Listening to one of the morning shows today I am again frustrated by the information offered to homeowners seeking to hire a contractor. Among the practical advice such as “Verify the company is insured, licensed and trained, Get referrals, See examples of their work and Make sure you feel a personal connection” the piece also included the tip: “Get three bids and throw out the lowest”. Why does this bother me? Not because I feel I am the lowest bid, but because I feel part of my job is to educate my clients. If they don’t know what they are asking for, how can they possibly make an appropriate decision?
There is no such things as an “apples to apples” bid, Let me repeat that: NO SUCH THING! Competitive bids are typically issued for commercial building projects when an architect has designed and specified every detail of the job. There are also residential projects where an architect has issued a RFB but unless you have hired someone to handle that aspect you will not get that sort of comparison.
You can have three landscape companies look at a project and offer three very different prices, not because their overhead or profit margin vary significantly – but because they plan to accomplish it three different ways or use three different grades of materials. And do you know what else? It is possible that every one of them is planning to do it correctly! If the project we are discussing is a patio on a slight incline one may have suggested grading the lawn up to it, another could have suggested a retaining wall, while yet another could have suggested building up the low end, installing a wall and steps – All three are potentially effective solutions at different price points.
Even maintenance prices can vary due to a number of factors. Are the beds to be edged? Weeded? Do the plants need to be pruned? Fertilized? What sort of mulch is being specified? How thick? Is fan-raking included? Is a pre-emergent herbicide being used? If you have only asked how much it cost to mulch your landscape, one contractor could be providing a quote to throw three inches of mulch over what is existing, another could be planning to provide all of the details listed. The cost in both these scenarios will vary, as will the result.
There are always “bad apples” that spoil the reputation of contractors – but the best way to ensure that you get a good one is to thoroughly discuss your project with any contractor you speak with. A good contractor will take the time to ask questions about your needs, expectations and budget. Select from those who explain how these factors impact the price of their estimate. The best contractor for your project is one who will satisfy those needs and expectations at a figure closest to your budget.
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