2 Things You Should Never Say To A Contractor - Residential Construction
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Just some thoughts from the last couple of years.
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There are three types of jobs. Good, fast, and cheap... I always say you can pick two. If it's good and fast... It won't be cheap... If it's good and cheap... It won't be fast... And if it's cheap and fast it won't be good.
Micah Rawley genius!
20+ years ago I would use that line on clients all the time, then I realized one simple flaw in that hypothesis: There is no such thing as "good AND cheap" when quality is your reputation. People get what they pay for...
Mine is, do you want it done.... Or done right? Because there are many who can get it done... but is it right? Have been doing this for almost 2 decades now that usually works to show the client I don't mess around.... Along with all the past projects we have completed. 💪😁👍
Mario - I feel your pain, but I’m sure you could have shopped around for another crew to do your roof. As soon as they said “hourly”, you should have kicked them off the site (unless you’re a GC). Btw, old dried lumber isn’t what you want to put on your roof. 7/16 OSB is ideal, and fairly inexpensive (about $8 per sheet).
@@beaveittoleaver2327000
Most people do not realize how much work goes into even the simplest of jobs, it looks easy when looking at it but when you start working there is always more than meets the eye.
That’s what I always say.
I know sometime i have to do something small and it never fails al.ost every tool in my truck has to come out
And those tools cost a pretty penny. Carpentry by far requires the most lay out for tools,a ridiculous amount 🙂
True. It's a Newtonian law.
Thats what I thought when I saw drywall finishers do their thing for the first time. Looked easy, until I tried it for myself. Learned to respect them more after that lol
If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.
Yup! Like the Latino saying “ lo barato sale caro” The cheap stuff comes out expensive . Because eventually you are going to have to tear all out and then hire a professional to do the job and you will end up paying double or triple and a big headache !
That should be in the bible!!!
carneasada8 Price versus cost man I hear you
This statement is by far the best 😂
I could not have said it better.
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. -Ben Franklin
That's so true! As a customer, asking a contractor for a quote or estimate, I try to be clear that I do not ask for a "budget" price (and thus shoddy job/material), but something that will last and function as it should. So far (I'm soon 60) it has worked out well; I cannot recall having to call someone else in to fix a botched "low-price" job. If it happens, I will anyway know it was essentially my own fault... I realise I'm fortunate to be able to afford that. Someone else might have to ask for a low price, patch job - that has to be respected too.
Sometimes that is the case, but I have also had lower cost contractors that have done amazing work. Paying more doesn’t always equate to quality.
Everything is about buying value and quality and trying to find a happy medium between the two. There is no point going for the best quality for it to be 1000% more expensive and for that extra quality not to add anything to your usage.
Yup! You get what you pay for!
Many times good carpenters are laid off from huge companies and make a name for themselves with the low prices - it's about networking and public relations.
Thanks for posting this video. For many years, on weekends and during summer vacation, I worked with my dad doing home repairs and renovations. He always did the job properly and to a high standard of finish but never charged enough for the work he did. As a result, he was always busy yet continually scrimping to keep the truck and tools in good working order, never mind buying new equipment. He constantly sold himself short, and yet customers were always trying to knock down his already low pricing. I can count on one hand (with at least one finger left over) how many vacations he took during his working life. Don’t value your time and lifestyle any less than your customers value their own.
This sounds like my son wrote this
I'm going through this myself. I advertise on Craigslist because it has a huge audience. But, that's a good way to go out of business. If a customer wants a discount. I refuse to take food off my table. I keep that mentality with me.
I don't necessarily agree with your 2nd point "why is your quote higher than the other guy."
A lot of home owners who are hiring a professional contractor, have absolutely no idea about carpentry work or what a job should actually cost. When you are going to spend 10 - 20K or more on a project I think it is reasonable to want to ask why your work may cost more or less. People generally want know what they are getting for their money and I think most are willing to pay the extra cash if they know your craftsmanship and materials are of higher quality. Of course asking that question in a condescending/threatening manner can be off putting, but if asked in a genuinely curious manner I think it should be taken very reasonably.
“Why are you so much more ? “ is a valid question. And quality guaranteed, better materials. Conscientious workmanship done in a timely manner and a clean jobsite are valid answers. If I get a quote that is twice as much I will absolutely ask why and listen to the answer. And make my choice based on what you say. ✌🏻🇺🇸
I thought the same thing.......if your way more then anyone else.....then I want to know why ......I have no problem paying someone for quality work...
@@stifflers69mom1 Quality work assures more referrals.
Yep. His point about give us your best price should only get one response. I only have one price.
"If your price is good on this one there could me more work for you" Which equates to a lot of low paying work which will tie you up and keep you from the good paying jobs
Hell yes. This is a good 1
It's just a nice way to say "Don't fuck me because we have lots of projects that need to get done".
Word up! So true there!
@Kaleb Smith crazy asshole
If only these doors were blue someone would rent this place. Cockroaches, what cockroaches, look at the pretty doors. What a crazy dumbass you fill in the blanks
You're 100% right brother, set your pricing procedure and stick to it, REGARDLESS of the reactions or tactics a client may display. I'm blessed in the trades because I learned from a great teacher, who ALWAYS said:
"Quote it to do it RIGHT, because THEY deserve quality and YOU deserve to make a decent living..."
- my old man
Wish I could double like
every time they haggle the price add money to it. Indians are thee worst in my experience. When you start adding to the quote they dont know what to say. 😁
I think it's fair to review other quotes and to ask questions but it needs to be done in a respectful manner. I obtained 3 quotes when I had our hardwood floors refinished. The quotes were vastly different from each other. The final contractor I spoke with was actually the highest quote but he wasn't out of the ballpark. I spoke to him for a while and he took the time to educate me on the overall process, the products he uses, and why the poly he was using was of a higher quality than what many cheaper contractors use. He also taught me about how his crew would fill in gaps between the boards, and what they could do to help me fix some problem areas. He couldn't speak for the other guys but I felt he justified his price very well, and I learned something in the process. Nobody else was interested in speaking to me like that. A few minutes on the internet to verify what he was telling/teaching me and he got the job. It wasn't that I was trying to push him around, I just needed to know why that contractor was the way to go. Really happy I used him and have recommended him to a lot of people.
Perfect!
I like you man. Been watching you for a few months now...but...you are flat out wrong on this one and I'll explain from the point of view of a customer.
#1) I will ALWAYS let the contractor know that other quotes are being considered. Why? Because you might be an honest guy and always give an appropriate quote and treat everyone the same based on the work you are doing, but there are a TON of contractors who aren't like you at all. There are plenty of contractors who approach their quotes with the mind set of "how much can I get away with quoting this guy". If they think they are the only ones quoting then know they can pad their quote a bit and make more than what they normally would. How do I know? Because I've caught them doing it way too many times. Having said all that, I'm not telling you that I'm going with the lowest quote when I say I am getting other quotes. All I am saying is that I'm not going to get screwed. I'm keeping everyone honest. What I'm saying is I want YOUR best quote. Whatever that might be, I want your honest quote. I may very well pick you over another much lower priced bid because I think you do better work or you are worth it for whatever reason which brings me to #2.
#2) Are you kidding me with this one? Dude, if I get 3 quotes and you are twice as much and I ask you why you are twice as much I expect you to let me know what about the way you are going to do the job is worth me paying twice as much. It's that simple and I think it's an honest question you are getting. It's a great opportunity for you to explain why you cost more! What is it..better quality...better materials...etc etc. Again, just because you are twice as much doesn't mean at all that I'm not going to use you. However, if you are twice as much and then get offended by my asking why you are that much more then FOR SURE I wouldn't use you. I can't count how many times I've had a high quote and have asked this exact question and the guy let me know all the reasons why his work is worth more and he got the job because it made a ton of sense.
I'll just close by saying that I'm sure it's frustrating dealing with customers and there are some real a holes out there who are playing games, but I would be very careful to take a step back and realize some of these questions you are hearing are not coming from a mind game kind of place. Some arelLike me, they are people who have been screwed over too many times and they are trying to make sure they get an honest quote and that they get the quality they are paying for. You seem like an honest guy but the trades are consistently not honest in my opinion. It seems like there are a lot of contractors who will do anything to screw over the customer and we have become hardened by it. I imagine it is hard not to get sensitive about some of these questions, but they aren't always coming from a bad attitude.
We never stop learning. Communication is key. I have been offended plenty of times but I try to not let the customer know. I try to maintain composure. It was more frustrating in the beginning years. Now I try not to get emotional with business. If you can let your work do the talking I think you'll be set. Getting recommended is the best.
SuburbanHobbyist YES!!!!! Thank you. I like Richard but I’m surprised he’d say something so ridiculous! I couldn’t disagree with him more. I got a bid on a septic system for 88,000 next two guys bid under 50,000. Asked the expensive dude why so much? “Because I’m really busy right now”. BS, he was gonna tip me off because he’s busy. Other guy got the job and it went well. Save me 40g by getting more bids. What a joke. I’ll do it myself of get a ton of bids next time!
