Having known my share of colleagues in my perhaps-too-lengthy stint as a bidmiester, I feel pretty confident in saying that we are a singularly astute bunch—at least for the most part. And so it amazes me when the great majority of my fellow exactimators seem oblivious to a veritable trove of opportunities that are virtually slapping them in the face.
A recent development in our industry as a response to the boom in post-pandemic consumerism is a dramatic rise in the number of small commercial remodel jobs flooding the marketplace. Whether it’s a delayed reaction to a lull in facility utilization (e.g., a missed occasion to accommodate construction while operations are curtailed) or the aforementioned rise in spending, the trend has become nationwide in scope. Why then, the collective lack of attention to this evident phenomenon on the part of most commercial drywall estimators?
I can’t attribute this oversight to a shared ignorance among my perceptive peers. I suspect the blind eye is more deliberate. Remodels, restorations, renovations, retrofits are typically imbued with the funk of ambiguity. Then there is the unappealing low risk-to-reward ratio associated with these jobs.
However, ambiguity notwithstanding, remodel jobs do offer latent opportunities for commercial drywall estimators who know how to approach them. Here, I offer some advice for avoiding potential pitfalls.
Do a site visit. One advantage a renovation has over new construction is that it already physically exists. A wise estimator will invest time in doing an onsite inspection, preferably after demolition has occurred. Many paper-based ambiguities can be eliminated or at least minimized by simply walking the job and making some basic assessments. If your visit is well-timed, the extent of demolition can be determined, and thereby fixed in your proposal. If you are a field-seasoned estimator, you’ll be able to predict the varied degrees of difficulty associated with the impact of site conditions on labor. If you lack the kind of insight that hands-on experience affords, take a field supervisor with you.
Adjust labor productions to match realities. Ask anyone who’s ever worked on a remodel, and they’ll run through a lengthy list of likely encumbrances associated with restorations that will slow your top production crews to a crawl. Difficulties establishing an efficient flow of work, lack of repetition in assemblies, trade-stacking and ongoing occupation of the facility are just a few of the obstacles that your work force will encounter. On a typical remodel, your people will spend more time “jumping around” than installing product.
Utilize allowances. When and where precise quantification is difficult or impossible, a best-guess allowance gives you a safety net, but it may still get you within striking distance of picking up the work. This approach is best used for patch-and-repair conditions that give your client a ballpark estimate of costs but allow for potential overruns beyond anticipated scope. A word to the wise: An allowance agreement works well in these circumstances if your field supervisors are effective in tracking hours/materials spent. If not, you’re probably flirting with disaster.
Qualify your proposal with precision and clarity. Eliminate gray areas by clearly stating your take on the scope of work in very specific terms. These are some critical items that are typical with renovation work:
-
Extent of demolition/replacement. Use specific gridlines, floor designations, room numbers, compass points or cite plan pages to designate what you have covered in your estimate. Demolition beyond the anticipated leads to the most common misunderstanding in performing remodel work. -
Ongoing facility functions. Verify what the allowable hours of operation are to be when working in occupied buildings. Adjust for shift work and overtime. -
Specific materials intended for use to “match existing.” Many materials and methods used in old construction are obsolete. Secure approval for your submitted products, and clarify that any deviation may result in increased costs.
Of course, there are positive aspects to estimating and performing remodel work. The small size allows for a quick takeoff, and many chain projects are close to identical in scope and volume. Also, a healthy backlog of these diminutive jobs can provide the chain between large projects. Finally, there is the opportunity to price and perform some lucrative change-order work that typically crops up on these retro-fits.
It seems a shame that many bidmeisters are taking a pass on the current boom in remodel work because of traditionally high risk and low payoff. But armed with some basic precautions, commercial drywall estimators need not shy away from the opportunity to gain a healthy backlog of steady, profitable work.
Vince Bailey is an estimator/project manager working in the Phoenix area.
