Question for people who bid a lot of spec 10 signs.

[Andy D]

A large part of my job is bidding spec 10 sign bids. It's getting busier & I'm not really built for
keeping all these large jobs slowly nudging along& I don't want to start letting stuff fall through the cracks...
As you know, it could be 4-5 months from the time you proof these projects, before you hear anything back.
Does anyone have advice of how they keep up with these type of projects?

 

[CanuckSigns]

by spec 10, do you mean division 10? things like ADA signs, directories, wayfinding etc?

We do quite a bit of it and it is very time consuming, I haven't found a way to streamline it, as you said it moves at a snails pace until you get the approval then it's needed yesterday!

Possibly start a trello board or something for each project and use the cards to keep track

 

[Andy D]

by spec 10, do you mean division 10? things like ADA signs, directories, wayfinding etc?

We do quite a bit of it and it is very time consuming, I haven't found a way to streamline it, as you said it moves at a snails pace until you get the approval then it's needed yesterday!

Possibly start a trello board or something for each project and use the cards to keep track

Yes, Division 10.
I have another question: When division 10 specs and the plans conflict, which do you bid?
Right now I'm bidding a job that the specs say 12" cast letters and the plans show 16" cast letters.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Yes, Division 10.
I have another question: When division 10 specs and the plans conflict, which do you bid?
Right now I'm bidding a job that the specs say 12" cast letters and the plans show 16" cast

Quote the 12" letters they will be cheaper, and if you get the job apply for a change order.

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Yes, Division 10.
I have another question: When division 10 specs and the plans conflict, which do you bid?
Right now I'm bidding a job that the specs say 12" cast letters and the plans show 16" cast letters.

It is safest to email a question to the bidder. Contractors will try their hardest to weasel out of paying any more than your bid. For all you know, clarification could have been buried in an addendum or on some other random page of the plans.

 

[visual800]

Nightmares! I stopped with this nonsense about 4 or 5 years ago. Hours and hours of searching, quoting laying out and figuring up costs for signage ONLY to have them go with a cheaper option or something completely different without even calling you and allowing you to bid on the cheaper options after you spent hours quoting what they thought they wanted to begin with. It is a thoughtless process with no loyalty at the end for all your hard work. I finally dropped all these bids from a few contractors in our area. Ive had better luck trying to get in touch with who they are building for and trying to go straight thru them and have managed to snag a couple of them

General contractors are the cheapest folks Ive ever dealt with and dont even get me started on getting paid, it will be months before you get paid and they dont pay up front. Ive seen some guys on here say "I get 50% down before I start quoting"......I dont know what fairytale land those contractors are from but I can assure you after 34 years I have never found any within a 100 mile radius or our area.

As far as your post when dealing with plans, whats usually drawn on the plans means nothing, every is suggestive. and pay no attention to what they specify, you are the sign guy you know whats best in this market to use for their application. Architects and contractors do not know, I wish they would stay out of our world

 

[MikePro]

yeah, i hate these jobs but there's good money to be made if able to keep on top of it....
never fails, however, that verbiage in the contract will ALWAYS hang you with extras. never be the low bidder, its a trap.

 

[Andy D]

It is safest to email a question to the bidder. Contractors will try their hardest to weasel out of paying any more than your bid. For all you know, clarification could have been buried in an addendum or on some other random page of the plans.

Yes, I'm working on a bid now that has around 12 addendums, it's a nightmare.
I think my situation is different, I bid projects as a sub-contractor, before they are awarded to a contractor, there might be 20 contractors bidding on a project and I send my bid to all of them.
Architects and engineers don't bother answering questions for sub-contractors.

 

[StarSign]

Send the jobs our way, we will gladly take them....

 

[CanuckSigns]

Yes, I'm working on a bid not that has around 12 addendums, it's a nightmare.
I think my situation is different, I bid projects as a sub-contractor, before they are awarded to a contractor, there might be 20 contractors bidding on a project and I send my bid to all of them.
Architects and engineers don't bother answering questions for sub-contractors.