Yep, that exact scenario has happened to me before. It's just good business to get more than one bid. The only time I don't get more than one bid is when the contractor has gained my trust. No way I'm going to go with one quote with a new contractor! I just had a pool built and the first guy was $15,000 more. Why? Because he had a middle management type guy that worked for him and he had to get paid too. I went with the other, lower priced guy, because he outlined exactly what I was going to get for a lot less money. If I would have gone with one quote I would have lost 15G.
Very good comment. My thoughts exactly. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, just need to know why your price is where it is.
Couldn't agree with this comment more. This is the first video I've seen from finishcarpentrytv, and I have to say, it left a really bad taste in my mouth. Also, if I ask why a quote is twice as much, and they say it's because they use 2 guys - my response would be "so you're telling me that this ONE guy can do the same amount of work as your TWO guys in the same amount of time?"
i remember someone telling stories while back, and someone asked him why he charged so much to do a job that only took him 30 min to do, and his response was simple...your paying for the 10 years of knowledge that allows me to do that job in 30 min
Chris Heick true. I started my handyman Business couple years ago beginning I started thinking of how fast I can do something and thinking well 100 is good and some of the older guys that thought me what I know told me it doesn’t matter how fast and good you do it to equal your pay it’s only because you know and have the experience to do these repairs their paying for your skill not only your time
I always price small jobs according to the timeframe I figure it would take a typical worker, working at an acceptable pace. If I work extra hard and use special techniques, then that time saved is my bonus. Sort of why I never price hourly, I could price a job for say $600 and the customer would happily accept it, then I do it in 6 hours.
_BUT_ if I priced the same job and said I want 100/hr for the estimated 6 hours, I'd be laughed out the door and have it slammed in my face.
Best response.
And the tools, truck, traffic ...
Exactly!!!
"The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten."
I've had a few jobs in the past were I wiggled on price (lesson learned)
Every time I would give a "better price" people get more picky and demand more.
yep. I do not haggle. I will work with people, but that basically means I will offer them a cheaper altenative...lesser quality product, less work, ask them to handle certain menial tasks associated with the job...I always start with my best price.
That true the cheapest people are the most picky and also get mad when u don’t fix what they want
True. When people pay more they brag about how much they spent. When it's cheap they constantly ask for extra stuff or think it is not a good job.
Trim the hedges and rake the flower beds. Sure that will be 50 bucks extra, thanks for your business.
First thing I do with a new client is establish my credibility. I spend a majority of my down time researching materials, techniques, tools, trends, etc. I can walk in with answers to questions the client didn’t even know they had. In doing this, most people never question my pricing because they have confidence in my ability. If they do want to get multiple bids, I show them what to watch out for and tell them what questions to ask. I try to stay up to date with my competitors pricing to ensure I’m not under or over bidding myself as well. In short, education and confidence are key.
Well said. No one should be offended by a customer asking why your bid is higher than another. They’re generally looking for the best value, not necessarily the cheapest price (though some are), and a professional should be in a position to educate the customer and highlight where the value lies.
An “it is what it is” type of answer just makes it seem like the quote got pulled out of your rear end, and that doesn’t inspire much confidence or trust.
I got 2 quotes for a flagstone patio last year and went with the contractor who was 60% more because he gave me ideas and a diagram of what he was going to do. Plus he was an old school Italian mason who knew what he was doing. I spoke with the contractor who did not get the job and gave him my reasons for not selecting him. He appreciated the feedback.
You sir are a rare breed. Good on you.
Never go cheap on finishing work. I have so much respect for guys who do it right.
"Dammm you charge white boy prices"... this is what the raza tells me 😅🤣🤣
When they say best quote I add 25% because experience tells me that this customer is going to be a pain in the ass.
🤑
I’ve done it. Usually pays off.
Jared D invoice line item = “PITA”
I call it a 25/10 discount
25% additional markup that I show and then 10% discount.
Its actually sad that people think that theres so much proffit at the end of the job. With a 50% markup over cost after overhead its more like an 8% proffit.
Why not add 250% more? Since you aren't going to get the job anyway..
From a guy with more experience. This does not help promote your brand. Keep the venting between you and trusted people only. That kind of customer will say those things regardless. You should be saying I am higher because I am better period. You are basically advertising "I am twice as high" on here even though you may not be. I'm higher because I have 2 guys? Come on that makes no sense. It should be I have 2 guys so I get it done faster and better.
islanti more likely it is 13 year old BOYS. They’re the idiots.
He does nice work compared to what I normally see.
@islanti No offense, I'm just curious. Why is he slow and inefficient?
Amen bro.. clearly this guy isnt just higher, but twice as much as everyone else.. shoulda just said higher, then EXPLAIN why you are higher..like ya say, maybe better materials, faster (with the 2 guys).. either way, you shld justify it (if thats possible), and not come off so pompous.
Lastly, if i hired you for 'twice as much' as everyone else, and i saw you doin RUclips videos on MY friggin time?.. holy shit brah.. youd be fired 'twice as fast' as I hired you. Just sayin.
@@StupidEarthlings you are hiring him for the job, not hourly. if his statement of work says it will take 'x' amount of time, and he goes over, then you have a claim. if not, he can do backflips in the yard, and you have no case.
I can understand why you wouldn’t like those two questions. However you have to deal with people according to knowledge. We all price shop ....... in other words look for deal. I personally don’t let it bother me if someone is honest enough to tell the truth. I use the opportunity to educate the customer and build value in myself. Only a fool will fork over there hard earned cash without any questions. My advise would be to simply answer the questions and give YOUR best price. And if they won’t pay it ...... so be it.
Exactly, I walk them through the process and show them what they will be getting, instead of simply looking at the area/job they want done, and then giving them a piece of paper with some numbers on it. I like to make them understand WHY they will want to hire me, regardless of the price comparison, and allow them to understand the value I bring to the table. I never put another company down, only build myself up in their eyes. If it works, then I know that I have a homeowner that cares as much about their home as I care about my business and personal/professional reputation.
Sales 101
@SEAL CYCLE Do you really think that I believe that you are not a consumer as well? No matter what you do for a living I know that you spend your hard earned money. It’s just that simple
Well said!! Agree completely! I’m an interior designer and have a great contractor, but have met many contractors over the years and like any profession you should show your value and integrity to your potential client. I wonder if this guy demands a good price from his suppliers! Same thing “value for service”
Terry that was Succinctly said my friend.
When asking why are you twice as much as all my other quotes, we are not trying to lowball you or compare you to another person. We are asking what are you offering thats different from the other person. Are you offering better craftsmanship or better material, better warranty, etc.. That way we can see if everything else is equal. Learn to sell yourself and educate the customer on why you are worth that price.
Do you think they ask the other guy why he is half the price?
I have in the past, yes. Best practice: don't have a chip on your shoulder.
cjpenning yes I do. And I hope other homeowners do as well. Unless you're flipping or selling soon then the lowest price should not be the deciding factor
It's not always about selling yourself so to speak. There are a lot of homeowners out there which you can sell yourself to all day long but are still misinformed when it comes to the old saying of "you get what you pay for". Double the man-power means the job gets done quicker. You might pay for more one contractor which is insured and credible and obviously pay less for a cheap hack with no insurance and little craftsmanship. A true craftsman will stick to their price because what we look for in homeowners are people who know what this kind of work is worth when done with high quality standards. There are lots of variables, and the reason such hacks are still in business is because home owners are still willing to settle for cheap. Those types of people shouldn't expect anything more than a cheap quality finish.
James Metni part of selling is educating.
When customers ask why you're so much higher tell them, "Skilled labor isn't cheap and cheap labor isn't skilled". Most of my work is referrals and repeat business so I don't have to do a lot of selling. My reputation precedes me. After 24 years in business - business is good!
Well put! I cant tell you how many jobs the client has asked that and I end up getting a call to come and either fix it or redo it!
Good works not cheap and cheap works not good!
Goof word Sr🙂
@@scottwisniewski7372 that's amazing of I was living in your town you would be on the unemployment line I could do that Installation in 2 days solo I install 800 sq a day solo!
@@scottwisniewski7372 I have a couple of my guys mover there items or park my 30 box truck to move everything out of the house 1 shot
I was a claims adjuster for 24 years. Proper and reasonable negotiation was my assignment. We had relationships with a lot of contractors. I learned that I would rather pay more to a very good contractor than to spend less on a so-so contractor. The good men AND women stood behind their work, would COME BACK to a job that had a problem and were fair. Contractors are in their line of work to make money. I would expect reasonable movement on job prices but at the end of the day having to pay someone else to correct another person's work was an aggravation (if we as the insurance company sent the contractor). Micah Rawley's comments are very true in many instances. There are those who are rip off artists and it takes experience sometimes to weed through them. In the end though, I expected the contractor to make money but I wanted to make sure they did the job right and knew what they were doing and that costs m-o-n-e-y.
