I do a lot of small/medium scale residential remodels and I always get preliminary estimates from my
trusted contractors before going to bid. They always do breakdowns for me, just as they do for
actual bids. So I have never encountered that reluctance to give a breakdown. I wouldn't work with
a contractor that kept those numbers private. What I am encountering, is that contractors are forced
to use for "allowances" for line items because pricing has gone through the roof since Covid, so by the time
a contract is let, their prices can't be trusted and they really get burned if they have fixed numbers for a lot
of the trades. I do really detailed drawings to avoid "allowances" in the bids, but I totally understand the
need for them now. I would at least ask these contractors to do a "cost of the work plus a fee" kind of
arrangement and reveal their "estimate" numbers so the owners can know what the big ticket items are
at least in case they want to make adjustments.
Hope that is of some help.
Gina
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Gina Moffitt AIA
owner
Kiyohara Moffitt
Los Angeles CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-03-2021 09:42 AM
From: Joana Jamo
Subject: Information request to Bidders
I am helping a client obtain bids for a small residential addition project. Approximate project cost is around $200k.
Given the current "hot" climate, it has been a somewhat challenging effort. A couple of bidders have sat on the drawings for weeks before informing us that they aren't able to do so.
In our Bid Instructions, we had requested and were expecting at least a broad level of component breakdown of the proposed overall project cost. One of the bidders came back at the bid due date with a single value figure for the project cost with some qualifications for exclusions. When requested again to do so, they had responded that "until there is a firm commitment, the line item information remains their property." In past projects, I have not encountered resistance to provide more information about proposed costs. To me, the transparency is essential in understanding and clarifying what is included before one is to commit.
Is it unreasonable to expect more information than a single overall project cost number albeit that the project is not a big one relatively? This contractor for one came recommended and one was hoping in earnest to be able to work with him...
I am interested in hearing about any of your experiences, thoughts and advice. Thank you in advance for your input.
Joana Tan Jamo
JTJ Architects LLC