I just got an opportunity to bid on a $50,000 job!!! Air duct cleaning

[thefed]

It's a high school (360k sq feet), and 3 elementary schools. I'd need about 2k in materials, and $6-7k in help. It should take about 5 weeks.


Needless to say, I'm already daydreaming of what to do with the other $40k... maybe a nice lil' 69 Nova and the rest in the bank?


Wish me luck!

 

[FinallyRetired]

Good luck but that sounds like ... work :-(

 

[ERD50]

How do you 'bid' on a $50,000 job?

I guess you could bid $50,000 for the job - but you may or may not get it.

I wouldn't dream to much about how to spend the money until they award you the job.

-ERD50

 

[bbbamI]

I hope it works out for you. Good luck!

 

[Brat]

Remember, public agency contracts may be subject to your State prevailing wage determinations and other requirements not found in private sector jobs. Be sure to read those general conditions carefully.

 

[dex]

It's a high school (360k sq feet), and 3 elementary schools. I'd need about 2k in materials, and $6-7k in help. It should take about 5 weeks.


Needless to say, I'm already daydreaming of what to do with the other $40k... maybe a nice lil' 69 Nova and the rest in the bank?


Wish me luck!

If the costs are 9K max couldn't someone put in a bid lower than 50K and get the bid away from you?

 

[thefed]

I am daydreaming, that's all. To clarify, for all you nitpickers out there I am bidding on a job, and its worth about 50,000 ...because that is the bid i'm putting in. Of course I can be underbid... but to put this in perspective, the going rate is nearly 30% more than my bid. I'm bidding this way to help ensure I get it...because I really want it. Anyone can come in lower, but do they have the expertise, equipment, and time to do it right? Not to mention the other like-kind referrals I do? Not likely.

 

[nwsteve]

Fed
This remark is in the category of "for what is worth". When dealing with school districts and other public entities, include in your bid, specific requirements for timeliness of payment. You may even want a $xx deposit to start and balance to be within x days of completion. Be sure to include the $penalty for payment beyond your date. For what ever reason, public entities seem to often have a difficult time processing vendor payments. In my DW's district, it was not uncommon for vendors to get jacked around for 90 days or more.
Good Luck

 

[thefed]

Fed
This remark is in the category of "for what is worth". When dealing with school districts and other public entities, include in your bid, specific requirements for timeliness of payment. You may even want a $xx deposit to start and balance to be within x days of completion. Be sure to include the $penalty for payment beyond your date. For what ever reason, public entities seem to often have a difficult time processing vendor payments. In my DW's district, it was not uncommon for vendors to get jacked around for 90 days or more.
Good Luck

lol. i learned this the hard way. i always require a % down, depending on the scope of the job. i often break larger jobs down into several sections, each payable upon completion. and of course, full pymt due within 30 days. nobody really questions these terms


thanks though! good thinking

 

[thefed]

well i got word that my proposal is the front runner right now. they are wanting to split it up into 2 phases...translating into roughly $15k and $35k this summer and next. i should get a more definitive answer in about 14 days

 

[bosco]

Remember, public agency contracts may be subject to your State prevailing wage determinations and other requirements not found in private sector jobs. Be sure to read those general conditions carefully.

this is very good advice. I make my living [-]beating up on Contractors[/-] enforcing provisions using the signed contracts as weapons (who needs handguns?). Fortunately, my days doing this are numbered (17 more, to be exact). But even if you get a sympathetic contract administrator (like me), they are forced to insist that you incur the additional expense to adhere to the provisions that you probably didn't read when generating your estimate. After all, they have to answer to the [-]paper police[/-] internal review auditors themselves.

Be prepared to submit certified payrolls, have all subcontracts approved, and pay the wage rates specified in the [-]obscure boiler plate[/-] clearly stated provisions of the document you signed in blood. And remember--your adversary is probably just some poor schmuck who is also dreaming of ER (but an adversary with a civil service pension).

Of course, if you did not consider this, and your bid is already submitted, it is too late. Hope this is not your first public-sector contract.