underbid jobs

[treeman82]

When you guys realize that you have underbid a job, what do you do? I gave a price a few weeks ago for this one big oak over a building. I knew what it was worth, but after hearing the competition's price I went down considerably. After some careful thought and consulting with friends who knew the tree I called the customer back and said that I was sorry but I have to retract my bid and proceeded to give the appropriate one which should have been given in the first place. Don't care if I get the job or not, because the competition bid it at a price which one person called red cross pricing... AKA charity work.

What if you get there in the morning to do the tree(s) and realize that you were WAY too low? Walk? Ask for more $?

 

[preach it]

It happens to all of us that we underbid occasionally. 99.9 percent of the time I just suck it in and do it anyway, the underbid was my fault. But once in a great while I just can't do it at the price that I bid, and usually decline to do the job. Even at that point I will suggest some one who will do it for them for a good price, that I would trust.

 

[tophopper]

What if you get there in the morning to do the tree(s) and realize that you were WAY too low? Walk? Ask for more $?

You do the job for the price you agreed to do it for.




So you submitted a bid, then found out someone elses bid price, and you changed your bid, then retracted it?

Do you see anything wrong here?


Sounds pretty shady if you ask me.

 

[Stumper]

Hoppy, Remember -this is Matt asking.

 

[Koa Man]

If I bid it, I eat it.

 

[treeman82]

What happened was I was looking at the tree with the customer, I told him in these exact words "This is going to be some bucks" To which he replied that another guy, who had a bucket had bid $1,200. I then said that I didn't know if I could do it for $1,200 and said I would have to think about it. I went and did some math, and contacted the guy to say $1,600... good customer, but was at a real risk of losing money on the job. I had somebody else go look at it, and that person told me that my first instincts were right... $2,000+. I called up the customer and said that "I know I told you I would do it for $1,600 but I had somebody else look at it who has more experience than me, and after consulting with that person I feel that I can't do it for the $1,600 and you should probably get the other guy to do it for $1,200." He knew that I was really shaky on that price in the first place though.

 

[Koa Man]

I would not consider that a real bid. A bid to me is when I actually give a person a signed proposal. If he accepts it by signing it, and I realize I bid too low, I take the loss. I have a signed contract and I will fulfill no matter what. There have been times when my groundman made 2 times the amount I did on a job. Fortunately, those times a very few and far far between.

I hate to give on the spot price quotes, unless it is something real simple. I like to go home and think about it, look at records of similar jobs and try to come up with a price that I think is fair to both. I usually tell people I will get back to them with a verbal quote within 24 hours, and if they accept the verbal, I will send them a written proposal. On the written proposal they have 10 days to accept or I can withdraw my offer. I have had people press me for an on the spot quote while looking at a difficult job and I give them a price range, like it will probably run between $$ and $$+ to do this job. Sometimes after I get home and do the math, my actual price is higher than the top range. I call and tell them after having had time to figure costs, my price is $$$ and they should go get other bids.

 

[Nickrosis]

it for the $1,600 and you should probably get the other guy to do it for $1,200." .

Sounds like you made a good move.

 

[kennertree]

A good way to keep from losing on a job that you're not sure about is to quote them an hourly rate.

 

[mikey]

If you gave a price,honor it.Do a good job and next time this customer or someone he knows needs tree work,you should be recommended.You will have a chance to recover from your low bid.

 

[woodchux]

If you gave a price,honor it.Do a good job and next time this customer or someone he knows needs tree work,you should be recommended.You will have a chance to recover from your low bid.

And being out there working , doing a good job, will get you many more jobs in that neighborhood.

I have worked for free and lost money on a couple of low bids i gave ,but my guys got paid.
That will teach you not to underbid VERY quickly.

 

[jp hallman]

...I went and did some math, and contacted the guy to say $1,600...

You had the time to mull it over and dissect it and you still made the bid. Even though you tell us now you were not comfortable with your own bid. I think you wanted to pass on the job. Can't fold now and save face. You must suck it up and do your best on the job for what you bid, $1,600.00.
Another life lesson learned, the hard way.
Don't smash the guy's building! Holy Pete!

 

[jmack]

When you guys realize that you have underbid a job, what do you do? I gave a price a few weeks ago for this one big oak over a building. I knew what it was worth, but after hearing the competition's price I went down considerably. After some careful thought and consulting with friends who knew the tree I called the customer back and said that I was sorry but I have to retract my bid and proceeded to give the appropriate one which should have been given in the first place. Don't care if I get the job or not, because the competition bid it at a price which one person called red cross pricing... AKA charity work.

What if you get there in the morning to do the tree(s) and realize that you were WAY too low? Walk? Ask for more $?

reach out to yer bros and tell wtf happened btw use da cell before you retract da bid , i'm listening

 

[jmack]

You do the job for the price you agreed to do it for.




So you submitted a bid, then found out someone elses bid price, and you changed your bid, then retracted it?

Do you see anything wrong here?


Sounds pretty shady if you ask me.

scenario, you want to remove tree you lower piece and realize the roots are comprimised you have blacktop land lighting and irrigation under tree if you continue you realize you will need a crane if not you walk,thoughts... comments questions... rude remarks?

 

[rebelman]

If you notice a crack or uprooting while doing the job definitely stop and rebid it.

 

[tophopper]

scenario, you want to remove tree you lower piece and realize the roots are comprimised you have blacktop land lighting and irrigation under tree if you continue you realize you will need a crane if not you walk,thoughts... comments questions... rude remarks?

you should have noticed the compromised roots from the get go and all the obstacles as well. If you had actually assessed the tree when you bid it you would have bid it properly.

You do get out of your truck when you write a bid yes?

 

[woodchux]

I always walk up and put my hands on the trunk of the tree.
Up close you get a good idea of what you're in for.
Trees have a way of looking much smaller from across the yard.
And I always check the base of the tree for defects, yard lights etc...

 

[Koa Man]

You do get out of your truck when you write a bid yes?

I usually like to just have them email me a picture. Real easy with all these camera phones now days.

Seriously, I don't like to give a bid unless I can actually walk up to the trunk and then look at the canopy. From that view, sometimes it is worse, sometimes better than you expected looking from outside the canopy. I also carry binoculars and a clinometer with me. Really helps when checking out suspect parts and determining height.

 

[Trignog]

If you gave a price,honor it.Do a good job and next time this customer or someone he knows needs tree work,you should be recommended.You will have a chance to recover from your low bid.

Good logic but that also comes with "You did my friends tree so cheap, why the high price for me?"

Take the good with the bad and don't be afraid to say no.

 

[tophopper]

I usually like to just have them email me a picture. Real easy with all these camera phones now days.

Seriously, I don't like to give a bid unless I can actually walk up to the trunk and then look at the canopy. From that view, sometimes it is worse, sometimes better than you expected looking from outside the canopy. I also carry binoculars and a clinometer with me. Really helps when checking out suspect parts and determining height.

Exactly!

I thought thats HOW you gave a bid. You walk the property, you look at accessability, you look from a distance, you look from under the canopy, you look for irrigation, you look for landscaping to work around , you look for overhead utilties, so on and so on. You look at everything.

You guys all make it seem as if you just glance at the tree and throw out a number. When I walk away from writing an estimate, I have every fine detail worked out, I know how the job will be carried out, I know approx. how long it'll take to get it down, and cleaned up, I know where the chip truck will be parked, I know what time the friggin mail man comes, I know what day is garbage day, I know if there will be a school bus dropping 20 kids in front of the work site and what time.

I really doubt you can get that from a picture, but hey if it works for you.