Prices over the Phone - Drywall Talk - Professional Drywall and Finishing Contractors Forum

Al Taper · 09-15-2008, 08:31 PM

I got a call tonight from a old friend that I dont do any work for anymore. There were just problems.Anyway, He calls and said that he was doing a job for someone who need a basement taped and finished. He say its only 24 boards all walls no ceilings. But the job is a 1 hour and a half a way. So at this point the HO gets on the phone and starts asking how much per board blah,blah,blah. All i said was to be fair to both of us i have to take a look at it. I have given people prices over the phone and get to the job and loose my shirt.Because the job is just messed up. Plus the job is a Hour and a half and that adds to the price.

A 24 board job is cut up into 50 pieces.

Has Phone Priceing bit you in the ass?

amestaper · 09-19-2008, 05:12 PM

Yep,

Also been sent well out of date plans, printed out insurance estimates for someone else to come in and undercut me, (then they split the difference with the claimant). Driven 50 miles to fill a small hole in a wall, taped new builds with kitchens already fitted and flooring already laid. I could go on and on.... this job cracks me up at times.

You see it all my friend.

I dont like pricing a job without seeing it in the flesh if possible.

Al Taper · 09-19-2008, 07:16 PM

Well drive down to the job.70 miles, 1 hour and 25 mins. It was 24 boards and 12 beads . Told him $675...Then he showed me the materials for the job. So I said $ 600. He turned and said can you do it for $400.

Then he said i have to make money too. Good luck hope you find someone.

Then i walked out.

Some people.

Muddauber · 09-20-2008, 10:28 PM

WOW,I just finished a basement yesterday almost identical to your job.
27 12' boards.It was for a trim guy I work with on some jobs.He asked if I would finish it if he hung the board.Neat job! All walls,no ceiling,13 beads.I billed him $672.00 for labor,mud,tape,& bead.He wrote me a check for $700.00.
It was 12 miles from my house.

04-29-2009, 05:03 AM

Mark Twain once went to borrow a certain book from a neighbour in Tarry town. "May I borrow a book from you?" he asked politely. "Yes,you're more than welcome to it," the neighbour told him. "But I must ask you to read it here. You know I make a rule never to let any book go out of my library." Some days later the neighbour wished to borrow Twain's machine for cutting grass in the garden. "Why,certainly," Twain told him,"You're more than welcome to it. But I must ask you to use it here. You know that I make it a rule never to let it go out of my garden." I have nothing to offer but blood , toil tears and sweat . (Winston Churchill, British Politician)More Games,joke,Warhammer Power Leveling and famous. Click http://www.ygscn.net You will get more.

Custom Drywall Svc. · 04-29-2009, 12:32 PM

hahhah this is a great topic......'phone pricing'

god, we all know this has bit us all in the ass at one point or another.

but yea, rule of thumb, for me anyways, is you HAVE to look at the job....like you were saying, to be fair to both the customer and the contractor.

i hate these, personally -- mostly because, it just doesnt make any sense.

**Darren@Partners** · 04-29-2009, 06:48 PM

Yeh, when I find the sob that coined the phrase "free estimate", I'm gonna kick him right square in the nutz...

LadyFinisher · 04-29-2009, 06:51 PM

/\ don't like "free estimates" ? Why not?

**silverstilts** · 04-29-2009, 07:06 PM

I know we all talk a lot about pricing on this site but really as stated you will get burned by not looking at the job

. Especially if it was a do it yourself hanging job .... Another reason not to give out prices over the phone is it may be that one of your competitors put someone up to it so as to under bid you has that ever occurred to any of you out there... I had a freind who worked at a local lumber yard was always having his wife call the other lumber yards to do some as the term "secret shopping" it is a common practice and I am sure illegal don't know for sure , but wouldn't doubt if this is one way the hacks and low ballers

come in and take work away from us legitimate contractors.. so hush hush all the time ...until you see the actual job.

**Darren@Partners** · 04-29-2009, 07:14 PM

Ever bid a hotel?

**silverstilts** · 04-29-2009, 08:07 PM

done 3 of them myself or actually my crew and I the 2 years ago bid one the finish end of it with three other (separate) hanging crews . gave them all the same price , but in the end lost out and so did they to a crew of mexicans that showed up ,,, I got the last laugh though they didn't finish the lobby ,pool breakfast area and some misc areas .. got a call from the general contractor to go finish up i was quite busy and told him i would start in about a week ( was working on 2 schools ) his Foreman must have called me 5 times a day for the first couple of days wondering where i was i told him to stop calling and would get there as soon as i could he just kept calling so i called down to the the top dog and told him if his Foreman called one more time he and his company could go to hell , since i originally lost the job over just 3 cents a ft could care less if i did it or not ,, there was silence then he said jon i do not want to hear that just get there as soon as you can , you won't be bothered anymore . AH ha he understood where i was coming from ,,,, when all said and done got paid way more than i had a right to and i am sure it came out of the other drywall sub contract , but payback is a bitch , i made sure it was worth my while and a lot more to boot

eastex1963 · 04-29-2009, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverstilts

I know we all talk a lot about pricing on this site but really as stated you will get burned by not looking at the job

. Especially if it was a do it yourself hanging job .... Another reason not to give out prices over the phone is it may be that one of your competitors put someone up to it so as to under bid you has that ever occurred to any of you out there... I had a freind who worked at a local lumber yard was always having his wife call the other lumber yards to do some as the term "secret shopping" it is a common practice and I am sure illegal don't know for sure , but wouldn't doubt if this is one way the hacks and low ballers

come in and take work away from us legitimate contractors.. so hush hush all the time ...until you see the actual job.

