Roofing crews and labor teams! Do you hold your contractors accountable for contracts? A detailed and accurate scope of work before you provide a bid? How can you provide a worthy and professional bid if you don't have the details?
As the market for sure is booming due to crazy weather and home demands - it strikes me strange that contractors look for crews to hire, and then a roof crews first response is, "how much?" That's it? Really? You really expect to get a job and an honest shot at the project with that?
If a credible contractor has a project he needs help with or expanding to have more crews available in high season, he needs to make sure any offering is up front and detailed.
Here is a response I believe would help make decisions better -
How many Squares?
How long do you expect to complete the job?
What's the material?
What's the pitch? - if residential.
How many penetrations, curbs or HVAC units etc?
Do I need my own tools?
What insurance do I need?
What insurance does the contractor have?
Is there a contract we can sign to keep us on track?
How do we document or track job details or changes?
Not to mention many more...
We know roofing is hard.
It is even harder to bid some roofs and try to provide that reasonable yet profitable bid to complete the work because price seems to drive everything. As we all are trying to succeed and get the work we need to sustain growth, a paycheck and the fee that promotes value and quality - not just bottom dollar. The race to the bottom price is a dangerous and slippery slope. There is no value in being the cheapest - Contractors or crews who don't understand value versus price, I can assure you will not be in business next year!
"You Buy Cheaply - You'll Pay Dearly."
To ensure sure you can provide a fair price is really dependent on the information you get regarding the roof you are about to bid on. This is where a level of frustration is seen as well as a perception that just throwing a bid out based on dollars or some crazy formula you heard about, I may land this job? PLEASE - stop. Stop and think about what you are doing... Business does not start and end on a group forum, post it note, text message, ad placement in some local rag or online! Learn how to bid with profit by day... not a percentage. (You can learn more at #IBroof Savage Estimating, a class taught by Jason Stanley, the CEO with 40+ years in the roofing industry as a roofer and a manufacturer.
Be professional. Be prepared.
As many "seasoned" roofers like to think
"It's just Numbers - I know what works by some formula I have used and it's fine!"
By having the details, knowing the layers of complexity - and then a strong understanding of Materials, Labor, Overhead and Profit - Only then, can you provide a bid that you and the contractor can agree upon for a successful project and future work.
Provide bids in a document. Provide details in a document so that both parties can review as well as revise when the details don't match when you finally uncover the roof.
We can dive into the details of what bids and how to bids should be provided and break them down so you know you are making money next article. You do want to make money right?
Learn about Labor Central and why it is the platform to bridge the gap for roofing labor and contractors. #dobetterroofing #betterroofbusiness #laborcentral