tired of low bidders !!!!!!!!!!!

hjrdrywal

just wondering if I am wrong to go and try to litteraly teach these d/a's how to do the job that I should have gotten ,but we all know the reason all gc's give jobs away ($$$$) . The GC is paying my company to supervise every move these guy's make . Can't afford to not do it cause bills don't stop coming in.

Darren@Partners

Huh? They're giving the job to someone else but paying you to supervise? Sounds like the Obama plan to me. Explain please.

Custom Drywall Svc.

Low bidders............aka the cancer of the drywall (construction) market.

I wish companies would realize that WE set the market price, not the customer.

dead honest, i have about 3-4, what i like to call, "drywall allies" in my area. they are essentially competition, but at the same time, very much so allies, because we share information and knowledge -- to an extent of course.

honestly, we all talk at least once every other month, just to discuss pricing.....for the main reason of keeping prices at a certain level and threshold. with the major drywall hacks in our region doing prices at cost, it doesn't help anyone......because it makes me, and other mainstay drywall companies seem 'expensive' to the customer.

these hacks doing jobs at cost are just spoiling the market, and making our skilled services seem 'cheap.'

thats not how it works people.

so, all in all.......we talk as often as we can and discuss things like "hey joe smith......how you guys doing right now? whats the going price per sf youre noticing as of late?"

"so and so price per sf seems to be the high.......ive been bidding at so and so price per sf....how bout you? are you successful at that rate?"

"yea....i hear so and so has been bidding a tad higher than this even, and still getting a lot of jobs"

"yea i heard that......however so and so is barely above cost.......and getting tons of work......i told him to raise it up a little bit, and hed still get work.....it would make us look not that high obviously...."

"sounds good......we should all agree to keep prices around this level at least, etc.....seems to do it........"


this is roughly how our conversations go.......

now, i know 'competition is competition' and that in your region and area, it may be a different dynamic......but these ally drywall companies i talk to, we've all been the established players in the market.....and feel we've all paid our dues and at least OWE it to ourselves to help as much as we can, especially and primarily with the introduction of seemingly 100's of fly-by-night drywall companies who come in to town, and basically slash prices.

so....food for thought people.

brdn_drywall

custom drywall ,price fixing is a crime punishable by fine and or prison time allthough it is quite common you should never disclose that you practice it. but we all know that you were just venting and kidding right

hjrdrywal

Yeah they gave the job to a company from up north ,but after one day of being on the job we realize the ones we are supervising are subing the work from the original . The GC super hates the whole thing ,but he has got to live with it b/c they have the money to pay for my men to be there also. Well I hope that the p m and owner really learn from this .

Custom Drywall Svc.

Regardless of what i mentioned above, in the end i am really not aware at all how huge of an effect my allies and i may or may not have on the overall drywall market for my region. My company simply shares information with other "allies" in a completely legal fashion. Such things are discussed as each companies own pricing models and costs, however intentions of controlling and 'price fixing' any drywall market is unestablishable and simply not fathomable.

Darren@Partners

hjrdrywall, I still don't get it. They're using a lower bidder but paying the difference to you to watch? What was the purpose, if the same money is going out?

And Custom, brdn is right. I'd consider editing your post, seriously. Know some guys who did less than you describe, and their wives missed them very much.

Frankawitz

WOW! what Country do you guys live in I have talked with other guys and we don't ask what is charged, but I would think that it would be up to you to charge for what you can do the work for and make a living from it, otherwise why waste your time, I charge whatever I feel the job will take to complete and with materials, that's my price, if you don't cover all your costs and get something for yourself then why waste your time
But that is a good idea for guys to have shop talk. Good luck


www.frankawitz.net

Custom Drywall Svc.

yea more i realize....the more i shouldve kept that to myself.

However, if the companies mentioned were say, as big players in the market/industry as Microsoft and Apple....THATS bad. i really dont look at my 'allies' and i as such big players in the market to effect pricing in that way.

And Frank...as far as 'price fixing' is concerned, it was never in straight attempt to 'price gouge' a customer, if that's worth anything to u guys.

primarily, how this came about was within the last 1.5 years. Bids we heard we starting to go SO low, literally at cost and UNDER, 'we' figured this is not right, and there HAS to be a certain threshold. So, we were never price gouging the market, but simply trying to get them back to 'normal' and realistic levels...not even to where they were at during the 'construction boom,' but even just at levels to where we could make SOME money.

anyways, you guys are right thought either way.......and if anything, i shoulda kept my mouth shut!

nonetheless, like Franks says above...just shop talk guys!

haha, good luck all.

Darren@Partners

Remember the word "allotments"? Ever notice the suppliers never say it anymore? (besides there being plenty of board now) I understand the big manufacturers were told to stop this bahavior our else. But it's still just shop talk.

Whitey97

custom- you're not doing anything different than what bigger chain stores do. It's called price comparison shopping and it's totally lagit. You can share prices with anyone you want. There is nothing wrong with that. He's not setting the price. simply adjusting to the market. Geez....take some marketing classes boys

Darren@Partners

This really is a serious matter. Until you've seen first-hand what the government is capable of, you have no idea of the gravity of this topic. Maybe this thread should be removed from the forum.

If this behavior is allowed at a local or regional level it spreads like the plague. It leads to all sorts of corruption. See it for what it is and be very afraid of getting caught up in it. This ain't no triflin' thing.

Custom Drywall Svc.

I agree with what Whitey said above you.

however Darren, ur right in that we should just not discuss this anymore.


so, from here on out guys, lets just put it to bed -- my fault in the first place.

ima start a new thread right now actually, while im sittin here at work.......things are so gloomy we need SOME light......and my new thread will reflect it. hope you all can add to it! lookin forward.

silverstilts

I really don't think just talking about what we charge with another contractor is as bad as saying that lets only work doing this service for x amount of dollars making the market pressured into a certain dollar amount....that indeed would be price fixing.. that would make it wrong and illegal . Time for a new thread..

Whitey97

yay!