"Can you knock something up in my basement for free? after that I can hook you up with a lot of work"
My pet peeve is people not taking into account the time needed to do things right. People can't believe remodels and additions can take weeks if not months. People see rough framing and assume the building is 90% done when in reality it might be 20% done.
But it took like 20 minutes on HGTV.
@@wolfpack4128
LMAO!
"The bitterness of poor quality lingers on long after the joy and sweetness of low price is gone". That sign hung in my dad's office in a place where no one could miss seeing it. He went fifty years in the business as the highest-priced contractor in the county.
I'm glad I found this video. I'm in the process of deciding on working with a contractor for a new property. Feeling bad because I have said the 2 things to my prospective contractor. As an entrepreneur, I don't like when people do that to me so I get it. It's just that I like to know the numbers before starting a project and it has to stay within the budget. If it doesn't or if the contractor exceeds the time frame it ends up costing me more. I've had cheap work done before and it ends costing me more. So I get it. Thank you again for sharing from a contractor's perspective.
Gave a guy a quote for a layered crown molding maybe 12 years ago. He asked how long it would take. I told him a few hours. We were already set up installing cabinets and had a crew there, so he thought it would be a cheap add on. Customer says “My lawyer doesn’t charge that much!”. I told him to call his lawyer and see if he knows how to install layered crown molding. I did not get that add on and was better off for it.
@@kshuf8426 Lawyers go to school for 7 years and protect your rights, that's why they can charge so much. I'd say they do a bit more than diddly squat.
@@masondurham8686 Lawers are in a controlled field. Open all lawyers, doctors ect so anyone can practice and let the completion determine the rates. I don't need big brother screening who I want to hire, there are independent consumer agencies for that. Anyone should be able to practice law or doctor without a license. If grandma Jones with her herbs can cure cancer 90% of the time I want the right for her to do it and for me to use her, period. If a good law secretary can file the papers for me, she should be able to
As a customer, that second question seems still logically valid. I was getting quoted from three different companies on some custom work, and they all seemed to be offering the same stuff at face value. Not to mention, contractors do have a bad reputation for overcharging or ripping people off.
It isn't a valid question because a contractor can't answer it in good faith, because they couldn't tell you how other companies price their jobs. And you can't blame an entire profession for a few bad apples. Consumers that do their due diligence on the contractors before hiring them tend not to get ripped off. Its the penny pinchers that want it super cheap and are willing to hire unlicensed people that get ripped off. You get what you pay for.
@@wesleyenoch1031 Of course it's a valid question. Is there something I'm being offered for the higher amount or not? If not, then that's fine. I won't do business with you, you're just overcharging. People shop around. When people hear a price that's substantially higher than another company for the same exact service, there must be a catch. Are you using something that can be replaced with something cheaper? Are the other guys simply cheaping out? Or is your view of your work so inflated that you just make up a super high number and charge the customer that? That's the research. Why are you more expensive than other quotes? What are you offering to me that would make me pay more?
If I just feel I'm being overcharged, then the interaction ends there. But maybe there's something he wants to sell me on that other places don't have. It's not an attack, it's a valid question trying to figure out if you're being ripped off or getting a better deal.
oh yeah contractors do huh that's bullshit you know who's got more of a bad reputation for ripping people off is cheap ass homeowners .
fuck out of here with that shit
@@mariopellegrino7661 they feel attacked but really it’s a chance for them to educate and they are missing it. Silly video from a guy who thinks no one should question his price.
Make your best video next, because I'm also watching other channels.
@Ray H
It was a joke dumbass
Wooooow!!
Tsrif Tsal he was kidding idiot! I wanted to get into it too.
OMG look at the space between these mitres. mitres
I agree with most of what you said, Richard. However, a 2 man crew shouldn't automatically be double the cost of a 1 man crew. It should still take the same amount of "man hours" to do whatever type job. Generally speaking.
Harold Bartley you have to consider what you are paying your employee or you’re going to lose money. Example, if I charge for myself 40.00/ hr I expect on a daily basis to make 320/day. If I charge that same amount and we get the job done in 5 or 6 hours I now made much less in that day because I still have to pay my worker and there isn’t time to go setup at another job. You absolutely have to account for a second man and most will tell you that you should be making money off your help as well. That is just how I do it and what Richard is talking about
Danny Z I know exactly what you have to consider. I am a self-employed trim carpenter myself. That's why I made sure to put the last word.. Generally. A 2 man crew shouldn't automatically be double the amount... Generally.
I agree here. 2 man crew *should* mean faster job turnaround than a single person. So - you shouldn’t necessarily have to mark up drastically PER job, but if you do carry an employee, it does mean you should bid on more jobs overall (more volume) or point out the job completion time a sellable feature so the homeowner has a little insight. End of the day - only you know your overhead and profit margins, so just stick to that and let the chips fall where they may!
It doesn't actually double but you do have to charge for the helper. It's what ever profit you are going for. Some contractors are happy making 1500 week give 500 to the helper. Others may what to make as much as they can to cover overhead
cost. It's not cheap.
I agree. Labor numbers should be the same give or take a few bucks for different rates. Maybe it's a commercial mind set. Job is worth 40 hours. You can do it by your self in 40 hours or get 3 other guys and do it in 1 day. You shouldn't be charing more cause you are 2 guys, you should be doing double the amount of work cause you are 2 guys.
Now make a video about how many bad contractors there are. Its unreal! There are FAR more bad contractors than clients and thats a fact.
Yes!
I spent 17 years selling a product that cost 30% more than my competitors. I also spent 17 explaining why my products and services were worth the extra 30%. I didn't win every bid but I made a good living. My biggest satisfaction always came when an account that went with the lower bid would call back and say they wanted to come back. In your business keep in mind you are a salesman.
I've watched many of your videos but your potential customer may not know you from the next guy. If you only shop at a big box store you don't know why someone would pay so much for a sheet of quality plywood.
"I'd do it myself, I just don't have the time."
Since you don't have the time, that means you have the money so pay up $uckaaaa!!
Thats the most common line from the customers. Smfh.
Time is money.
Actually, it's worth more than money cause you can't make more time.
Hahaha yup thats the #1 bullshit lie of every customer.
I’d do it myself but I don’t have the time but I’m going to watch you the whole time your hear doing the job
"just to let you know, my buddy is also giving me a price on the job"
Right....everyone has that beer swiggin friend that's gonna show up and save the day on your home project! Don't do it people!! Call a pro!
Lmao
Dude. THANK YOU!!! I get so many off the Wall comments like the ones you just described and your video reminded me....”THIS IS WHAT WE’RE WORTH...if you want cheaper, please call me back if you decide the competition isn’t going to be coming back to your home for any more work. “ Right on brother !
I'm a fan of your channel and your honesty, but you shouldn't be surprised when someone would like to know why they have two completely different prices for the exact same job with the same materials...that's no brain game, it's a perfectly valid question IMO..that's just an opportunity to sell yourself, not a big deal..
I'm sure every contractor would like to work for someone with absolutely no common sense and really deep pockets LMAO..
Shut up and pay me what I quote you. You know nothing customer.
Guys who don’t charge enough money generally are in a rush to get in and out and don’t really take pride in their work.
If you want stuff done right and you want it to look good, you typically will get what you pay for.
This guy does quality work. He’s 100% right. Any contractor worth a darn won’t play the how low can you go game. Typically the people pinching their pennies are the pickiest people to work for.
This dude takes his time, does things right, and takes care of the customers home. I’ve watched his videos where he’ll prime stuff that’s already been primed, most finish guys won’t even prime wood before they paint it. They’ll use a brush and leave brush strokes all over base board and trim.
This dude is good at what he does and worth what he charges.
@@bryantjackson3803 you are exactly the kind of contractor that ruins it for good contractors!
Don’t be so sensitive. Competitive pricing is important. If your price is premium sell the fact that you are selling a premium product.
That was the whole point he was making without sounding like a narcissist even though I know he probably does better work than anyone in town.
Education is key. Explain all what you said in this video up front so there is little/no reason to ask. Had 2 roofers give me quotes, 1 was $11,700 and the other was $43,000. $11,000 guy told me everything about the quote in 15 minutes. $45,000 guy listed 2 line items materials and labor. I knew who to choose.
Its a poker game. When everyone is vusy, the bids are noy competitive at all, other times contractors are going broke right out of business. Stick to your guns. Charge what the market will bear. The highest amount you can while still getting your work week filled with hours. Anything less is short changing yourself
@Solus couldn't agree more. The thing that I find is that a lot of folks are uneducated in regards to product type of, application procedures and so on. Some folks want to hear it some don't. ( as far as explanation). You'll be able to read it ....They're strictly after the numbers , so you have to ask yourself whether you want to work with this type of individual or not. There is a feeling or vibe that you get and over time you sense it, you know....
