Working on a bid for a garage. When I was on site I thought it would take three guys a week to build. I did not share that with the owner however.
Working up the numbers and I come up with 150 man hours. Three guys is 120 hours for a week. So this is coming up 6+ days.
If I were on the job I know we would hit the five day mark, but would it be by working late on Wed, Thurs, Fri due to my oversites and needing to be somewhere else the following Monday.
30 hours is a lot of labor money. I don’t often doubt my numbers, but this one has me baffeled.
What would some of you guys do?
A little more info:
24 x 36 with 2 overhead doors(9×7 and 9×16)
no windows or doors in bid
vinyl siding
36 side touches 27 widehouse
5/12 roof
gable is perpindicular to existing, so will have 2 valleys
I hope Chuck Norris never potato sacks me!!!!
bstcrpntr — I hope to grow into this name.
Replies
best... you were on site and guessed 120 hours
you went back to the office and built it on paper and came up with 150 hours
150/3 = 50 / 8 = 6+ days for 3 guys
bid 7 days... and take your profit
look, we are all optimists, that's one of the reasons we do this.. but opitimists go broke
BUILD like an optimist...
but BID like a pessimist...
now ... write it down..... 7 days..
then go back and SELL the job
Edited 4/2/2006 6:35 pm ET by MikeSmith
You're a wise man Mr. Smith.
spoken like a true rainmaker!
Bid it, what is it worth to me?
If you are slow bid 120 hrs and it is worth it to you.
If you don't necessarily need the work and you and your men are plenty busy, bid it 150 hrs.
If you're in between, bid it 135 hrs.
What is it worth to you? to do this project.
Grunge on.
Only two valleys. The existing Gable will need ridge extended to the ridge of the garage. The garage wall will but gable end wall. I only see 2 valleys.
I will trust the office side of this bid. Wife said, "We wen't broke before with you trusting your gut."
I will sell the job. I am never the cheapest when I work for this company so I have no worries there. Just want to be fair to them and me.
Diesel, your right, nothing worse than havign two days work and one days money.
Thanks all for the insight.
I hope Chuck Norris never potato sacks me!!!!
bstcrpntr --- I hope to grow into this name.
Mike, to say that we are all optimist is an understatement.
Here is my experience. The first 90% of the job takes up 90% of the time and the last 10% takes up the other 90% of the time.
So in his case I would bit 240 hours.
That aside, very sage advice as usual.
I must be missing something, as usual, because I don't see the problem.
Onsite you 'guessed' 120 hours. When you put the pencil to the paper you come up with 150 hours.
150 hours it is. If you get it done in 120, good on ya. Let me know and you can mail me my half of the profits.
Or you can give away 30 hours of labor.
Better to bid it at a realistic 150 hours and not have that sinking feeling in your gut on an upcoming Thursday afternoon, when your realize you've got two days worth of work to get done with one day's money. That's no fun. You'll wish you never even got the job at that point.
As Mike said, put down the 150 and go sell the job. Better to sit at home for free than work your #### off for it. DanT
The time you spend second guessing yourself would be better spent working on your presentation.
I agree with Mike...SELL THE JOB.
wouldn't there be four valleys and not two , assuming you'll be putting in a cricket between the two roofs ? that wouldn't solve your problem just curios .
Kennedy