I used to do this, but I found I was spending hours quoting jobs for contractors that didn't have the job yet, just so they can quote the project as a whole. When the contractor got the job they are under no obligation to use you, they will put it out for tender again.

 

[Andy D]

I used to do this, but I found I was spending hours quoting jobs for contractors that didn't have the job yet, just so they can quote the project as a whole. When the contractor got the job they are under no obligation to use you, they will put it out for tender again.

All true, however once I have done one project, those contractors have started using me for most of the projects they win... Signage is usually tiny, yet critical part of thier project & they are more concerned with it being done right and not becoming a headache, than saving a few bucks.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

The two largest customers I have are builders. The ones that build stuff for themselves are the ones to work for... they make all the decisions and use

All true, however once I have done one project, those contractors have started using me for most of the projects they win... Signage is usually tiny, yet critical part of thier project & they are more concerned with it being done right and not becoming a headache, than saving a few bucks.

I agree.. those contractors want to just keep using a sub that they know. The bidding processes does seem like a giant waste of time so if I've got nothing else going on I'll bite.

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Yes, I'm working on a bid now that has around 12 addendums, it's a nightmare.
I think my situation is different, I bid projects as a sub-contractor, before they are awarded to a contractor, there might be 20 contractors bidding on a project and I send my bid to all of them.
Architects and engineers don't bother answering questions for sub-contractors.

Someone has to be answering questions, that's usually where the addendums come from. How do you find out who the other bidding contractors are?

 

[Andy D]

Someone has to be answering questions, that's usually where the addendums come from. How do you find out who the other bidding contractors are?

Online Public bid sites usually have a plan holder list.

 

[VinylWorksLLC]

check out Monday.com
We have had a lot of success with it

 

[Jean Shimp]

I've learned a couple of lessons the hard way - 1. Have some limit on how many trips to the site are included in your installation price. We are doing a job now that has caused us many additional trips due to either the walls are not painted or the inspector shows up sooner than expected. 2. If you are working as a subcontractor, check out the requirements of the general contractor for prequalification for your company to work for them. Also, what hoops do you have to jump through to get paid. Do you have to create an account and use their software system to get paid? (a real pain, charge extra for the extra work you will have to do). 3. Read the fine print in the contracts, especially the part about liquidated damages. I hate the part that says I don't get paid until they get paid first. But on the good side, these jobs will keep you busy with billable time once you get the bugs worked out.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I've learned a couple of lessons the hard way - 1. Have some limit on how many trips to the site are included in your installation price. We are doing a job now that has caused us many additional trips due to either the walls are not painted or the inspector shows up sooner than expected. 2. If you are working as a subcontractor, check out the requirements of the general contractor for prequalification for your company to work for them. Also, what hoops do you have to jump through to get paid. Do you have to create an account and use their software system to get paid? (a real pain, charge extra for the extra work you will have to do). 3. Read the fine print in the contracts, especially the part about liquidated damages. I hate the part that says I don't get paid until they get paid first. But on the good side, these jobs will keep you busy with billable time once you get the bugs worked out.

There was a construction company that wanted copies of my finicials and a letter from a CPA...on a $10k job. The information they wanted me to fill out was crazy. I told him there was no way I'm giving you or any customer my finicial reports...and I'd have to charge $10k just to fill out your paperwork. Either you buy the signs like a normal person or take a hike.... they took a hike.

 

[visual800]

There was a construction company that wanted copies of my finicials and a letter from a CPA...on a $10k job. The information they wanted me to fill out was crazy. I told him there was no way I'm giving you or any customer my finicial reports...and I'd have to charge $10k just to fill out your paperwork. Either you buy the signs like a normal person or take a hike.... they took a hike.

EXACTLY!....Dont wrap me up in your personal hell just to get a job done