Builders/Tradesmans quotes??????

bglg · Apr 01, 2008 8:20 pm

I'm a registered builder and carpenter by trade, i just want some feed back from you guys on quotes you receive?

Do you always go for the cheapest?

Or someone recommended?

Or someone who gives good references?

Or someone you feel comfortable with?

Or all of the above?

80% of my work is through refferals, the rest advertising.

Its just i quote jobs and feel like i'm being used all the time.......

Paula · Apr 01, 2008 8:24 pm

first

Quote:

Or someone recommended?

second

Quote:

Or someone you feel comfortable with?

Michelle · Apr 01, 2008 8:24 pm

Good questions!

Sorry about you feeling used….I know how that one goes.

Yak_Chat · Apr 01, 2008 8:25 pm

Quote:

Do you always go for the cheapest?

Or someone recommended?

Or someone who gives good references?

Or someone you feel comfortable with?

Or all of the above?

80% of my work is through refferals, the rest advertising.

Its just i quote jobs and feel like i'm being used all the time.......

In answer to the above.

No,
Hmm - I have god references on.
Yes
No
80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients

Be careful you are not overvalueing what you offer and underselling it.

Free quotes is a tough one - Nothing is really free - it costs you to quote, time fuel, calls etc, so that gets built into the next jobs costs.

How I choose tradies, reputation, quality of work, value for money.
And we use many of them as subbies to our business projects where I need to rely on them to perform.
Steve

Mrs B · Apr 01, 2008 8:44 pm

Do you always go for the cheapest?

No, sometimes false economy.

Or someone recommended?

This would have to be number 1 on my list

Or someone who gives good references?

Yes, recommendations are worth their weight in gold

Or someone you feel comfortable with?

Yes, I like to be taken seriously. I would also like to think the tradie/builder is interested in working on my project. If they show disinterest, they will not get the job.

Or all of the above?

Yes, except for the first one. I also may add reliability in a tradesmen is crucial.

Mrs B

bglg · Apr 02, 2008 10:37 am

Michelle,

I sometimes spend days pricing jobs, be puntual, reliable and people give me the job they say. I then organise species and get the contracts in place, then they send me a lowsy email saying they've over budgeted or cant get the finance. Not even a phone call............. But the ones i do get there jobs are happy as larry and we become friends.

Michelle · Apr 02, 2008 10:50 am

Maybe if you get a deposit first before you organise anything, that might make them see you are serious?

I recently spent 8 hours on a Hotel, after being told to go ahead, but stay in budget.
I stayed in budget and had a tight narrow line to work within! Only to be told to hang off continuing the final hours and she will get back to me.

Of course, I emailed her to see how she was going, ha, long story! But ……guess who got ripped off from her designs and colour!
:evil:

I now have a contract! :wink:

bglg · Apr 02, 2008 5:56 pm

They should know if i'm serious from day dot, i think by asking for deposit up front before i've estimated will really put them off.

You win some you lose some, some are even that mingy they want there plans back...........

I'm always busy cant complain that i'm out of work. It just feels good when people give you a go and they thank god they got you.

Also i get the odd call back from jobs i've quoted which the owners have gone for someone cheaper. Then they tell me there carpenter has hurt there back or there having marital problems. I do the right thing and go to asess what needs to be done, and the jobs an absoulute mess.

I have photo's of some shocking wormanship by COWBOYS i call them.

Then it ends up costing them alot more than my original quote, I'm gonna post some photos of some ******* workmanship.

And these are the guys i'm competing with...........................................

Minx · Apr 02, 2008 6:23 pm

bglg

I'm a registered builder and carpenter by trade, i just want some feed back from you guys on quotes you receive?

Do you always go for the cheapest?

Or someone recommended?

Or someone who gives good references?

Or someone you feel comfortable with?

Or all of the above?

80% of my work is through refferals, the rest advertising.

