Too Much Education?

**James** · #1 (**permalink**) 07-24-2006, 06:18 AM

We all try to uncover aspects of the job that the contractor and more importantly what the competition might miss or not consider and discuss them with the contractor, not only because they can affect the project and the costs associated with it, but also in hopes of separating ourselves from the competition and justify some of the sometimes outrageous pricing.

On jobs we get, we of course attribute this education process as part of what went right.

But on jobs we don't get, did we just educate the contractor so they know what to ask the next guy they are getting an estimate from.

Do you think there is a fine line? Do you hold back some things or go over them without detail, or do you go into everything you can think of?

demobud · #2 (**permalink**) 07-24-2006, 12:52 PM

Good question! I was just on the phone with a colleague talking about this very same thing. He was telling me how he didn't include any disount for scrap copper on a recent bid because at the walk through it was evident that the copper had already been stripped. The owner (after awarding to a different company) called and asked how much he had put in his bid to cover the loss of the copper because the winning bidder wanted a change order to cover the lost metal. My friend asked the owner why he was comparing the bids after the award and not before. In this case he made an attempt to educate the owner but the owner didn't listen.

**James** · #3 (**permalink**) 07-27-2006, 08:01 AM

It happend to me just the other day. That is why I was wondering if anybody else had this happen to them.

Be interesting to here about any more.