Who are you telling to Don't be so sensitive?
There’s an old saying in the Construction industry, skilled labor isn’t cheap, cheap labor isn't skilled.
Im guessing you meant to say cheap labor isnt skilled?
f0rumrr yes. Corrected. Thanks!
I'm guessing you meant to use an apostrophe in your "Im". Most people probably knew what Woody meant. :-)
Because he edited the comment.
There is another old saying in any industry - not all of them are honest. Also, smart labor can be less expensive than skilled, but dumb, labor.
*The one that says "If you do a good job here, I can refer you to my (friends, other family members or co workers)"....as if they hadn't said that I would've done a crap job*
Those same people often never come through. They throw you a bone thinking you will give them a lower price. If you add up your expenses to do a job and cant make a decent profit why do it? Labor and material are not cheap. Just to show up at a job with minimal crew is a few hundred dollars plus a few hundred or thousand in materials. Factor in Taxes and various expenses by the time you add it up your forced to bid jobs at amounts that are not trying to charge excessive amounts but to make certain you can afford to commit to the financial responsibility you are about to incur. Unforeseen things always come up and you can end up losing. Customers who got the lower price can care less when you are unable to break even. They usually are not open to revising the bid and blame you for giving them a bid that doesn't work for you.
Serbian proverb “ where promises are big, bring your smallest purse”
Another good one is, “give us a really good price” because we have friends we’ll refer you to. That’s like telling me, “if you undervalue yourself on this job we’ll refer you to a bunch of other people who will also undervalue you...” Great, sign me up!!
There are a lot of contractors who actually do that themselves. "Let us put a sign in your yard and we will discount the work"
@@JOBRAIL1 Yes exactly , my father hates hearing that. He always tells them "let's finish this first and then we will see" because 9/10 there is never another project
Sometimes when people say they're getting other quotes it's just so you're aware they can't make the decision right away.
I also don't necessarily see a problem with asking why it's higher. It's fine to explain that you do it with a higher quality, and that takes time. More coats of paint, better materials, etc. Sure, you don't know why the other guy is lower, but I am happy to pay more when I know I'm getting good quality and service for it.
Agree, I will sometimes ask them to explain their quote. I'm amazed at how offended some get. I'm really laid back. If it's a higher quote but they break it down...hired.
Exactly the right answer Jason!
+Jason Small
Some times there is that completely unrealistic person who simply just wastes time.
I have no quarrel with the man with a lower price, he knows better than anyone what his work is worth.
Nicely put. May I use this line?
By all means
Way back in the day I did a lot of ceilings, stippling...etc. Some people would balk at the price. Then they would try to do it themselves...a few days later the phone would ring. Always the same phrase "This is hard work...we now understand the pricing, please come back and do this work for us"! YUP! I always enjoyed making homes look nicer for folks...it is very satisfying. :) I'm 57 and still doing some on the side....no more ceilings though, my shoulders got to old! LOL! Now I have to call the ceiling guy...but I never bitch about the price. I like this guys attitude and work....well done!
One of the two that I thought you were going to say is, "what if I do some of the work?" My favorite line to use when someone wants to do some of the work themselves is, "If you watch, it's double. If you help it's triple!" LOL
One house I did floors at the husband helped he was an amazing helper didnt complain worked hard so sometimes they can be help lol. I knew him pretty well and it saved them a ton of money
ya friends where you have an idea of the work ethic is a different story
So true.
ametalguitarist I got to use that one!
On one of my last jobs, I allowed the home owner to watch and "help" according to him, when it was time to get my money, needless to say it was a struggle getting paid, not to mention all the nitpicking while work was being done.
I can understand a customer watching you for the first day or two just to see how you work and your attention to detail, I get that. but when they help they're slow and don't know how to use the tools.
"Why is your quote more expensive" seems like a reasonable question, and gives you the opportunity to say "We work faster because there are two of us" or "We use xyz material which is better for zyx reason" etc
They maybe trying to get his price down as well but do not realize that he cannot go down in price.
Could be just that one contractor is cutting corners while you are not. I do a large project every year or so, and I’ve sometimes found that the lowest bidder doesn’t totally understand the work to be done. I ask them to explain the process and the timeline when they give the bid.
Some have told me if I do the job very cheap , I will have work year round with them. I just ignore them. Those will not be my clients. It is better to lose a client than losing money.
Funny most contractors tend to ask us if we've received previous estimates and how much were there for. We usually respond with you're the first company that we're getting an estimate from even when we have a few previous estimates so it doesn't influence their quote or how they answer my questions.
I think your getting a little butthurt over nothin’ brother. A customer has every right to ask for “your best price” and it doesn’t mean you have to give them a low one. If they are centered on price start talking about your value and help educate them on the thing they should be focused on. Always sell value > price
I agree. I’m not understanding why he’s upset that someone is asking him to itemize his costs. I mean when I go buy a car I look at the sticker and think damn why $45,000. Well there’s a listing of why the cost is what it is. Lol charging a customer to make it worth your while to do the job is cool and all but no reason to be an asshole when they question the cost. I mean the customer doesn’t want to get ripped off so no reason for him to be upset when they question and outrageous price. Lost some respect for this guy after watching this video.
I won't overgeneralize, but most of the people I've done work for that have said that, are cheapskates!! It's like PTSD for some contractors, and they have familys to feed. I would charge higher as well!😉
As a customer I would expect itemization and it may actually help you unless you charging really high labor rates. It could show what the materials cost and that you are charging some labor rate that makes you a living. You can hide some extra profits in itemizing materials at what I could get them for and actually buy them at a better contractor rate.
I would also expect every customer to get other quotes. To do less would be foolish. If you tend to be higher, you had better have a reason to tell people why you deserve more. Even if it is just it's not enough to live on (then they have to believe you). If you do better quality work, are faster, actually finish the job, don't steal, clean up your mess and don't cut corners, those are all things that add value. I would expect most by default, but some don't provide them. Also a clear contract/scope of work will go a long way. If you can show exactly what is going to be done, what materials, about how long, impact on my life, etc., then it gives me more confidence that you are not under quoting it and leaving parts out to get the job, and won't show to finish later because you never intended to do that work. If it is a small job, and you have to return several times, show that, and the time and travel costs associated.
People want to know they are getting value for what they paid, and you need to convince them that they can trust you to give it.
Regarding two people showing up, that shouldn't change your rate much. You should get the work done faster than one person, but the total manhours should be close to anyone else.
When someone I'm potentially hiring can itemize, it tells me they have their stuff together. It hints at the quality job they'll do for me potentially. Not always, but most of the time, this is true.
I agree. They ARE cheapskates. I wonder how all of these "low price seekers" would feel if their boss came to them at the end of the week and tried to re-negotiate their salary ? EVERY time I run into the cheap ones, it's problematic in one form or another. For some reason, they subtly believe that contractors somehow pay less for groceries, housing, gasoline, and everything in-between than THEY actually do. They don't come right and say it, but it's a fixture in the back of their minds. Many of them even enjoy beating you up. Even when I'm struggling, I just won't give it away to them. The fastest way to the poor house is working for less than you are worth while missing better jobs that would have improved your position. Bid more, work less. That theory has carried me for many years.
Most annoying thing i witnessed was a home owner telling my boss at the time, "that's not the way they did it on RUclips."
I often tell my customers upfront that I am not cheap. I do quality work and I can do many jobs that it would take many other companies to do. I use better quality material that will last you 50 years or more(Cali bamboo). I warrant my work for a year or longer. I don't want to come back unless you need something else done. 90% of the time I get the job. 5% of the time the customers thank me for my honesty and take my estimate and I don't get the job. The other 5% are either upset, offer up insults because they can do it themselves. For them I let them know that I'm way to busy helping people who can't.
My favorite is just give me a guesstimate. I have one and learned my lesson. I don't give guesstimates anymore. I price my jobs high and I can always come down but I don't ask the customer for more money if I've made a mistake on the estimate, unless it's something way out of my control. I've been very successful thus far.
+SOS Security Solutions
I routinely ask for ballpark figures when ever I want something done so that I can decide if I want something done or not. There is not point me wanting something done for say $10000 and it then ends up costing $50,000.
Your point of checking your estimates at the upper bounds of price do seem fairly normal. As long as you are up front and honest with people 99% of people will not mind. The 1% that do simply are not worth worrying over as they could be annoyed at about anything you say.
"That's too high." I've been a painting contractor for 30+ years so I've heard that more than once. My response is always, "That may be more than you planned on spending but it's not too high." I charge a fair days wage for a fair days work. That's why I'm still in business.
40 years working on people’s houses
First Buyers are liars
50% of people that call you don’t have the money to do the project and will always go cheap
Present your price with pride and assure them of your quality and workmanship
Never ever drop your price to match a lower price
Never believe these folks that say
they have been screwed over by a contractor
Do the best job every time even if you loose money
Keep the good work!
Shukin Andjivin sorry you feel everyone is out to rip you off.
