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A 10 minute chat with an old painter changed how I bid jobs
Was on a site last Tuesday doing an estimate. Old timer was painting the house next door. We got to talking. He told me he adds 20% to every bid just for "weird stuff" like bad drywall or trim that's been painted 5 times. I always figured I could eat those costs. He said no you can't. That 20% has saved my neck twice already. Have you ever had a job go sideways because you didn't pad the bid enough?
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violar3529d ago
I was reading this book about building a business and they said something similar about adding a buffer. That 20% thing makes so much sense. I've seen too many jobs where people nickel and dime themselves into losing money because they underestimated the little stuff. Like the time I watched my buddy do a whole renovation and he forgot to account for the extra lumber he'd need because the walls weren't straight. He ended up eating like 300 bucks in extra materials. That old painter knew what he was talking about. It's just smart to plan for the unexpected because it always shows up.
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seth_shah29d ago
Yeah anderson.piper's "mystery tax" is totally real, I've seen it bite people too.
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anderson.piper29d ago
Violar, that's exactly why my contractor calls it "the mystery tax" on every job.
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