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A client's throwaway comment about 'the other guy' made me question my whole bidding approach
Met with a homeowner in Denver last Thursday for a bathroom remodel quote. Standard walkthrough, measuring, talking tile. She casually mentions she had another contractor come by who priced it 30% lower. I said 'that's aggressive' and she replied 'yeah, but he also told me I could keep my old toilet, so I'm not sure he actually looked at the drain rough-in.'
That one sentence hit me weird. On one hand, we all know the low baller who misses half the job on purpose. On the other hand, I started thinking about how many times I've quoted high because I assumed problems that weren't there. Maybe I'm the reason some homeowners go with the cheaper guy.
So here's the debate: do you quote for what's on the prints, or do you build in a buffer for the stuff you suspect but can't prove? My gut says the second is smarter, but that homeowner made me wonder if I'm just scaring off good clients with fat cushions. Has anyone switched between these approaches and seen a real difference in close rate or profit over a year?
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casey_barnes1mo ago
That Denver toilet comment is the whole ballgame, she basically caught him skipping the rough-in.
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