Publication Date: Friday, March 12, 2004
There is no free lunch
There is no free lunch
(March 12, 2004) Bidding takes time, knowledge -- and cash
by Lynn Comeskey
Q We want to have some remodeling work done on our house and only one of the three contractors we have called has been willing to bid the job. We do not have drawings, but we had understood that we could get free bids from contractors. The two contractors that turned us down said they charge for bids and we didn't want to pay. We're not certain that we want to do the job; we won't know until we get the bid. Have contractors stopped doing bids for free?
A A number of my friends are charging for estimates. I believe there are good reasons to charge for an estimate; but understand that you as a homeowner want to keep your costs down -- especially if you're not even sure you want to have the work done.
You could make a few more calls and probably find others who are willing to do an estimate. However, in your case, you are not only asking for a free bid, you are asking for a free design. It's difficult to bid something without having an idea of what is to be built. In order to provide you with an accurate estimate, the contractor will probably want to get bids from some of his subcontractors.
The alternate is to guess. The subs cannot afford the time to visit the site so the general has to take the time to either prepare a written explanation or sketches of what is to be done. The general also has to make lists of the materials needed in your project and send them to the various suppliers. Lastly, he has to estimate the amount of labor it will take to do his part of the job.
It takes time to do an estimate and I have calculated it cost approximately 1 1/2 percent of the cost of the job to bid it. I am speaking of a large job; a $200,000 job would cost approximately $3,000 to bid. Smaller jobs would cost disproportionately more.
If you can locate a contractor who has experience doing projects similar to yours, then she could not only visualize the project in her head but probably also give you a pretty good ballpark cost.
If you can get a guesstimate and it's in your ballpark, then you can get some proper drawings done and get a proper bid. There are so many details involved in most remodeling projects that getting a free bid based on a couple of discussions and a little impassioned arm waving leaves a great deal up in the air. That's not a good way to start a project!
Generally speaking, the contractors who want to be paid for bidding are the ones that are already busy. They are usually the good ones.
Q About a year ago, you wrote an unusual story suggesting a relationship between the founders of your company, Mac & Lou, and a French Saint MacLou. While I have trouble believing your story, you recently told us you had just returned from an extended stay in Paris and I was wondering if you had any new information.
A Thank you for remembering. While in Paris, I visited a number of libraries and located an Oxford Press book with the answer to my questions.
Saint MacLou, also known as St. Malo, was a 6th-7th century bishop. He is best known for founding a church in the town named in his honor (St. Malo on the coast in Brittany). I am disappointed to learn that the similarity of the names, St. MacLou and Mac & Lou is only a coincidence. I had hoped that Mac & Lou might have actually been saints.
Lynn Comeskey continues to work with Mac & Lou Construction Co. in Palo Alto. Readers can write Comeskey care of the Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94301.
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