Contractor Minute: Get Accurate Vendor Pricing for Bid Day

Bid day is tough.

It gets even tougher if you’re getting wildly different quote numbers from your manufacturing reps. How do you ensure that you are getting accurate numbers that address the exact specifications you need before you submit the bid to the GC?

Trust

Work with vendors you can trust. When it comes down to it, you’re all in it together when a job comes down the pipeline. Work with a manufacturing rep that you know will give their best effort to ensure that numbers are accurate, requirements have been painstakingly studied and that any problems that arise are handled quickly and efficiently. Your vendors should have extensive experience and should provide equipment that meets spec. They know how hydronic HVAC and plumbing solutions work and have seen more than their share of installations. Experience matters in the mechanical room.

Communication

Be sure that your vendors know EXACTLY what it is you expect from them from equipment costs to installation assistance to any additional hiccups you might not consider. Tell them that you expect their very best price for bid day so you can accurately assess the project costs. If the number you’re getting from one vendor is way off-target, give them a quick call to ensure that they fully understand the scope of work.

Scope

Speaking of scope, don’t get caught on bid day without first reviewing the project equipment and material scope. Sit down with your vendor in the weeks prior to bid day to extensively review the project scope and anticipate problems before they arise.

No Game Playing

If you’ve been in the business for a while, you understand that some vendors play games with prices. Playing pricing games on bid day muddies the water for everyone. Again, this goes back to trust. Be sure that your vendors are professional representatives…and not professional game players.

Those are just a few of the things to consider when you’re asking vendors to submit numbers for that all-important bid day. Working with experienced, trustworthy reps who value communication is a huge step toward submitting your best, most accurate numbers on bid day. And that’s the easiest way to help secure jobs and ensure the success of your company.