Sometimes I think estimating, at least the actual proposal aspect of the job, is a lot like fishing. You cast your carefully prepared tackle out upon the waters of fortune and hope for a bite. Receiving nary a nibble, you reel back your offering and change the fly, or lure or bait, and you try again. Heaven only knows what the finny devils are biting on these days. The trick in angling, as in proposing, is to keep trying a range of options until you hit on something alluring enough to tempt the hungry fish (or general contractor) into inhaling the whole enchilada—hook, line and sinker.
And maybe that’s just what he’s looking for after all: the whole enchilada. I know a number of drywall subs who have had repeat success at landing jobs by simply combining their bids with a second-tier sub who performs a complementary scope of work. And if I may torture the analogy just a bit further, touting these partnerships can be instrumental in keeping the GC on the hook after that initial strike.
Let’s face facts: a sub who self-performs only metal framing and drywall, and who proposes in that limited capacity lacks the creativity needed to court an award. He might do well to consider throwing in with another sub who performs such stand-alone complements as insulation, plaster/stucco/EIFS, caulk, paint or acoustical ceilings. Even a sub who is more diverse than most still increases his odds of selection by partnering up if he lacks any one of the above in his offering. It’s a no-brainer; an all-inclusive proposal makes the selection of a sub easier for the GC during the fevered pitch of bid day (all other things being equal) over one that’s rife with exclusions.
Come Together
The attraction that these joint ventures have for the GC is transparent. At bid time, he is able to fill his dance card with one partnership, an advantage that can run deeper than just a convenience. Cooperative bidding can result in cost-sharing arrangements that allow reduction in overall price.
For instance, a drywaller who is installing the exterior sheathing can eliminate the rental cost of manlifts if he can depend on his EIFS partner to erect stationary scaffold early in the game. Or an insulation contractor may find it more cost effective to have his drywall-hanging partner install sound batts, rather than pay for the multiple mobilizations that are otherwise required. Or the masking for spray texture that a drywall finisher must put up can be left in place for the painter’s use, in many cases.
Such cooperative blending of effort can be parlayed into a reduced bottom line with just a little massaging.
Don’t Let Me Down
But the attraction of partnerships goes way beyond bid day. Every GC knows that a cooperative relationship between subs makes for easier coordination, tighter scheduling, better quality, and just an all-around reduction of the adversarial atmosphere during the actual performance of the work.
Imagine the benefit of a scenario in which the drywall finisher and the painter bond together to deliver an exceptional finished product, in contrast to the usual grumbling and finger-pointing over perceived flaws in workmanship. Will wonders never cease!
Or imagine this: the EIFS super and the framing super put their heads together and come up with a foam pop-out notion that eliminates the cosmetic framing that’s shown on the drawing. Their brainchild shaves days from the project schedule and offers a shared cost-savings credit in the bargain.
Imagine all the people … (OK, now I’ve taken it a bit too far).
Syrupy Beatles-esque slogans notwithstanding, GCs have seen these sorts of cooperative efforts come out of bidding partnerships, and the potential for mutual benefit lends a certain preference to subs that bundle together. They really like it, believe me.
We Can Work It Out (… in Writing)
Of course, as it is with any sort of mutual obligation, misunderstandings can arise regarding scope, risk and payment (or anything else that can possibly be misunderstood) that can sour the strongest of professional relationships. Still, a solid written contract with all terms agreed upon and executed at the outset (all rights and responsibilities assumed between the contractor and subcontractor should pass through to the sub-sub as well) will preempt any latent trouble in paradise. I repeat: written (get ink, or it can stink).
Potential disagreements aside, taking on a second-tier sub to diversify your proposal is another tactic that I recommend you try when you’re angling for a job. And as I’ve said, trying a range of tactics is the best strategy for catching the big ones. It works for me … except when I’m fishing.
But then, nothing seems to work for me there.
Vince Bailey is an estimator at Darrell Julian Construction, a commercial drywall/framing contractor based in Albuquerque.
