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Original thread:
Post 24 made on Monday September 18, 2017 at 12:55
SB Smarthomes
Super Member
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July 2007
2,634
On September 18, 2017 at 07:13, gerard143 said...
So only the last phase of extras was time and materials? Man how did you quote the main job then. How could one even begin to estimate the hours for that job and not be off the mark on what it actually takes to get it done?

These are the only type of jobs I really take on anymore so I'm getting better at estimating them.

Most of the projects I'm involved in take 3-5 years from start to finish and I'm usually working with the architect, designer & clients around a year before construction even starts.

This was the second house I've done for the clients.  Their primary home is also here in Santa Barbara (Montecito) and I was working to complete it while this one was in planning.  Clients have basically been building since 2011...

The design and project management work is also done T&M because there's not really any way to estimate how much time is going to be involved in meetings and design.

On this job I still underbid the installation by about 50hrs (so around 10%).

For me as a one man shop this isn't really detrimental because I'm not paying salaries to employees on those lost hours, but I still loose the revenue because I'm not billing that time on other jobs.

Realistically I could have rushed through the work and finished within the hours I bid, but to me it's more important to make sure everything is done to the best of my ability.

I usually only take on 1-2 new jobs each year and complete 1-2 jobs each year.  This was the last substantial job I completed and I've been focused most of 2017 on a prewire for a job that will complete next year and planning for two new jobs that won't complete for another 2-3 years.
www.sbsmarthomes.com
Santa Barbara Smarthomes


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