Can a contractor price be negotiable? I want to know can i talk them down on the price because that would a good thing.. and plus how many contractors should i interview before choosing the right one??
Everything is negotiable. But negotiating a win/win would be smarter. Make sure you don't negotiate yourself right into a 'getting what you paid for' situation.
Some times you might run into a guy who will negotiate like you want and bend you over 3 times as hard before its over with change orders and such. How are you going to know if he tells you this of that needs to be replaced after he gets started and it will take 20 hours when he can really do it in 4?
you have to be careful some will low bid just to get the job. then cost-plus you to dealth. its been best for me to ask around {i only use subs. at this time but its the same tech.} and get referals. you can go though a few bad ones but now i've used enough to be able to put together a good crew and thats subject to change at any time as well. some of the best have wound up being "falling down drunks" and just out of nowhere are gone not to be seen again........km
We are in the contracting business. Yes- everything is negotiable for the right customer. I'll put it this way, we are much more likely to be somewhat flexible for a repeat customer. So if you position yourself as an investor in the area, likely to use their services repeatedly, and wanting to develop a relationship, you'll probably find them more willing to negotiate. You may have more luck working them down in the 3rd or 4th deals than the first. Something else to consider.. in the flipping business time is money, right? So it may be worth more to you to pay a decent contractor what he deserves to get it right the first time, and on schedule... than deal with ones who low-ball and then underperform or no-show. Good luck!
Quote:
On 2005-01-11 08:59, focusonmoney wrote:
When you hire a contractor do they work seven days a week or no?
No.
Quote:And also should you supply your own materials?
If you do you better make sure you have exactly what is required, in exactly the quantity need exactly when it is supposed to be there. A good contractor will hold you financially responsible for holding up his crew because you don't have the resources or the knowledge of how to keep a job flowing with supplies. Any good contractor knows that when he has to rely on you to supply him, it is going to take him longer to do the job and he is going to be facing lots of headeaches - so they pad the price of the job accordingly.
Quote:When they leave for the day im plaining to do some work of my own in the house. is that a good idea?
Make sure you don't do anything that will hold up your contractor such as getting stuck in the middle of some project that he now has to wait on you to complete in order for his crew to continue. Don't do something stupid like cut a electrical circuit, cutting power somewhere where the contractor needs it.
You think its a good idea to get a line of credit to pay my contractor?..Im guessing if i enough equity in the property it should be ok...
and if not, is their any kind of credit card that i can apply for an amount of 20,000 or more? if so can you please share..
Are you contracting for labor only, or do you want to contract for a project?
I contract for the project.
I like to supply materials when I contract with homeowners.
It keeps everyone's role simple.
I get to use materials I like to work with, and know will perform.
I get the proper quantities, and know if I short the materials, I am responsible for the difference.
I have seen homeowners supply materials, and they are junk, seconds, damaged from poor handling and storage, missing details, parts, instructions(Yes, I read instructions), and not staged properly for production.
Say you think you can save money buying a skylight, for example. And it sits in a room where you're working, and doesn't get installed because of a rain delay. So I come around, open your roof, and then open the skylight, and it is flawed, dented, cracked. Did I break it? Did you break it? It will take some trust to get past this one, and I would rather avoid that issue and the risk to you.
Likewise with the shingles you bought from the big box store, that you bring home and drop every other bundle and break a corner. Who pays for that, and my labor to cull the damaged ones? Or for handling open packages, or soggy packages?
And then there is the issue of excessive scrap and waste. If you buy, and I say you are short, will you tell me I threw away too much material?
If you contract my labor to install the 13 squares of shingles you have in the driveway for $650, and it is a 17 square job, will you pay me my $650 when I have installed the specified amount? Or will you moan and groan about your budget?
Do I mark up materials? Sure, I do. That compensates me for estimating, sourcing, storing, and hauling them or the price of delivery.
If you ask me what to buy, and what quantities, you will pay for that in the estimate anyway, because I have invested a lot of time and money in gaining the skill that lets me properly estimate those items for you.
Any skilled and successful trades contractor will handle it the same.
Notice I said "skilled and successful." Which of those two qualities would you rather forfeit?
[addsig]
Everything is negotiable. But negotiating a win/win would be smarter. Make sure you don't negotiate yourself right into a 'getting what you paid for' situation.
