we bid on a huge 4 story building and lost the bid. I’m curious what do you fellas value this job at. I’m still figuring out how to quote commercial work. The back is pretty much the same as the front and sides. Someone got this job for 2k for exterior. It’s literally all the buildings in the image
likely a solo guy with WFP, maybe a $10-13/hr helper; or some big company with WFP and sending 4 guys at $10-15/hr. It’s not worth fighting for these.
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Honestly I’m asking because it threw me off. I started to wonder if maybe I’m the unreasonable one lol
I’m a small solo guy usually, and still I would have bid way more. So yes, I think $2k is low.
I’ve figured it out, don’t quote it
I went on this medical center one last month, this is the right side, the left is like this as well and about half of this on the front and back side
There’s also windows on the bottom
They also wanted some concrete scraped off in the back and some marble cleaned in the back
I lowered my price a bit, quoted less then I normally would. Came out to a bit over 1k and I still didn’t get it
This is one among many commercial ones that I’ve wasted my gas & time on 
idk if I’m missing something but do people bid this at like 600 or 800 and or know a secret that I don’t lol
It’s outside only
Idk how I could do it for under a g
But that’s the key imo don’t quote it @HLWC
What was your bid?
$2000 doesn’t seem that low to me.
But I’d rather make that money doing residential,
I always feel so beat up after doing commercial work.
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I think both properties were bid right if not a little on the low side. Try to remember that during bid season, the PM’s have to get competing bids every so often. They also do it once a new manager takes over the property or when it changes owners/management companies.
Many times, they are happy with who they are using. They’re only getting numbers. Sometimes it ain’t just about price. Just see it as an opportunity to get to know yet one more manager. Because as you grow, and your relationships with other PM’s grow you will become known by the majority of them.
This is your chance to market your brand. Your foot is in the door. Follow up if you can in a couple years with a visit and offer lunch for a minute of their time, see if they have other properties you can give numbers for.
Sometimes it works. I lose bids all the time. Yes, many times I lost due to pricing. Not ALL the time tho, and even when I did (do) I still try to keep communication open if possible. The cheap guys don’t really do that good of a job sometimes…or will cut corners sooner or later.
Thats when you try to get the job at your price.
Just my 2 pence
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idk if I’m missing something but do people bid this at like 600 or 800 and or know a secret that I don’t lol It’s outside only
That is seriously depressing. Whats the point of doing these jobs if on residentially you can easily make the same (if not more) in less time and effort? I always thought commercial was the big win
Yeah I get where you’re coming from and I’ve actually had the experience where a PM went for someone cheaper, we parted ways very amicably and they ended up firing them and going with us. She didn’t like how they weren’t professional enough. ha
We quoted this for like twice as much though so not sure they’ll want to take us anytime soon. Its not really about greed or the hard work involved but just the principle… at the end of the day this is a giant 3-4 story property. There are a lot of much easier ways to make that money. Maybe I’m the one in the wrong but then again I regularly make 1k-1.5k on easy residential jobs and just don’t see the point in doing this job if its not going to pay better than that. I was under the impression that commercial brings better profit and I guess I’m a little confused lol
So did I lol
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Depends on the location. My price would be at least 2x that.
Residential earns you peanuts here. Mid-rise commercial starts at $225/hr for me.
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Thats what I’m talking about! 3 people, potentially all day doesn’t equal 2k. Am I over estimating the time it will take to do this job?
Hey ! Trying to send you a private message, but struggling to figure out how.
Tory knows commercial, and if it is about picking someone lower,
Just like residential, it’s the “mother bird” type syndrome, first price they accept that’s it, set in stone that they should never pay more, budgets are set and they aren’t going to up the budget unless you get someone new who has a different point of reference, so they just get bids until they find one that shoehorns into the pre set way too low budget amount
unfortunately that first price that set all the precedent could be very unrealistic
craks me up when you hear “that’s way over our budget”, um sooooooo what??? like im supposed to come down to their unrealistic budget for them? and for kicks and giggles let’s see, what would i get? a one time job that takes twice as long for half as much and a bunch of hassle over water stains (because they dont want to pay landscaper to fix and adjust things), paint overspray (because the too low price painter doesn’t mask or care and sprays into the wind and all over everything else) and silicone (because the too low price window repair company has ill skilled labor that must wipe the goop of their hands by leaving it on the windows), no thanks. how about you maintain your property correctly from the start, next! 
but sometimes bids will be different if one person feels they need a lift and its cost and another does not
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You never know why the other company is bidding so low , some bid low just to keep their guys busy 
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I feel like when people bid low, they’re training these people that this is the proper value of the work…and then when eventually they retire or quit (which they often do) then the company struggles to understand other peoples pricing. its really unconsiderate.
I don’t care about losing bids to companies who quoted fairly… but come on, don’t create cheap clients. No one wins in the long term.
who charged them 2k? that must have been from 20 years ago…
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There’s communities here in town like this , 10 years ago someone went bananas doing homes for $40-60 outside only . We’ll guess what ! These homes should be price around $2-300 and every time I go into certain communities I know I’m not going to get job because they’re expecting to pay under 100. It’s so frustrating.
Also in my own neighborhood there was a guy on Nextdoor advertising himself as the $5 window guy . We’ll of course he went out of business, and now if anyone on Nextdoor ask about window cleaning I don’t say anything . It’s just been a wast of time , I’m like over x3 his old price .
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At the end of the day thats what it comes down to don’t it? If its profitable or not. For me, if it can be done fairly quickly? Thats something I want because I can knock em out, move on to the next…thats of course assuming I have the work.
There has been times where I gave a stupid low price because I was starving…and I told them as much too. When I KNEW it was only based on price, I would tell them “alright, well its your lucky day…that price so and so gave is laughable but I don’t have work right now so I will do this and this for (lower price) but I’m leaving this and this out and you’re gonna have to clear that parking lot on this and that side or I’m out”.
It works.
But thats when my wife is throwing knives into me at home cuz I’m not working. Rather deal with that than her any day of the week.
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For me its not about being super profitable, its about being regular calendar filling clients. I dont have those for residential. Not enough to keep me fed.
During winter time? Over here, nobody will get their windows done if theres a hint its going to sprinkle next week, they will cancel for another 4 months.
Commercial? Don’t have anyone looking over your shoulder, no cancellations, its steady income you can count on.
The more you can get, you’re making easy money every day. Not more than residential, but in my opinion, and for me, more reliable with less things for a cancellation. Thats why I like commercial work.
