experiences with GCs

[letsplay]

Anyone get a big install project with a GC and your told six months before the project that you have the bid and then when you get close to start they go with someone else? Im trying to find out what my legal rights are with this before I go off on the company. I mean with the economy the way it is and feeling good and planning all this time for this work and turning some other work away...........I'm no newbie to this line of work but never had my company treated like this either.

[gandk06]

Unless you have a signed contract you have nothing to go on.

[rodzilla94]

well im a superentendent for 18 years for my family (commercial only). i will tell you if you did not get a contract for the job as soon as they said you have it well..sorry friend....they just used your bid to bring down the other landscape contractors (usually the company they have used in the past) to try to get them in the ballpark for the price. legal yes without a contract sighned

[rodzilla94]

try to get small jobs with some gc's so they can see your work.anyone reading this try to understand if you (after a sighned contract) dont do the job or mess it up the gc are responsable to fix it( sub-contactors).get the small stuff first show them you do good work and they will use u again.let me put it this way ......you have 2 companys standing in front of you.lets say they was going to squirt and fert your lawns no.1 company you have used alot and they do good work reliable.n0.2 company says they do good work but you have never seen or used them before.now remember if the lawn gets fried in the sun then it is your responabilty to fix it out of your pocket then which will you use? its just politics bro

[mngrassguy]

When someone says I have the job I plan nothing until I have it in writing. Period. Fax or e-mail works for me. If I had a dime for everytime I've been told I had the job, then......nope.

[LB1234]

Definately get something in writing. Even if its just an email 6mos. yr before start of work. What I also do (especially with residentials) is have them give me an upfront fee. This basically locks the contract. Lets say someone wanted a patio installed this August after the kitchen addition goes in this spring. The total job is gonna run 6k. I'll ask for 100 bucks up front to "hold" the job.If they don't bat an eye about the fee, they are very serious about the job and want to make sure every duck is in a row to complete this project.

[threeleafllc]

This is a very good topic becuase this happens to us all the time..First our firm will get a call from a GC and will ask us to bid a project for their client...We send a guy out and get the drawings spend hours doing the take off..Send off the bid to the GC..Next we get a call from GC saying we have to Change some numbers to be in the ball park,we spend another half hour going over how we can eat some money..Wait 2 days they call back and say we (the gc) were awarded the project and how much more money can we knck off to get the job from them.. Then in the end we will see another landscaper got the job, because they gave in and probably shaved some more money off..
In the end i have given up on GC companys that i dont see around on a regular basis..
we only work for about 3 companys now that do GC work and actually dont mess around it took so long to find these 3 companies and gain there trust ...
As said in a above post gaining there trust is a big thing
sorry for the long post and my grammer
Allen
Three Leaf LM

[1.2.3. green]

Called a commitment. Sign it and get a partial to lock contract in, if they shy from that then you already see whats happening.. B../shi..

[PROCUT1]

I find that GCs are not too much different than any other customer.

You have some that will nickle and dime you and beat up every proposal and invoice.

Others you can develop a relationship with and as long as your pricing isnt off the board, you wont have a problem.

I have GCs that I wouldnt think twice about jumping on a $10,000 last minute job with a phonecall.

I have others that I wont even return their phone call.

Same with property management companies. I work for most of them in the area, however a couple I wont even take their calls. The only reason they call me is because they need the "third bid" so that their guy can do the job.