Bless you! I been at it forever too. Wisdom is earned.🔨
When someone asks for my best price, I'll counter with asking their budget and I tell them what they can get for that price. I understand being on a budget, but don't expect Ferrari work on a Ford budget.
Here's one for laughs: Went out to quote a countertop, hour drive away so already eating up a good portion of the day. Food service front counter and I knew from his budget it was going to be cheap laminate. Customer says: "Can you just use some pressure treated plywood?" I didn't know whether to laugh or just walk away at that point. At least he wasn't expecting granite.
I've had multiple people turn down my quotes. Afterwards they called me back to either fix, tear out and redo or assess what was done. So I asked them straight up, Was it that much cheaper to hire someone else than just to pay me to do it right the first time?
The way I look at it, you can pay now or pay more later.
If I may add to that, the dominoe effect can be more damage happening, then the repair/remodel itself. I see it mostly with roofing,bathroom an basement remodels, and alot of decks. water damage causing more problems then before they started. Most times the cheaper guy does not address those expenses that will make a good job last over the years.
Ever had one that the bid to fix the other guy's work turns out to be more than the original bid. I hate that for the customer, but the job has changed. In my experience customers get mad when you have to raise your price. So normally I walk away from fixing another contractor's work if I originally bid the job and didn't get it.
as a home owner, the hardest ones to get bid are the small jobs. I've had some truly ridiculous quotes, like 10k to replace a bathtub and $8k-$12k for adding 6 feet of wall and a door to close in an open space. I ended up getting those jobs done (well) for $2k and $1500 respectively. I actually told one of the guys looking at the second job if he didn't want the job, just say so instead of giving me a stupid high blow-off bid. I respect the guys that say "hey, sorry, I can't afford to do this job right now, it's too small" over throwing out huge numbers.
Touchy, touchy... It's just business, my friend!
Asking for a good price or why you cost more than others is extremely valid. People want a good price…capitalism is a competitive market. If you can’t compete then sorry. Good luck out there…literally competing FOR YOUR DAILY WORK.
I'm a finish carpenter and woodworker out of Los Angeles, California. Been in the trade for 57 years and still active. Been watching your videos off and on with pleasure. Greatly appreciate your aspirations to always be better and expand the limits of your knowledge and expertise.
When I give an estimate and I run into "give me your best price" I look them directly in the eye and tell them there is only one price and its the price to do the job correctly using the best materials. They can lower he price by using cheaper materials but the labor is the labor.
My response to "why are your prices are higher than other guys" I guess everyone knows the value of their own work.
In closing we have this saying out here amongst the "high enders" that often no one seems to have enough money to do it right, but they always have enough money to do it twice.
Best of luck in your career, you are a credit to the trade.
your interview me to see if you want me to do your project , im interviewing you to see if i want to do you project .... enough said
I had a complicated tree to fall between fences and two sheds. Got 4 quotes. 3 were in ball park of each other and one was more then double. Contractor called and actually got mad he didnt get the job. He kept telling me it was a hard job. I'm a contractor I understand hard jobs but his quote was telling me he was nervous about it and he also got rude about it. I love seeing their faces when they discover I'm a contractor. It's like selling a car to a car salesman. Lol
Ok, well said. What about the contractors that say, "yeah, we'll be there next Tuesday at 8 am to start your job" and then never show up and don't return calls? It goes both ways out there, lol.
That contractor you hired probably hired a subcontractor for way cheaper price and that subcontractor doesn't appreciate having a middle man taking a cut without doing any actual leg work. Happens
Look, as a homeowner I am shopping around when I choose contractor. Asking why your price is so high is normal. I like you and making my choice. I want to hear your justification why you charge premium. Sorry, but how many people do you need to do the job is not justification when your price is above medium on the market
There are many factors that go into the price other than how many employees working on the job. Every company have their own numbers to consider. The price is what needs to be charged to make a profit and be sustainable. Justifying their price usually opens up opportunities for the customer to nit pick and/or not fully understand the pricing anyways if they aren’t up to speed on what it takes to run a successful business.
There are bad contractors, medium contractors and very good contractors. 80% of contractors go out of business because they don’t charge enough by going with standard or “medium on the market” pricing.
You get what you’re willing to pay for.
Not to mention most contractors are far too busy to tap dance for the customer.
@@RFC72 Firstly, If contractor is too busy to discuss project and price with me (the customer) then why do i need his majesty? Secondly, if you can't justify your price to me, you risking giving project to your competitor. You are busy? Well, good for you, however I need the contractor who has the time to devote his attention to the project to whole duration. Starting from the magic words: "You hired, when can you start" all the way to another magic phrase: "Thanks for good work. Here is final check." Anything else - unprofessional, unethical and unacceptable. Thirdly, contractor better dance for me if dancing around me in a project scope. I am a contractor myself. IT contractor. Biggest part of the job - keep customer happy. That's the way to win tasty contracts, earn references and move business forward.
Dmitriy Kagan There’s a difference between investing time into a prospective project and nit picking price, which it usually boils down to and is the basis of video. Most contractors are too busy to do a Power Point presentation of their books, showing overhead, budget and P&L sheets to justify their price.
Generally, that IS what makes the price. The rest is their knowledge and experience they will provide. More often than not, the customer just wants to bargain with the contractor, naturally, but also unaware or unconcerned about the sustainability of the contractor’s business.
If the price is the most important thing to consider, then the customer can either move on to someone cheaper or scale back to work within the budget. It may not seem like a waste of time subjectively, but constantly explaining is objectively a waste of time when 70% of customers have already made up their mind.
Who asks the local garage to justify their price to fix their car? Who asks a restaurant to justify their price of their meals?
Contractors, in many fields, get bullied by customers far too often.
They feel they must “earn” the job and beg for it. Many contractors aren’t in the position to play hardball and end up eating it out of desperation and ultimately fail.
Now, I totally understand the desire for low prices. I also understand that cheap and good generally don’t mix.
When people recoil at my price and say “jeez that’s a little more than I was expecting to pay. How can we bring the price down”, I’m more than willing to sit down with them.
“Let’s delete the in-floor heating. We’ll go with laminate instead of stone. LVP instead of hardwood”
Nope. More often than not, they want all that fancy stuff. They just don’t want to pay the guys to put it in.
I’m willing to work within a budget, but I’m not going to stand there and explain why my price is higher than Jim Bob the Handyman. Not only is the quote usually free, I’m also not charging travel time or making any money standing in their kitchen haggling and begging them to give me the job.
I’m not afraid to lose a project. I lose 50-70% of my bids/quotes, and that is normal. I can’t take them all and if I win them all, my prices are too low.
.
First off you are a 2 man crew and you know what it costs to do your work. If you cheapen the price you are only hurting yourself. I had a long time customer of 7 years that one day called me and said I have someone here willing to do my yard work for 1/2 the price that you charge and I want you to match it. I thought to myself I am not Walmart. First off this person did not know the amount of work it would take to do the job. Second they were not licensed to do the work and third this particular customer was very picky. I had to let her go as a client. I drove by a few months later and all the trees and shrubs were ruined. Everything was hacked and not professionally pruned. I thought I knew that would happen! Cheap prices typically lead to poor craftsmanship and people get what they pay for.
It depends on how the craftsman is actually gaining the cheap prices. Low quality is unlikely to be a craftsman and is somebody chancing their arm.
licensed to prune a tree? wow!
Licensed as in a registered business that can be insured. A guy with a business cleaning dog poo can be licensed. Grow up.
@@Michael_Schofield A license is government inserting itself in commerce and making it harder and more complex for the guy starting out. It doesn't guarantee quality, it guarantees higher prices by putting up an unnecessary wall to clear before doing business. Smarten up.
@@bluecollartrader1791 i agree. Yet it is still required. Start making alot of money and see if you think it's "smart" not to after uncle Sam gets ahold of you.
I think some of the great comments reflect the high number of contractors that enjoy your vids.
Whenever someone tells me that so-n-so is cheaper, I tell them I don't compete on price. If they want to compare quality of work and materials, they'll see why I'm more than most.
When you're in your mid 30s you'll look back on this and laugh.
The simplest answer is "I don't cut any corners, I do everything right"
That response is basically, I'll charge whatever I want to charge. I had a contractor tell me what he was going to use and why, and what to watch out for from other contractors. Next quote from a cheaper guy, I asked do you think we need footings, he said: naw, you really only need that if you're going 2 stories. Needless to say he didn't get the job. Had the first guy acted entitled to get whatever he demanded he would have been the one not getting the job. The first guy is known locally for his good work. He got that way by getting a lot of jobs by being a good guy. He now has guys that work for him and most likely is making 7 figures making sure they do things right.