Its just i quote jobs and feel like i'm being used all the time.......

You are the same as my partner. However he doesn't advertise, has never had to. At this stage he prefers working as a chippy. We want to get into our own developments that he can build to eliminate having clients who are not in the building game. Saves having headaches.
All his work is from word of mouth recommendations. It's funny watching him trying to be poached from a builder/developer who he works for by the builders own mates.

First_Timer_Ray · Apr 02, 2008 6:26 pm

I suppose you have to think about the fact that most people would at least get 2 quotes, if not 3 or 4. That being said, theoretically that would mean you would get a job out of every 3-4 quotes you prepare.

Totally off topic, and probably unrelated, but recently I went around and got quotes off curtain companies. I would have been happy to get a price list and add up the estimates myself, but most places require that they calculate it - meaning it's their fault if I'm taking up their time.
As it turns out we won't be going ahead with any of them as yet as it is far more than expected and will have to wait until they work their way to the top of the priority list.

I personally believe it would be better to give a ball park figure of what it will cost (that was all I was wanting in my curtain instance), then if they want to go ahead tell them that it will cost $100 (or some small amount) to prepare plans and do the pricing for their job. This way if they go ahead you know they are serious as they are outlaying money, and if they pull out then you aren't totally losing.

What turned us off one builder was the fact that they wouldn't even give us an estimate of a cost unless we paid a $600(? Could have been $1000?) deposit. That was totally unrealistic to think we would pay that money not knowing what we would be up for as a quote!

P.S I would base it foremost on recommendation, then possibly price but I would want to see previous work.

Ray.

3timesbuilda · Apr 02, 2008 6:29 pm

I think there is a lot of dishonesty going on in this thread. Although I won't ALWAYS go with the cheapest quote, I usually don't go with the most expensive either. Quality of workmanship varies but not always and is not always relevent.

Case in point. Neighbours tree branch fell onto our land - big one. Quote from tree guy to cut it up $850. Talked to guy who has done some mowing around our place - he'll do it for $300. Which do you think I am going to go with????

Gravel driveway for use during construction. Quotes up to around $3000 - went with second lowest quote of $1100. Job is perfect and very happy - why should I lose $1900. Another house - driveway, concrete - quoted $14 000 and UP. Paid someone $6 000 (he smelt of booze most of the time but he was not doing the work) got an execllent driveway (the workmen were competent) - viewed it recently after about 6 or 7 years, as new.

Not always but quite often, I'll go with the lowest or second lowest quote. Service is quite often lacking but the workmanship is nearly always excellent.

There is a lot of puffing up prices to what people in the area are willing to pay. Having lived in a very upmarket area, noticed up to 20 to 50% markups until I told them to get real and suddenly the quotes improved dramatically. Other in the area didn't question and paid the inflated prices. I guess they couldn't be bothered.

What we do now (and your're not going to like it) is get the guys in that will be more expensive - big company, huge overheads, for a quote. They come in with their over inflated price and we ask for justification. They go on about all the things they do and we note them. We then go to the cheaper guys and sounding authorative, ask about all these things. They usually will do them without upping their price. We get the same job but without the padded price. I guess there is a bit of dishonesty on my part too. :twisted:

bglg · Apr 02, 2008 7:28 pm

I understand removing a tree or some gravel in your driveway. I'd do the same for sure.

But with my job its different, every trades important i know.

There's alot of COWBOYS around who undercut me, the reason is they dont put the time and effort into the job as i do.

Some people dont no a good job from a bad 1 or sometimes its to late to correct it.

But the one's who know good from bad appreciate it and dont mind paying the right price.

We put the time in, dont cut corners and have pride in our work.

Where worth every penny people pay us.

Here's some pic's of a unit we rescued in Malvern, these owners didnt get us from the start cause of $5k difference in price. But they called us when they got stuffed around and realised these COWBOYS did a runner.

