Earth has become a popular substitution for an in-person visit , he said , but those images are not always up to date .
“ Walk the jobsite ,” Summa said . “ How large is the jobsite ? How are you going to phase the project ? What are you going to use for staging ? If it ’ s a very small site , but we ’ re going vertical , do we need cranes ? Are you on a very busy road ? Do you need police to shut down the road ? Do you need special permits ?”
For a renovation , Nunez said , it ’ s also important to understand the existing building ’ s regulations and factor those into a proposal , particularly as they pertain to accessibility .
Noise restrictions could force contractors to rearrange work schedules for which they might have to pay overtime or double time , she said . Loud activities like framing and mixing concrete are not typically offhour tasks but could be made so if the work cannot be performed during normal business hours .
Failure to provide a deadline for material pricing taxes , shipping and applicable tariffs on materials in their bids , Nunez said . These items are subject to change , so estimators must stay on top of current pricing .
“ Stay in communication with suppliers ,” she said . “ Make sure that there are no surprises .”
Failure to include contingencies for material prices or delays
If the owner hasn ’ t selected finishes or other materials before contractors turn in their bids , Nunez said , sometimes contractors base their proposals on the assumption that it is safe going with a midrange-priced product .
Before finalizing their bids , she said , contractors should verify that using a midrange price is correct or make allowances for the possibility that the owner will choose a higher-end , more expensive product . Availability could also become an issue , forcing an owner to be left only with higher-priced material alternatives or having to pay an extra fee to expedite the original product .
“ Again ,” she said , “ it goes back to keeping in touch with suppliers .”
Contractors should always include in their bids a deadline for acceptance , Sampson said , because material suppliers tend to only guarantee pricing for a certain period of time .
“ That ’ s an easy way to make sure that you don ’ t get stuck with pricing that is unrealistic ,” he said .
Along those same lines , contractors should also make sure that they have included
10 DITCHMEN • SEPTEMBER 2020