Or even better, when you reach your 50s-60s, lol. Tbh, I'd be glad they told me this ahead of time, as it would save me from wasting my time. At that point, I thank them for the opportunity and politely tell them that if the project is being awarded to the lowest bidder, due to all the sketchy contractors out there, I'll almost never be the lowest price, so I'm not their guy and will have to bow out. But if they change their minds and decide that ending up with a beautiful finish product that's been built correctly by skilled tradespeople for a *fair* price, then we are your guys.
Cutting corners is what he does all day. Inside corners too.
With me it's "You called the 5 star guy, you pay the 5 star price".
Way late on the comment obviously. I’ve just ran into similar situations where someone wants someone else’s price for my work, and you clearly have ran into that. It seems funny because people can tell from your interview with them that your work is going to come out like you conduct yourself, professionally. But they want your price to match someone who I am sure didn’t present himself to the client like you did. I know you don’t write those people off but most times I just quote those jobs even higher because working for people who don’t value my time right from the start I know is going to be a bad experience. Especially if it’s a job that’s going to take more than a couple days. You do great stuff, thanks for all your tips.
Hi I enjoy your videos, I am a project manager and I like other commenters on here think you are missing a trick. When you are asked those questions you should turn them into opportunities, like , sure I'd expect you to get quotes, be good to understand who else you are asking, I fact tell. Them what they will get from your quote, i.e. References, breakdown in materials work etc, a timeline and a commitment to start dates etc... Even ask who else they are quoting from. In terms of price difference, consider price quality trade off we apply it all the time when judging quotes, and I judge quotes in the millions.... There is still a price quality difference. You should welcome the question as it offers the opportunity to sell why someone should use you, quality, good materials, cleanliness, pride in work etc etc etc
Also gives you the opportunity to find out what the competition is offering
@@audleyboyd1 BINGO, the opportunity to gather information and knowledge. I'm with the 2 posters here. I think you should always be prepared to discuss pricing, quality, workmanship etc. You will learn more about what is going on in the industry through the gathering of information, than through a defensive posture and reaction. The quality of this channel's work speaks for itself, the potential customer may not know that.
Good words.
Although it works well for larger jobs, small jobs like doing common grade trim it doesn't work well. You should be making 20% off materials if you are supplying and most people that you are trying to convince will question that. Usually I'll provide a list of work being done and what materials are being supplied, a set price with +/- 10% and tax is added after.
A picture is worth a 1000 words. A clean work van/vehicle also attracts more people. I know guys that do great work but have old run down work vehicles and they are mostly busy from referrals then anything.
Also sometimes when people ask for detailed material lists, they are just looking for a free list. I value my time just like anyone else does, so I give a small fee for detailed material lists.
I don't think he's missing a trick at all. Especially on smaller jobs like he's describing trust is Everything. A small contractor isn't going to have a legal team behind him nor afford to enforce contracts. That's what means by interviewing a client. These "red flags" are signs that the homeowner can't be trusted. The smart play is to walk. jobs have limited potential for profit but a far greater potential for loss.
One Day I was called and a soon I got that, the homeowner said: I don't really need you, the reason I called you is because my wife is driving me crazy and I need to have it done, after 5 minutes He drove me crazy, then I left and said: Thank you Sir, but I'm not the guy for you.
Rubao yep. Hate that mentality.
That's nice... not gonna happen for me. Cant take the over the shoulders... honestly, lost a nice customer because of this idea, mixed with too many questions and hawkeye..
Lovely wife, guy isn't too bad, either.. just hawk eyes too much, as is too many question, changes his mind, and talks as if he knows everything in the world.
So can I drive you crazy?
Do you know the directions seems you've visited that place before.
LightGesture
Seriously, guy seems he knows too much? Hey some people might just know more then you think or know.
Chances are he's studied the chore. Something you thought you learned everything years ago, that's a bad addtude no one knows everything we can all learn something new.
And if the guys dead wrong
Humor him he's paying you.
It's your job to do the work and take his money, if he's not happy fix it. And make him happy. But do the job the best way he's willing to pay for or teach him why your way is better.
You can cut a 2x4 a bunch of different ways but only a few will give good results.
@@bobbg9041
That's not my job.
I have codes and industry standards that dictate the details of the job. The homeowner can dictate things like placement of the medicine cabinet and color of the walls.
They are not allowed to dictate code related things or demand I work below industry standard
They are not allowed to tell me to use a process that will take 4x as long after the papers are signed
I do this job every week day; I am a professional. If they were professionals they wouldn't have hired me.
It's not like they're standing around telling their pharmacist how to fill CII RX'S. Why should they tell me
Besides. They don't pay attention and can get hurt. This is a freaking construction zone. If you aren't wearing appropriate PPE, you need to leave.
Love the comment that "we are interviewing each other". Another one to add to your list of things to never say to a Contractor is "if I like your price and we work together, there are a lot of projects to come". As a Contractor with 20+ years on the job, I don't ever compete on price. My price is my price. I don't ever try to take advantage of people. I'm financially responsible for everything I do and install in your home. There is a cost associated with this. If you want a lower price, I will work with you to lower the overall scope of the project. After that, it's up to you. If price is all you care about, I'm hardly ever the Contractor you will choose. Customer service/communication/timeliness first (it all goes hand-in-hand), quality second (and no compromise here), price third. Everything has a cost benefit analysis. Do you want the cheapest Doctor? Lawyer? Airplane mechanic? I've only walked off of a bid once - Client didn't want to do things by code (not even close). As to your comment about two people working together - this can be twice as much or 40% less, depending on the actual project. I'm making the assumption that you don't pay your coworker the exact amount per hour/day/job that you are taking home after expenses. Some jobs can be completed more than twice as fast with two people. Taking that into account (and paying your coworker less than yourself) the project MAY be cheaper than someone working by him/herself. Many jobs are not even close to twice as fast with two people - think tiling a small shower, installing only a few recessed lights, even installing only a room of crown instead of an entire house. This doesn't negate the fact that you are a two person crew and you aren't there to compete on a cost only basis. A two person crew will/should always complete a project faster than one person. Assuming equal abilities. The time savings alone should count for something to the Client. All of this doesn't even take into account the fact that this industry has a terrible reputation for scam artists, crappy communication, substandard work, etc. and yet Clients just want to go off of the lowest possible price????
A friend told me he was asked to look at a concrete job for a really small stoop not worth his time. The guy said if you give me a good price I got a big concrete slab I need for a garage im building. He said call me when your ready for the slab ill throw in the stoop for free.
@@racerx6384 Fing great answer!!!!
Some of the comments on here are right. A lot of those things are said to contractors because they’re not all like you. People get burned by contractors sometimes. There are A LOT of bad ones. And unfortunately you feel the after burn from that. Horror stories get around faster than great experiences. So while it’s off putting to you considering you’re a great contractor, just keep in mind these things are being said out of fear. Nobody wants to be ripped off. And it happens a lot in your business. Your reputation should speak for itself but some people are just nervous. All you can do is be polite and reassure them of your quality.
A lot of the 'give me your best price' comes from customer expectations that the initial price given is inflated. When I get quotes for jobs, I don't nickel & dime contractors, but take the quote, look at the work and previous customer recommendations of the individual contractors, and weigh up multiple quotes based on that. Personally, I'm not interested in the number of people doing the work, but the actual work and materials itself. If someone wants to get a team of 5 in, hey, thats great. It may take 5 times as quick to finish, but I'm paying the same regardless. Its like going to a mechanic and being charged more for labour because multiple people work on the job. At the end of the day, the same work is done and it is up to the contractor to balance their time accordingly.
A lot of jobs do require two people. Electrical normally as a minimum requires two people. One to push the cables and one to pull the cables.
A client more than likely does not understand this so a guy that works twice as hard and maybe is starting out can do it cheaper but it is really hard for a customer to know this is the case.
I think people forget that two people on the job can get it done far better and more efficiently than one.
Just having someone hand you a tool when you're hanging off a ladder or holding material while you are fixing it in place .
Good videos man. Excellent work.
My Favorite is “hey if you do a good job, I have a lot more work for you. I can keep you busy full time! and I pay my workers very well”. 🤦🏻♂️ big red flag 🚩. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Yeah or if you give me a decent deal I have alot more projects I can give you! Lol I guess so 😋 😝 like I said it's 15,000 for the roof plain and simple if more work comes that's great of not it's not!
If I were the customer in that scenario, the best way to come across is:
"Weve got the budget worked out for this project. We've got more coming after this. Once we get this one finished, we'll be saving for the next.
@@jblooz2371 that is seriously the best way to approach alot of situtations which are based on budgets. I found a couch on offerup - vintage, really nice, but was 650$ The lady straight up said the price is firm and i told her thats fine, I have my budget and buying this would through off my budget for other things i wanted to get. that was that. no hurt feelings, no one was offended.
I never say, "Give me your best price," but after I receive the quote, I do tell contractors that I am shopping around. Not to threaten him or her, but to be totally honest. I want to put my cards on the table, just as I would want my contractor to do. Is that wrong???
There's nothing wrong with that as long as you're comparing Apples to Apples which is usually not the case. Understanding product info, application procedures, the overall vibe, and so on is beneficial..
