A mall parking lot in Tulsa changed my whole bid process

Last spring I got a call to redo the storefront trim on a small strip mall off 71st street. The owner wanted a flat number and I gave him one over the phone, no site walk, thinking I knew the building style. First day on the job I found the old aluminum corners were hiding rotted wood behind them, plus the caulk lines were twice as wide as I guessed. That extra material and labor ate up about $380 of my profit, and the job took two extra afternoons. Now I refuse to give any number without seeing the actual condition first, even if it means losing the quick quote. I also started building in a 10 percent buffer for hidden damage on any exterior work. Does anyone else walk every job no matter how simple it looks, or am I just being stubborn?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.eva4d ago

That 10 percent buffer is smart, but here's what I wanna know. When you do walk a job now, how do you actually find the hidden stuff before you commit? I mean, are you popping off a corner piece or two during the walk, or are you just eyeballing the caulk lines and hoping for the best? Because the rotted wood behind those corners, you wouldn't see that unless you started prying something loose. Seems like the only way to really know is to get a little destructive during the quote phase. So what's your move when the owner is standing right there watching you start to poke at their building?

-1

nathan_kim4d ago

Wait, did you just describe exactly what I used to think was overkill? Because honestly, I used to just eyeball every seam and hope the caulk was hiding nothing, but know I realize you're right, you gotta get a little invasive with the owner's blessing, even if it means a tiny screwdriver poke behind a corner, just say "mind if I check this one spot?" and that tells you more than ten minutes of staring.