You might have gotten a recommendation to always get three bids when inviting contractors over to do work on your property. This is wise for a couple of reasons.
First off, it’s common to see a spread in the proposal amounts. I’d say on average I’ve seen a twenty percent spread on quotes for roofs, garage doors, tile remodels and so on. Of course, everyone is consious of the cost of things and twenty percent is quite a bit. But you’ll notice other differences between the bids.
The second issue concerns the type of work to be done. The proposal above is quite detailed. There are measures and a sketch to demontrate spacial relationships. It has a floor drain option, and a service door pad option, and an apron. The posts from the overhang are noted and there is a suggestion to bring the patio floor out past them for a higher quality finish. In contrast, it competes with a proposal that was received by text and just gave to figures for the floor and the patio. And that figure exceeds this one with all the extras by ten percent. There were other bids somewhere in between these two.
This isn’t a difficult project, so why would various contractors want to diverge so seriously from the standard pricing? Most trades people work for themselves. They get to choose their pricing, and some feel they are worth more money. Others feel that they don’t want the work unless they get the premium amount. And they probably don’t get the work as many consumers like to check around. But that one consumer, who is in a squeeze, with a deadline to meet, might be happy as punch to pay a little extra and get the high priced guy to come at a moments notice. There’s room in the market for this.
For as many personalities there are subs. The contractors who are detailed will be appreciated by detail oriented people. The ones that keep it simple and quick will find their niche too. Some people find details irritating. Part of what the consumer wants is a good price, but they also want to connect socially with standards and timing.
Home Economics 