Why not tell them you're fishing for prices before you ask for a quote ?
I disagree. You need to be ready to educate your customer when they ask those questions and compare your prices to others, instead of just feeling like it's a threat or not wanting to hear them. You can't go wrong having thick skin and thinking smart.
But if I go to Texas Roadhouse, and they have twice as many wait staff working, I certainly am not going to pay them twice as much for my meal. So why should my carpentry job cost twice as much just because you choose to bring twice as many people to the job? Isn't the job getting done twice as quickly then, freeing you and your partner to work twice as many jobs in a day? This seems confusing to me. The few jobs I have had quoted out were quoted by the job, not the number of employees in the company.
So when your coworkers show up , your pay gets cut in half ..cool story bro
tscoffey1
I totally agree, and its stupid to do a one man job. What if someone gets hurt? Falls off a ladder gets schocked cuts off his finger. Trips and gets knocked out?
2 men on a job will almost always get done faster. One guy cuts the crown both put it up one guy mesures.
Up and down a ladder all day long takes a toll on your body.
I've done it painting a 18' walls on a scaffold. You'll find out when you hit your 40's and cry when your in your 50's and 60's.
You have so many sore spots. Getting old sucks.
+tscoffey1
Actually you do pay for the number of staff it is called service. I wish some people would think before they actually speak.
blackfla622
No your pay isn't cut in half unless your on your dam smart phone all day. You both work, the job gets done faster and your off to the next job. You'll make more money faster get jobs done fast and have customers who love your work and recommend you, you can't beat word of mouth advertising. It's free and they tell people that trust them you can't even get your foot in the door without talking a bunch this cuts those steps out.
Oh and it's a really small job, your coworker can bid jobs that day.
Trust me 2 men work faster and safer.
Ya, I disagreed with pretty much everything this guy said in his video... Just figured the comments would be where I would find the good info since his information was just stupidly off.
Like why would anyone care to pay 2 people to finish a 6 hour job anyways... If it was say a 60 hour job, that might make sense if it means your project will be completed faster.
Maybe he didn't fully explain himself, maybe he just feels like coming out for a quote that doesn't get accepted is a waste of his time and he doesn't realize that is part of the job. Making $40 an hour or more, you are making that for when shit happens, like spending time on unfruitful quotes.
Asking price differences is your time to explain and make the sale, it is not just a customer searching for the lowest price! AMATEUR.
DAMN! Going through the comments I'm wondering how ppl is in business. Take a sales class. You have to build the value of your brand. You Should LOVE IT WHEN PPL ASK YOU THAT, they are throwing the business at you, they opening the door, but you still have to walk thru. Next time they ask that, build the value of your workmanship, tell them "Because quality is worth. My work is backed by x number of years of experience, I only use the best materials, and my goal is that when I leave your house you will have piece of mind, never to worry again about this issue in your life time. Here's a list of satisfied customers, and their phone numbers" Then make yourself unavailable, say something like "I work mostly through referrals that former customers sent to me, today I have other x quotes after this one, and if I get your business I probably won't be able to start for the another x amount of weeks", then end with a question, "When do you need me to get started? " the goal is to negotiate on something else besides the price. Bottom line is ppl do not know the value of your workmanship, so it is up to you to educate them on it. Those two questions are gold, it means that everyone that has quoted them is competing on price, the moment you answer those two questions you just build your value and are now competing on quality. Google the sham wow and just enjoy watching how that guy builds value for his product.
R Rdgz You get it!
R Rdgz Yes! I like Richard but he’s way off base here. People don’t know the “professional” bidding the job until you show them!!
I think that there are a lot of very skilled contractors out there who are simply not good at business. They under charge for years until they learn their worth and gain confidence. Thanks for your comment I'm still learning. I want to always improve
Jose Guerra Thats the attitude, man. Some ppl don't understand that if they own the business they're not carpenters, or plumbers, or roofers. If you own the business you're a businessman who happens to do carpentry, or plumbing, or roofing. The difference being that any businessman that doesn't sale is not in business for long, a carpenter can always go get hired elsewhere. Bottom line is this, anyone can cook a burger better than McDonald's, but can you sell burgers better than McDonald's? Ppl will always buy from the better salesman, whether the better salesman offers the better quality or not, ppl don't know better. It is up to you to educate them on their purchase, on your value, on your workmanship. Some ppl don't even know what a 2x4 is, no joke, so how are they going to know what a fair price is for your work? Sales, that's how. It's not enough in being the best, or in offering the best quality, if you don't build value for your brand your not going to sale. Worst yet, when you do sale, you're gong to be competing in price, which means that in order to get business you are going to have to drop your price. Take a sales class, or at least get some sales books, you don't like readying? There are audiobooks now. Look if you're the Ferrari in your market, you don't want to compete on price with a Kia, you want to compete on quality, right? So, you educate the customer, let then know that if they're going with you, they're buying a Ferrari not a Kia, they are buying piece of mind, they are never going to worry about this problem in their lifetime.
+R Rdgz
There is absolutely nothing wrong with people doing any of this. But what happens when you are dealing with time wasters.
I had a bad experience once when I went into a shop that sold TV's and projectors. I had been in before and looked at a demo, went in a second time asked for a demo sales guy then goes I can sell it you for this price. I said I need to think about it and in the middle of the demo he just switches it off and walks away without even acknowledging me.
He must have thought I was wasting his time. If he had of been a little bit more tactile in his approach he would have made several thousand dollars worth of sales. His assumption was that I was not interested in buying but he simply did not take into account that I was considering another brand as well.
The moral here is to avoid overpriced contractors. When they quote you an absurd price, don't even bother with the "why" they are overpriced. Don't ask them why they are overpriced. Just move on and don't waste your time with them.
The reality is that in business you often don't get what you pay for. Don't assume that just because someone is more expensive they will do a better job. You really have to scrutinize these contractors to find ones that offer good value. And "good value" doesn't mean you go with the cheapest quote, but you go with the contractor that will give you a fair service in exchange for your money.
I renovated 2 bathrooms for a friend of a friend. I done it on an hourly rate to keep it as cheap as possible for the owner, I only charged them cost price for materials etc.
The owner wanted an estimate before the job started so i told them approximately $5000 for my parts of the project.
The job ended up costing $5500 in total for my part of the renovations.
The owner called me in hysterics due to the extra $500 dollars his job cost. The way this guy carried on was like I had murdered his family. 😂
He told me they were strapped for cash due to the amount of child support he pays his ex wife 😂.
I told him his past lovers are not my concern.
The best part was that the owners went away on a 10 day vacation to a rather expensive part of my county (Australia) while I was renovating their bathrooms - but still had the nerve to complain to me about price. 😂
I will never forget that job 🤣🤣
i do plumbing and heating @ the U.K.. 2 other phrases that turn me off, especially after an agreement has been specified. 1) when the customer requires extras, and tells you not to worry about the cost.. "Don't worry about the money" and, 2) "Can you just".. can you just look at my toilet please, its not flushing properly.. can you just look at my tap, its dripping. often its awkward for me to say no, because i am already invested and don't want an unsatisfied customer, or a bad working atmosphere.
I’m just getting into this business, so forgive me if this is an obvious question...
In your quotes would it not be useful to include a clause in the work agreement that any extra work requested would be an extra charge and only completed with written consent?
So there would be a secondary contract and avoid those nitpicky negotiations that clients try to get extra work for nothing?
Is anyone doing this? I imagine that there is fine line between wanting to please your customers and not being able to make a living off of doing favours...
Just asking for some reference.. let me know
Finish carpentry TV-Been there, done that, I for one will not accept any food if I can avoid it, also I had customers offer me "free" stuff. If I happen to be interested on whatever it is they're offering me, I will ask how much they want for it. In one rare situation I had a nice lady giving me an X box for my son, she offered it after I was paid and she was very satisfied with the work.
Easy. Add ons at the end. Complete all contracted work first, then negotiate a deal.
That’s absolutely the correct way to do it. It’s called a change order. It protects the customer as well as the contractor.
Oh yeah, the old leaky faucet rabbit trail. Especially if the homeowner has already tried to work on it. I learned that lesson the hard way. I friend of a friend called me to rebuild 5 toilets and do a few specific items a home inspector pointed out. My plan upon arrival was to take care of the miscellaneous items first then replace gaskets and guts on all the toilets. After an hour of being there I was asked to Check their leaky faucet. What I should have done was told him to acquire replacement parts then call me back so I could have finished the job I was called to do but at the time I was not aware that i couldn't just run to Lowes and find a rebuild kit for this specific brand. Lesson learned.
I do new construction installation so naturally I don't carry around a bunch of parts. When it comes to side work it's easy to waste your time going to get materials and parts so now I'm always up front with the homeowner and let them know that my time doesn't stop when I have to leave and go get something.
