Taking on larger jobs

[ams]

So I believe I am growing too fast for my own good. I've been taking large jobs from a corporate account of doing pylon signs at car dealerships. Yesterday we worked 16 hours to remove 3 pylons, the biggest at 35 feet tall. 3,000 lb sign/posts. We are using a 55' shooting boom forklift with a weight limit of 10,000 lbs, the new sign is only 3,500 lbs but it took two cranes to place it on the semi-truck. It's much too large to handle with my equipment. So now I am sitting here thinking of what I can do. Job is required to be completed by tomorrow at noon, if I can even rent a crane this late of notice, it would be 1/3 of my profit. Screwed!

 

[visual800]

We have all been there. Take the loss and take the lesson to the next job.

Its just that simple

 

[Gino]

Growing pains are just that......... pains. Sometimes in the back and sometimes in the pocket. Maybe now, you know why you're growing so fast.

 

[heyskull]

Bigger jobs = Less overall profit......... Fact. Unless you have factored in the "f**k up factor" !!! SC

 

[Bly]

Just keep telling yourself it's good to be busy.

 

[ams]

UPDATE: So the company built two 1" solid steel components to retrofit the new signs over two of the old signs existing bolts. However both pieces were way off when delivered and have to be remade, all of our equipment is due back today, so they will have to pay for a re-rental plus trips and more labor charges. So that will help us out. Luckily we were able to get one of the signs completed. I'll send photos later.

 

[FS-Keith]

Not that you gave us any details, but is it something you could burn new holes in the plates to make it work?

 

[shoresigns]

if I can even rent a crane this late of notice, it would be 1/3 of my profit. Screwed!

You overestimated the limitations of your equipment, screwed up on a big job and still have 2/3 of your profit left? That sounds like a win to me.

 

[ams]

Not that you gave us any details, but is it something you could burn new holes in the plates to make it work?

Negative, the plates are over sized without any way of adjusting them.

 

[FS-Keith]

you always need to keep in mind what equipment lifting capacities really mean. Your skyhandler forklift might be rated to lift 10K but that is not with all the boom out. A cranes maximum capacity is with all the boom sucked in and completely raised. For example we install Digital billboards that you see on the side of the highway. The head with double faces boards can weigh around 40,000 lbs. We call in a 200-300 ton crane to lift.

 

[ams]

you always need to keep in mind what equipment lifting capacities really mean. Your skyhandler forklift might be rated to lift 10K but that is not with all the boom out. A cranes maximum capacity is with all the boom sucked in and completely raised. For example we install Digital billboards that you see on the side of the highway. The head with double faces boards can weigh around 40,000 lbs. We call in a 200-300 ton crane to lift.

Yeah found that out. I am not an installer, I am just the owner who assists on some installs, but at one point the shooting boom forklift as at an angle and fully extended and it only had a 1,000lb limit, so we were temp screwed. But I've learned from that to get mega big equipment.

Have to screw up in order to learn from it as we all do from time to time. But I won't ever make that mistake again.

 

[player]

Yeah found that out. I am not an installer, I am just the owner who assists on some installs, but at one point the shooting boom forklift as at an angle and fully extended and it only had a 1,000lb limit, so we were temp screwed. But I've learned from that to get mega big equipment.

Have to screw up in order to learn from it as we all do from time to time. But I won't ever make that mistake again.

9,999 mistakes to go.

 

[Gino]

Yeah found that out. I am not an installer, I am just the owner who assists on some installs, but at one point the shooting boom forklift as at an angle and fully extended and it only had a 1,000lb limit, so we were temp screwed. But I've learned from that to get mega big equipment.

Have to screw up in order to learn from it as we all do from time to time. But I won't ever make that mistake again.

So, if you're not an installer, who f*cked up all the calculations ?? And why would you take the hit, if your installer figured everything wrong ??

 

[ams]

9,999 mistakes to go.

True in a way, it may be more, because in the sign business nothing goes right. It's impossible for every job to be successful.

 

[31legen]

Crane rental

If you havent finished the job and need a crane i can get you one out of richmond pretty quick. Pm if you need one.

 

[Gino]

True in a way, it may be more, because in the sign business nothing goes right. It's impossible for every job to be successful.

If that's what you truly believe, you are indeed, in the wrong field of work. If you know what you're doing, almost everything goes along without a hitch. Sure, there are small hiccups here and there, but nothing like you've described in this thread, let alone what you've told us over your stay here.

 

[signage]

Did you make the sign?

If not then you must be contracting/hired as the installer, yet you admit you are not an installer. Sounds like you are accepting jobs you know little about. Does your insurance cover you for these installs?

 

[ams]

Did you make the sign?

If not then you must be contracting/hired as the installer, yet you admit you are not an installer. Sounds like you are accepting jobs you know little about. Does your insurance cover you for these installs?

I have installers who take care of the installs, what I am saying is that me, myself and I usually stay at the office, but this was a large scale job that I needed to assist on. Yes I am fully licensed and insured for any single job up to $120,000 including billboards.

 

[reQ]

Yes I am fully licensed and insured for any single job up to $120,000 including billboards.

You are lucky then. We have to have at least 2 million dollar insurance here, but usually bigger jobs require 4-5 mil. That's why i keep mine at 4

 

[Gino]

^^ exactly ^^

Never heard of a liability of $120.000. I don't think we're talking along the same lines. Ours is 3 million. Evidently, you are not properly covered.

 

[tbullo]

I think that ams must be referring to the contractor license B, which is for single projects worth 120k. Most of the contacts that we work for ask for at least a 2 million insurance policy.