24 replies to this topic

[randolph cohn]

sam and keith

 

that's why I charge a "FLAT FEE"

they don't need to know how much time a project takes me.

I give them a flat fee and they take it or leave it.

 

I used to charge by the hour until one client thought that my first invoice had too many hours in it.

I said "i'll go back over it"

I came back and said i'm glad you made me recheck my hours,  I sent them another invoice with

MANY MORE HOURS>.

they never questions my hours again.

 

I found out clients like to know the final fee before they start > no surprises.

I also have as part of my contract a 20% startup payment before one line goes on a drawing.

and I don't start on the con docs until I have 60 - 70% of the total fee.

I do this in case they decide to hire a draftsman to finish the con docs.

most of the hours are put in during the design and meeting time and not the con doc time.

[randolph cohn]

paul and mike

 

for fun,  could you let the forum users know

what a low and a high bid "COULD BE" on an average

1 story - 2,500 sf rancher in marin county and

on a flat lot (if you could find one).

 

note:  when i say "low" and "high" bids, go crazy

on probable numbers.

[PAUL LADNER]

I so rarely do all-new construction from the ground up that I don't have enough data to provide any meaningful numbers.  But plans for any individual house would really be a custom house.  If you built the same house over and over again (even w variations), like in a development, that would be a totally different ball game.  That's why square foot prices as an estimating technique (for either design or build) are, for me, not useful.  It's OK for sheet rock or carpet, but for a remodel, not so much.

[Sam Morgan]

What that couple got was exactly what they would get from my office.  I've never done a cabinet elevation in my life.  I tell them to go meet with the cabinet shop and come up with what they want.  I don't specify any kind of materials.  That would be a pretty typical set of plans here in utah by any of my competitors as well.  I'll add notes on the plans if clients have already picked out a lot of things and they want it included in their bids but thats about as much detail as we get into around here.   I love rubbing shoulders with all you guys from around the world and hear how differently things have to be drawn around the world