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Golden rule . Never reveal any line item costs ..only spell out what you're gonna do for the monies. And never commit to an exact completion date . But never attach a cost breakdown of anything.
I doubt you check your old work to confirm that a 20 hour bid job done in 15 is holding up to standards. No one likes someone who is hiding key business details... Super sketchy.. Keep up the scam on the rich idiots... 🎉
As a reseller who purchases items from auction houses around the country .... when they don't break down the shipping costs of material vs labor fee .... i will never spend my money with them ..... when I hear you talk all i hear is a narcissist .... all the most successful companies in the world put the customer first.
I'm born and raised in Oklahoma and the Tulsa Welding School comment was awesome! Apparently their nationwide reputation is similar to their local reputation.😂
Anyone who justifies not breaking out a bid is not to be trusted. I do this for a living, my anecdotal, my very real experience, lets me know the less that is provided, the less a contractor knows how to keep their costs precise in actual performance. And my anecdotal evidence is repeated by many in my field, the buyer for organization.
A lot of "educated people" think that your bid should be broken down to reflect an hourly rate. most people think that you're not worth $200/hr even though your not charging them by the hour.
Interesting that folk here are missing the scope of work part - you stated that you provide them with exact details of what you're going to do for that price, what they're going to get, just not how you're going to get those things you need.
Mark, this was a very great video. I greatly appreciate you making this. This is one of the most recommended videos I will probably share with as many people as I can that come to me with these types of questions. There is a lot of underlying doubts amongst a lot of tradesmen, and we all struggle with this. So I absolutely love that you have spelled this out in a very clear, but direct and respectable fashion. I greatly greatly greatly appreciate you taking the time to make this video.
I do a general break down if there are multiple projects. If they are doing windows, siding, gutters and a new roof, I bid those jobs separately so they know where the money is going. What I will never ever do is break down a siding job, I’ll break down what I’m doing but would never ever, break my labor and materials down for any job, period. When a customer asks me this, I’ll give my usual answer, nope. And if it’s not for them, no problem, we both move on. One thing I’ve learned, never be afraid to walk away if you got a bad feeling.
I’m not a veteran contractor but I’ve been doing this for close to 10 years now and not once did I even write out a contract. And yes once it got sticky and I list $1300 on a job. All 5 star reviews, over 500 reviews, a simple quote and a handshake, if shit pops up during the job I talk it out. Most times I get tips for a few hundred or so. But I’m rather cheep I think, I don’t charge a dime until the job is complete (unless I have to buy material that I typically don’t include). So the customer is always happy cause I ask them along the way if this is good thus far. I’m flexible without being a fool and yeah I only give one quote and that’s that. That includes everything. Yes I get a discount on materials and often times I have leftovers from previous jobs. Great video.
My dentist gives me a break down on procedures. My Dental insurance shows procedures, materials and how much they'll cover in dollars and percentage. Car dealerships and local mechanics write a breakdown of parts and labor. Why don't contractors? Give free reign to an industry with a huge percentage of horror stories? I had the top professional and state exam writer , certification instructor and restoration contractor visit my house to review the problems I was having with a contractor who was one of his former students. He was livid that contractor broke the law on 2 counts and overcharged and under/non performed. He vehemently expressed his disgust so many bad characters and outright criminals in the industry. And you, dude, are one of them. This top professional wrote me a bid with a breakdown and how it wld be done. I need work done, thus watching this vid. Unethical cheats of handymen posing as pros and unethical contractors, thanks for the heads up on your sleezy crooked methods. I'll make reference to this vid on Nextdoor.com and the high level legal and government background volunteer professionals representing the community as advocates. YOU'RE ADVICE IS UNDERHANDED
Shyster. Don't try to dignify deceptive practices. Sure, cld be honest total bottom line but you're putting a mask on who, what and how are going into my house. Who hands money over to a man in a mask? A vivtim!
No deception here. You know exactly who (no subcontractors, just us), and you know exactly what (crystal-clear scope of work and materials). I guess you don't know the how? I suppose if you knew how you'd be doing it yourself.
He said at time 2:45 that mark up on material helps them cover overhead cost. Really? I know overhead has to be recouped as part of every job sold, but FROM MATERIAL MARKUP? Please explain how this makes sense, which, from here I cannot see that it does. Thank you.
I think the problem here is mixing up two different kinds of pricing. Either way is good, accidentally mixing them together isn't good. For custom work, I sometimes ask the customer which way they want to go. "I can do this job for $2,500. Or if you prefer we wait until it's done and see how long it took. I estimate this will run $2,000 - $2,900. Would you like to do fixed price or wait and see how much it takes?" Some people prefer to pay a fixed cost agreed upon up front, some people prefer "time and materials". I can come up with a price that works for me either way. Just don't confuse the two - you can't tell up front exactly what it will take to get the job done.
statistically there is a much bigger pool of crap customers than there are contractors Also I've lost track of how many tools, shop vacs and power cords that I have left on jobs and no one has ever called to say hey you left something
I agree. You give detailed info on what you are providing but giving a break down of cost of the materials labor and freight is just not worth the hassle and it always ends with them trying to haggle over a cost they think is to high. Either you want us to do it or find someone else to haggle with. This is also why i don’t do work for government anymore. To be paid they want tons of paperwork on proof of costs. Not worth the effort trying to chase your money
Many projects that we bid require that it be submitted per their bid schedule which might have curbs as a different line item. We do insurance work and the insurance companies itemize everything including how much masking tape you will need.we use the same program so we get the same numbers. For the other customers, I give a detailed description and lump sum price. Means and methods are not their concern. I can bring in a piece of heavy equipment or a kid with a shovel.
I retired two years ago and did it for 28 years, hated when customers asked for that. I learned not to do that. I would give a verbal bid and if they agreed I would write it up with no break downs. Glad I'm no longer doing this type of work for a living. Blessings
