job quotes

We use a bid program that includes an average labor cost with each part we sell. All we need to do is count how many devices and what we want to use and it spits out the bid with labor built in. It takes a while to fine tune your labor numbers, but it works well for us.

James

Any of you chaps that don't sub-contract care to share how you quote your average res jobs? This is driving me batty. I find I spend more time dicking around with mark-ups and estimating time (and these friggin things ALWAYS have surprises (whathefuck is a check 100 ?!?)) than I do installing the friggin' alarm. Do you price per point type thing or actually check the place out and guesstimate your time? It may sound funny, but yes, I am making money but I wish I could simplify the quote process.

(whathefuck is a check 100 ?!?))

RTFM

cutting and pasting what? I import the prices from the supplier supplied price list as csv right into excel once or twice a year.

and yep...doubling usually ends up about right...weird huh?!

It was a JOKE. I didn't have to read the manual. I remembered that I had bench programmed the board for a wireless keypad, not the basic one the client decided on. But thanks for the hot tip, asshole.

Yah, I'm using Excel as well but you have to make sure your prices are current, cutting & pasting is tedious, and on and on... I bet you spend more than 15 minutes. Funny thing is I find most of the time I can double my parts cost and I'm pretty damn close. Even if I was low, I'd have saved all the Microsoft tinkering time.

Not sure what you mean by a 'bid program' but I understand what you're saying. I'm pretty much doing the same thing with Excel, I just find it horribly time-consuming.

wire BY THE FOOT?? This is amazing. Really? Never heard of that one, man you guys really do have the best pot! Never mind how you used to do it, what can I get NOW?

There is no easy way to estimate a job. When I first got into the industry, Chubb used a standard "price book" that included a labour and material allowance for "cable" that was calculated by the foot. The sales guy had to lay out the job and estimate the amount of wire it was going to take. I was impressed with how accurate the sales guy's estimate often was. On some jobs we lost, but with Chubb's markups (in the 80's we could still charge $4000.00 for an install) that was rare indeed.

ISTR it was $2.22 per foot. We don't do residential except as a "favour" to existing customers. The market's just too crazy and I postively refuse to play "down there". Besides, I much prefer re-arranging all the sales literature on my counter... ;-))

We sell it by the "baggie" now... Ask for the contacts with the "extra filler" next time... ;-))

baggies is small time :-)

What bid program are you using? Is it specifically for alarm co.s or did you adapt a construction bid program?