Insanely High Sub Contractor Bids: Part Deaux

All in all, things are pretty much on track at the Creek house, as we’re finishing up the last of the framing, finishing the first exterior coat of paint, and nearly done with roughing in all the new electrical. The framing is dragging out a bit, as I’d hoped to be done with it by last Friday, but we made a few layout changes, so I’m not too bummed that we’re a bit behind there.

We’ve been getting more plumbing and HVAC bids, and I had to share the plumbing bid we just received. We’d hoped to use the plumber from the last job but his bid (all the plumbing bids are labor only as I’m supply all the fixtures and materials) was for $2,800, and I was pretty sure we could get it done for at least $2,000, maybe even slightly less, so we’ve been getting more bids.

To briefly outline the situation, the existing plumbing was upgraded 2 years ago, as far as all the plumbing in the existing bathroom, connections to the hot water heater, and the waste lines from the kitchen and bath, all the way to the street. All that stuff is good to go, inspected, signed off on, done and done.

We’re adding a master bath (toilet, double vanity, walk-in shower, Jacuzzi tub), and the plumber will need to run supply lines to the existing kitchen sink (the previous owners didn’t get that far, for some reason, as that sink is plumbed only for the waste line), add lines for a dishwasher, and add the necessary connections for a washer/dryer.

One important thing to note is that due to the layout of the house, all the plumbing work is highly concentrated. The existing bath and new master bath we’re adding share a common wall, and both share a common wall with the water heater and where the new washer/dryer will go. Except for supply lines for the kitchen sink, all of the plumbing work required is in a highly concentrated area, literally all within a 10′ arc. And there’s also a ton of space both in the attic and under the house (pier and beam foundation with a ton of room), with very easy access on both fronts as far as running vents and lines underneath the house.

So yes, indeed, there’s some plumbing work to be done here. But on the grand scale of plumbing work, this isn’t a ginormous job, and it couldn’t be laid out more conveniently, as far as location and access. For a general yardstick of what work runs around here, I had one of our rental houses (3-1, 1300 sq. ft.) completely re-plumbed (replacing galvanized with PVC/CPVC) for $1,900, and had a flip property (4-2, 2000 sq. ft.) 75% re-plumbed (with a new bathroom addition on a concrete foundation that had to be cut/jackhammered out) for $4,500.

So what was the bid (labor only) that I just got back for the Creek house?

$11,100.

I nearly spit out my coffee when our contractor called to tell me that. I mean, it’s more amusing than anything, and I always love a chance to vent and spleen about plumbers, but geez. I am most definitely in the wrong line of work it seems.

I guess I find it interesting more than anything, both from a business and psychological perspective. I just wonder what goes through someone’s head when they give a bid like that, one that’s easily 4x-5x what it should cost. Especially when you’re talking to general contractor who has clearly told you that it’s for a flip, that the owner didn’t just fall off a turnip truck, etc.

I’d normally chalk it up to a sub who wasn’t really interested in the job and just threw out a huge number, but this guy apparently really wanted the work, as he has called back twice already to see when he can start, mentioned that he had a crew ready to jump on it immediately, etc.

Does it work out for him in the end, even if only 1 out of 20 people are foolish enough to agree to a bid like that? Maybe so, but that just strikes me as such an odd way of doing business, as far as the majority of people breaking out into giggles and shooing you out of the room when they get your bid, with your bills being paid by the select few that simply don’t know enough to laugh in your face.