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d@n · Apr 02, 2008 8:08 pm

Why is it that when you call a tradie to get a quote for a job, then organise a day & time, they don't bother to turn up or even call to say they're not coming?

bglg · Apr 02, 2008 8:50 pm

There to busy

'chelle · Apr 02, 2008 9:03 pm

Yes, but the tables will turn eventually, and the only tradies we will be using then will be the ones who treated us well and acted professionally now. I for one cannot wait until things slow down a bit and tradies have to actually work to get the jobs.

I know there are good tradies out there but they can be really hard to find. We recently had a bathroom renovated in a flat and we had to repaint it ourselves afterwards because the work was hopeless. And there was no point getting the guy to come back and do it as we still wouldn't have been happy with his work. :evil:

Personally, I would choose someone who was recommended first but if we can't find anyone who has been recommended then price does come into it. But it is such a lottery.

I feel for you, bglg, but have some sympathy for us who have to battle our way through the sea or should I say tidal wave of ******* tradesmen.

davinci · Apr 02, 2008 9:28 pm

quoting and not getting all of the jobs is part of being self employed

maybe look at your quoting structure but that prolly aint the problem

i found 30 odd % of my quotes that arnt referal dont get accepted because of the amount i charge for a top quality job using premium materials and providing a guarantee on material and workmanship, not everyone understands this or they just simply cant afford it

80% of my quotes from referal get accepted, they have seen the construction processes and finish product on site and know what type of buisness i run and service i provide

also depends on the market you cater for i found generally the mid to top end clients i deal with only get one quote, an accept what price/contract is put before them in saying that these are almost all referal

Adrian B · Apr 02, 2008 10:38 pm

Sending you a pm.

d@n · Apr 02, 2008 11:12 pm

bglg

There to busy

too busy?

...or too lazy to make a phone call.

Yak_Chat · Apr 02, 2008 11:41 pm

I'd say my industry has worse reputation - which I've been in for 28 years :shock:

IT.

Want me to start on the shonks and ******* things I've seen or heard others say - which are total B*&^T.
And worse bit is - because it is software or hardware - how does the average person know whats true?
Reputation, relationships, rapore with the clients, referrals, and delivering the goods/services required - is the only way to run a good business - long term.
Steve

sirgoat · Apr 03, 2008 10:21 am

I dont always go for the cheapest i go for the best value, if its a simple job this will be the cheapest if its more complex i will go for the person who is producing the best result compared to the cash.

I always always always prefer someone recommended, 9 of out 10 they will get the job sometimes with out even a second quote if i know i am going to use them i have a good chat run through the quote make sure it sounds fair, e.g. how many hours they will put in so there rough rate, material with markup, etc.. if so i dont get a second quote in.

Never been in a situation where the job was big enough to use a reference check with out them being recommended, but since i act as a reference for half my friends not sure how strongly i would take them.

I very much need to feel comfortable, you are going to be working with my money on something i own, i still drive halfway across the city to use the mechanic near my parents place for our **** box second car and he sure as hell isnt the cheapest but when i drive the car out i know the price i paid was fair and nothing was added for no reason. At the end of the process i want to feel like you are going to show up/start the work on the date promised, keep the site clean do quality work. For me to have faith in this i need you to have shown up for the quote on time (or called 15+ prior to let me know of a delay), be clean and tidy yourself (i am not talking a suit but dont walk into my house with muddy great boots and pain dripping off your clothes) and to know what you are talking about.

I think another big thing is trades really need to come into the digital age in terms of dealing with customers. I want email, credit card payment, etc... if you are taking a cheque or bank deposit you are paying tax anyway but i would happily pay the 1.5% merchant fee for simply easy credit card. Most of the stuff I get from the builder/engineer is in soft copy i cant always get to site but i could easily send **** to you with changes/updates, if you send it back i can't lose the quote.

i know what i have said sounds like bull **** and fluff but its what i look for/want. good luck.