Some times you might run into a guy who will negotiate like you want and bend you over 3 times as hard before its over with change orders and such. How are you going to know if he tells you this of that needs to be replaced after he gets started and it will take 20 hours when he can really do it in 4?
Becareful getting what you wish for.
you have to be careful some will low bid just to get the job. then cost-plus you to dealth. its been best for me to ask around {i only use subs. at this time but its the same tech.} and get referals. you can go though a few bad ones but now i've used enough to be able to put together a good crew and thats subject to change at any time as well. some of the best have wound up being "falling down drunks" and just out of nowhere are gone not to be seen again........km
We are in the contracting business. Yes- everything is negotiable for the right customer. I'll put it this way, we are much more likely to be somewhat flexible for a repeat customer. So if you position yourself as an investor in the area, likely to use their services repeatedly, and wanting to develop a relationship, you'll probably find them more willing to negotiate. You may have more luck working them down in the 3rd or 4th deals than the first. Something else to consider.. in the flipping business time is money, right? So it may be worth more to you to pay a decent contractor what he deserves to get it right the first time, and on schedule... than deal with ones who low-ball and then underperform or no-show. Good luck!
When you hire a contractor do they work seven days a week or no?
And also should you supply your own materials?
When they leave for the day im plaining to do some work of my own in the house. is that a good idea?
Time is money, so i want to rehabb a house as quick as possible..
Quote:
On 2005-01-11 08:59, focusonmoney wrote:
When you hire a contractor do they work seven days a week or no?
No.
Quote:And also should you supply your own materials?
If you do you better make sure you have exactly what is required, in exactly the quantity need exactly when it is supposed to be there. A good contractor will hold you financially responsible for holding up his crew because you don't have the resources or the knowledge of how to keep a job flowing with supplies. Any good contractor knows that when he has to rely on you to supply him, it is going to take him longer to do the job and he is going to be facing lots of headeaches - so they pad the price of the job accordingly.
Quote:When they leave for the day im plaining to do some work of my own in the house. is that a good idea?
Make sure you don't do anything that will hold up your contractor such as getting stuck in the middle of some project that he now has to wait on you to complete in order for his crew to continue. Don't do something stupid like cut a electrical circuit, cutting power somewhere where the contractor needs it.
These are all questions for perspective contractors.
Once again, It's all negotiable.
[addsig]
You think its a good idea to get a line of credit to pay my contractor?..Im guessing if i enough equity in the property it should be ok...
and if not, is their any kind of credit card that i can apply for an amount of 20,000 or more? if so can you please share..
thanks...
Are you contracting for labor only, or do you want to contract for a project?
I contract for the project.
I like to supply materials when I contract with homeowners.
It keeps everyone's role simple.
I get to use materials I like to work with, and know will perform.
I get the proper quantities, and know if I short the materials, I am responsible for the difference.
I have seen homeowners supply materials, and they are junk, seconds, damaged from poor handling and storage, missing details, parts, instructions(Yes, I read instructions), and not staged properly for production.
Say you think you can save money buying a skylight, for example. And it sits in a room where you're working, and doesn't get installed because of a rain delay. So I come around, open your roof, and then open the skylight, and it is flawed, dented, cracked. Did I break it? Did you break it? It will take some trust to get past this one, and I would rather avoid that issue and the risk to you.
Likewise with the shingles you bought from the big box store, that you bring home and drop every other bundle and break a corner. Who pays for that, and my labor to cull the damaged ones? Or for handling open packages, or soggy packages?
And then there is the issue of excessive scrap and waste. If you buy, and I say you are short, will you tell me I threw away too much material?
If you contract my labor to install the 13 squares of shingles you have in the driveway for $650, and it is a 17 square job, will you pay me my $650 when I have installed the specified amount? Or will you moan and groan about your budget?
Do I mark up materials? Sure, I do. That compensates me for estimating, sourcing, storing, and hauling them or the price of delivery.
If you ask me what to buy, and what quantities, you will pay for that in the estimate anyway, because I have invested a lot of time and money in gaining the skill that lets me properly estimate those items for you.
Any skilled and successful trades contractor will handle it the same.
Notice I said "skilled and successful." Which of those two qualities would you rather forfeit?
[addsig]