house & barn excavation with 600' of driveway. It's a start


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

jason, our local tech school is going to start a heavy equipment operator's school next school year...you'd make a damn good instructor...want me to email you a job ap? you probably couldn't take the south dakota winters tho...i'd go for it, but i don't think they want anybody my age.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

dayexco said:


> jason, our local tech school is going to start a heavy equipment operator's school next school year...you'd make a damn good instructor...want me to email you a job ap? you probably couldn't take the south dakota winters tho...i'd go for it, but i don't think they want anybody my age.


I can see it now. Day the instructor going on an epic rant on a class full of students. 

If I were you I would look into it. Cushy schedule & no worries about lowballers.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

Upchuck said:


> I can see it now. Day the instructor going on an epic rant on a class full of students.
> 
> If I were you I would look into it. Cushy schedule & no worries about lowballers.


by the time the program is up and running, i'll be 60...they won't want me...jason, as young as he is, the experience he has...would be very desireable....pay's pretty dang good, retirement and benefits are great.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

dayexco said:


> jason, our local tech school is going to start a heavy equipment operator's school next school year...you'd make a damn good instructor...want me to email you a job ap? you probably couldn't take the south dakota winters tho...i'd go for it, but i don't think they want anybody my age.


I'd prefer to teach sex ed.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

dayexco said:


> i'd agree jason...but negative profit is still a loss...it's apparently a business decision on how long you can ride it out?


There were 2 seperate storm water jobs in my area that went out for bid. They were in the millions. Real puss case ones. Working in the streets, deep excavations, working around heavy traffic and utilities. Both companies that got each contract bid it below cost just to keep their guys working. They were also from out of town. 

I honestly do not know why these guys even bother.


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## backhoe1 (Mar 30, 2007)

dayexco said:


> andrew (backhoe1)...when you get on, what are throw and go basements going for in the brookings area?


Gene, hasn't anyone told you that "going rate" questions are frowned upon here. j/k

I actually try to get about $4. I always figure cu. yds. to help me estimate, but it really comes down to how much time it will take us.

In the past five years I've been called everything from a low balling hack to a high priced crook. The funny thing is, I haven't really changed how I price jobs at all.

We also have some concrete guys down here digging them for free just to get the other work.


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