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A GC told me my bid numbers were 'too honest' and it changed how I quote
Back in March I was bidding a small office buildout in Akron, around 1,800 square feet. I put together my number with some buffer for material price swings, but I didn't pad it like most guys do. The GC calls me up and says 'you're the only one who didn't start with a 30% markup, but if you keep doing that you'll go broke or look like you're cutting corners.' He walked me through how he reads bids, like if a number looks too clean he assumes we missed something. That stuck with me because I always thought honest pricing was a selling point. Now I add line items for stuff like dumpster fees and temporary power just so the number feels real to him, even if I eat the cost sometimes. Has anyone else had a client or GC tell them their quote looked suspicious for being straightforward?
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lily_torres311mo ago
My cousin does roofing and he swears by the opposite, he always quotes way high and then "negotiates" down because he says clients need to feel like they won something. Last summer he bid a job at like 60% over what he actually wanted, and when the homeowner balked he dropped it by twenty and acted like he was bleeding money. Got the job and made out way better than if he'd just been straight with them. Weird game but I guess some people shop for the drama as much as the price.
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