ditto

09-15-2008, 08:31 PM	#1
Al Taper Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northwest, NJ Posts: 191	Prices over the Phone I got a call tonight from a old friend that I dont do any work for anymore. There were just problems.Anyway, He calls and said that he was doing a job for someone who need a basement taped and finished. He say its only 24 boards all walls no ceilings. But the job is a 1 hour and a half a way. So at this point the HO gets on the phone and starts asking how much per board blah,blah,blah. All i said was to be fair to both of us i have to take a look at it. I have given people prices over the phone and get to the job and loose my shirt.Because the job is just messed up. Plus the job is a Hour and a half and that adds to the price. A 24 board job is cut up into 50 pieces. Has Phone Priceing bit you in the ass?

09-19-2008, 07:16 PM	#3
Al Taper Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northwest, NJ Posts: 191	Well drive down to the job.70 miles, 1 hour and 25 mins. It was 24 boards and 12 beads . Told him $675...Then he showed me the materials for the job. So I said $ 600. He turned and said can you do it for $400. Then he said i have to make money too. Good luck hope you find someone. Then i walked out. Some people. Last edited by Al Taper; 09-21-2008 at 07:04 AM.

04-29-2009, 05:03 AM	#5
gohome Guest Posts: n/a	Never Let it Go Out Mark Twain once went to borrow a certain book from a neighbour in Tarry town. "May I borrow a book from you?" he asked politely. "Yes,you're more than welcome to it," the neighbour told him. "But I must ask you to read it here. You know I make a rule never to let any book go out of my library." Some days later the neighbour wished to borrow Twain's machine for cutting grass in the garden. "Why,certainly," Twain told him,"You're more than welcome to it. But I must ask you to use it here. You know that I make it a rule never to let it go out of my garden." I have nothing to offer but blood , toil tears and sweat . (Winston Churchill, British Politician)More Games,joke,Warhammer Power Leveling and famous. Click http://www.ygscn.net You will get more.

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09-19-2008, 05:12 PM	#2
amestaper Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 19	Yep, Also been sent well out of date plans, printed out insurance estimates for someone else to come in and undercut me, (then they split the difference with the claimant). Driven 50 miles to fill a small hole in a wall, taped new builds with kitchens already fitted and flooring already laid. I could go on and on.... this job cracks me up at times. You see it all my friend. I dont like pricing a job without seeing it in the flesh if possible.

09-20-2008, 10:28 PM	#4
Muddauber Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ky. Posts: 186	WOW,I just finished a basement yesterday almost identical to your job. 27 12' boards.It was for a trim guy I work with on some jobs.He asked if I would finish it if he hung the board.Neat job! All walls,no ceiling,13 beads.I billed him $672.00 for labor,mud,tape,& bead.He wrote me a check for $700.00. It was 12 miles from my house.

04-29-2009, 12:32 PM	#6
Custom Drywall Svc. Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 408	hahhah this is a great topic......'phone pricing' god, we all know this has bit us all in the ass at one point or another. but yea, rule of thumb, for me anyways, is you HAVE to look at the job....like you were saying, to be fair to both the customer and the contractor. i hate these, personally -- mostly because, it just doesnt make any sense.

04-29-2009, 06:48 PM	#7
Darren@Partners Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: KCMO area Posts: 830	Yeh, when I find the sob that coined the phrase "free estimate", I'm gonna kick him right square in the nutz...

04-29-2009, 06:51 PM	#8
LadyFinisher Quality Drywall-Finishing Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Thomasville, GA Posts: 42	/\ don't like "free estimates" ? Why not?

04-29-2009, 07:06 PM	#9
silverstilts Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northern MN Posts: 642	I know we all talk a lot about pricing on this site but really as stated you will get burned by not looking at the job . Especially if it was a do it yourself hanging job .... Another reason not to give out prices over the phone is it may be that one of your competitors put someone up to it so as to under bid you has that ever occurred to any of you out there... I had a freind who worked at a local lumber yard was always having his wife call the other lumber yards to do some as the term "secret shopping" it is a common practice and I am sure illegal don't know for sure , but wouldn't doubt if this is one way the hacks and low ballers come in and take work away from us legitimate contractors.. so hush hush all the time ...until you see the actual job.

04-29-2009, 07:14 PM	#10
Darren@Partners Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: KCMO area Posts: 830	Ever bid a hotel?

04-29-2009, 08:07 PM	#11
silverstilts Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northern MN Posts: 642	done 3 of them myself or actually my crew and I the 2 years ago bid one the finish end of it with three other (separate) hanging crews . gave them all the same price , but in the end lost out and so did they to a crew of mexicans that showed up ,,, I got the last laugh though they didn't finish the lobby ,pool breakfast area and some misc areas .. got a call from the general contractor to go finish up i was quite busy and told him i would start in about a week ( was working on 2 schools ) his Foreman must have called me 5 times a day for the first couple of days wondering where i was i told him to stop calling and would get there as soon as i could he just kept calling so i called down to the the top dog and told him if his Foreman called one more time he and his company could go to hell , since i originally lost the job over just 3 cents a ft could care less if i did it or not ,, there was silence then he said jon i do not want to hear that just get there as soon as you can , you won't be bothered anymore . AH ha he understood where i was coming from ,,,, when all said and done got paid way more than i had a right to and i am sure it came out of the other drywall sub contract , but payback is a bitch , i made sure it was worth my while and a lot more to boot