So a customer may ask what makes you more expensive for clarity. Rather than be offended, answer honestly. Say you have an employee, so we may be quicker and that is two minds to problem solve and get a better result. It may not be a ply to lower your price, it may be a genuine request to qualify why you are worth the price quoted.
Exactly. This dude is a straight up snowflake and not a nice firm one, one about to melt.
"not bad for your last day on the job" is the funniest hardest thing I heard someone say on site
I was called for a quote, to a commercial business that needed some work done. I later found out that they only called me for a quote because of their policy to have at least 3 quotes. The buyer already had in mind who the job was going to and he used my company as one of the required 3 quotes. Wasted a bunch of my time.
same happen with me
Back about 20 years ago, I did a couple of rehabs for a house flipper. Then after giving him 4 or 5 proposals and not getting the jobs, I found out that he was giving my proposals to other contractors as a scope of work and telling them to beat my price if they wanted the job. The last proposal I did for him, I charged him $300 up front.
If I get wind that it is an insurance estimate...it is not a free estimate.....if I get the job, I discount the time.
Sucks. That happens all the time in commercial construction. It’s insulting. And usually the jobs take way more effort to quote.
I work for public sector and 3 quotes is always mandatory.
I’ve been a businessman for over 30 years and I can tell you that I’ve never taken any customer questions personally (actually I probably took it personally when I was younger). A customer telling you they are getting other quotes might be the truth. In my business if we knew we were the only one quoting we would always quote a higher price than if I knew we had competition. That said, I would never quote a job at a loss, always a price I was comfortable with and I’m expecting my contractor to do the same, I would never want them to lose money on my job. Regarding people asking you why your price is so much higher, if they have 5 quotes and yours is the only quote much higher it’s a legitimate question. You might be doing something different. When I hire a contractor I generally try to hire the person I believe will do the best job, but without references it’s not easy to do. I’ve had both good and bad contractors, usually the best ones are the ones friends or family recommended to me.
100% agree. Just because someone asks "why" does not = they are challenging you. I think some people may be jaded or have Ego issues.
Richard, you seem like a really good guy and I love your videos but I really disagree with what you’ve said. I’ve both paid for work and bid jobs so I’ve been on both sides like many people.
1) Of course tone matters, but telling someone you are getting multiple bids is not a threat it’s just information so the contractor knows there will be time before the decision is made and you WILL be competing for the job. That’s the free market. As a consumer you’d be a fool not to get 3-5 bids on every bit of work you pay for, this is not saying low bid is best but you need to consider all options. It’s fair. Since you do great work and I think bid fairly...no worries.
2). Asking why a bid is more is also fair. Most times there are very good reasons why a bid is more (ie scope of work issues, communication problems, materials, quality and speed of work). I’ve asked this question and got very clear answers that led me away from the low bidder. Sure, sometimes you can’t answer this but more often then not it highlights a tangible difference in the quote.
Please don’t get offended by the customer, unless they are being rude.
N P
I am OK with people asking about price but what happens when they are time wasting.
N P Well said!
Truly, when I have a project, I always get at least 3 quotes and I’m being just honest when informing it so; and think is wise because I learn the different ways contractors approach the project and what would be deliver. I also have a BUDGET and if the quote is high, I might have to reconsider a more humble design. Is all about communicating and trying to put together a deal that would benefit both, costumer and contractor.
@@bighands69 suck it up butter cup.... Its part of the job, if you dont like it, well McDonald's always hiring😏
@@bighands69 that's just the way it is in this business. If you aren't willing to spend some time with possible clients in fear they are wasting your time then you are in the wrong line of work.
appreciate your advice. its very hard to find quality labor in my experience as a homeowner. I learned to take on most home improvement jobs myself and found I do better work than a majority of "professionals" I've hired in the past, sadly - although I have 30 plus years of doityourself experience. I would kill (not literally) for the quality work I've seen from you and pay accordingly without any hesitation. I've learned to not even bother talking to anyone that doesn't come from a reliable source. Not wasting my time is as important to me as it is to you.
Richard Gass Totally agree. Been burned by high quote “professionals” more than once. I
I diy my stuff, even work on other people's houses once and a wile. Last job the contractor still hasn't paid me, he offered 35 bucks and hour.
I did 70% of the work now he's telling me I'm asking too much.
I showed up everyday worked and went home, after 2 weeks he came on the job drinking beer, I told the guy I'm not working with someone who's drinking on the job.
I quit it took him 4 months to finish that job but he did change a few things that was not part of the original plan.
I'm a contractor, I don't have a problem with either of those questions. If I don't get good vibes from the customer or the job I go with a sky high price. We are never in a boom economy so prices do fluctuate and It's well known than when work is scarce prices drop. I've repaired terrible jobs done by other contractors and they charged way high. If you have been in business long enough you know how customers get scammed all the time, I'm ready for those questions. I go with a chill attitude and turned first impression impertinent customers to money makers with referrals. You got to mellow out man, look at things from the customers perspective and live a chill life.
I dont like when one is finished with the job , and the customer and i agreed on a price the customer trys to sign a check for a lesser amount when im ready to collect. that puts me on edge.
That is breaking a contract. Sue for the difference in small claims court and if they refuse to pay the judgement, put a "mechanics lien" on their property. I did it a number of times and ALWAYS got paid, eventually, with interest.
@@bluecollartrader1791 make sure when you sue, you include your loss of pay to attend court as well.
I get this 1 all the time. Client - "ok If i buy the materials, how much cheaper?"
30%. That’s how much cheaper it is where I live
Yup! All the time!
What's wrong with that? You can get your desired materials and you don't have to pay quite a bit for someone driving to the store.
@@tonymontana1231 a good contractor wouldn't charge you for for a trip to the store if he is getting the job. 2nd customers usually end up buying the wrong or cheap product & we end up having to drive anyways to return it for the proper product
@@dieagosllc3884 we have recently renovated our house so maybe good contractors charge twice as much overall or it's country related, because ours did. They would also give a required list and reccomend brands so it's all down to customer which product to choose, you can't buy actualy wrong items, maybe from the different manufacturer. Quality is overrated, though not irrelevant, you can't buy bottom shelf and expect best results and twice the price is not even close to twice the quality.
I like to eliminate tire kickers, low ballers and cash strapped customers right at the initial phone call/email inquiry BEFORE any quoting:
"I only do the quality of work and use only the materials that I would have in my own home. I work cleanly, efficiently and transparently. My prices aren't the most expensive but because of MY standards they aren't the cheapest either, so if tight budgeting is your primary concern, I'm not the contractor for you this time."
When I hear "it's only a small job"in the first sentence I know I'm probably wasting my time.
A crazy neighbor of mine called me to look at a damaged counter top. When I got there another older contractor was also there. She called us both at the same time to bid this project. The other contractor looks at me and asks me how much i charge an hr . I told him. Then he looks at the homeowner and says "you should really hire someone who charges 10$ an hr more than what i told him i charge. Little did they both know I was never going to do the job in the first place because of the shady practice of having two contractors show up at the same time. I do realize now I should of never told him my prices. I work alone so I can afford to make less and offer more personal service. But I only have to worry about keeping myself busy.
I've always gotten 2,3 or 4 bids until I find the guy that I always want to hire. It takes a while to find a good roofer, AC man, sheet rock etc. I've had guys show at the same time but its cause one was late or a no show the day before. I'm on my tenth rental and it has really been hard to learn all this from scratch.
George, raise your rate to what others are charging. Just because you work alone doesn't make you less valuable. You're worth what you charge.
If you do good work at a fair (not cheap) price, you will always have work.
I give all my estimates by email rather than on the spot, I take pictures of the job and price it out at my office, I send the quote, references that they can talk to ( not testimonials , most are BS anyway} and pictures of the jobs that I've done . I used to price it at the time I met with the customer but I was either to high or to low . This way it gives me time to realiy figure out the price. It works for me.
That’s a great way to handle it.
I’m getting quotes to resurface and expand my deck from 12x12 to 12x18. PT decking with composite rails, one additional footing will be required for the expansion. One quote for $4,200 the other for $27,800.
Well in God's creation he put in our system something called common sense if you have to ask someone else what's wrong with that picture then the only thing wrong is you not the 2 quotes
I got three quotes for windows,8K,8K,And 24K
I had two contractors give me an estimate on leveling 4 slabs of concrete in my backyard. The slabs were about 6x10’ each. Certain parts of the slabs were uneven by up to 4-5”. One contractor gave me an estimate of $750 and the other’s estimate was $1,400.
I can see why contractors would find it annoying for customers to say these things, but he never explained why it's not in the customers interest to say them. Especially asking why the price is higher than others. I would think a competent contractor who may tend to bid higher than others would welcome the opportunity to justify why it's in the customers interest to go with them instead of just blindly picking the lowest. There may actually be a very good explanation that the customer should benefit by knowing.
You tell us "2 Things you should never say to a contractor." What should be said to a contractor when getting a bid? if anything?