Executive Summary Setting of bid prices on a unit price bid can have significant effects on the financial performance of a project. Set your unit prices in your proposals to have positive impact. Be strategic. Balanced Bid Prices A balanced bid price is when each of...
Closer to 1.30, not 1.50
Executive Summary A common mistake in estimating is the cost of an overtime manhour. Overtime is generally not one and one-half times the straight time rate. It’s usually closer to 1.30. What’s in a labor rate? A labor rate is a combination of three numbers: the...
Bid Day: You Better Honor Your Bid, Mr. Subcontractor
Executive Summary As a general contractor you can rely on your subcontractor’s bid on bid day as a binding agreement. But not in all states. Read on to learn about protection granted by the Doctrine of Promissory Estoppel. Call Your Attorney I’m not a lawyer, and I...
An Hour’s not an Hour, and it’s Certainly not a Day
Executive Summary There are differences in an hour: a manhour, a crewhour, a 50-minute hour. And an hour’s not a day, so there is another calculation for a manday. Here is a quick explanation of these estimating terms. Definitions There are several ways to estimate...
Shhh, You’re being Recorded – and Two Other Tips
Executive Summary Just three random important things for contractors that didn’t make up an article all on their own: the legality of audio recording, running one man short, the golden rule of bid forms. What’s this article about? It’s about being a smart contractor...
Quantifying the Loss in Labor Productivity: the MCAA Factors
Executive Summary There are very few “court-accepted” ways a contractor can quantify his or her loss as a result of labor productivity, or lack thereof. MCAA’s (Mechanical Contractors Association of America, Inc.) document PD 2 Factors Affecting Labor Productivity is...