pricing from drawings

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Fourplastering

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I recently priced a reverb job for some builders I work for from plans (conversion of offices to flats) and was told all new plasterboard and 2.4m height. Quote was accepted.
Poked my head in today and ceiling height is 2.8 and all existing brick walls are to be made good and skimmed. I am pushing for these to be boarded too (someone else is boarding it) as they are currently a mess with chases, cut outs, and loose lime render etc.

Would I be best to requote the works because of the extra height or would you just add a percentage on top?
 
Fourplastering said:
I recently priced a reverb job for some builders I work for from plans (conversion of offices to flats) and was told all new plasterboard and 2.4m height. Quote was accepted.
Poked my head in today and ceiling height is 2.8 and all existing brick walls are to be made good and skimmed. I am pushing for these to be boarded too (someone else is boarding it) as they are currently a mess with chases, cut outs, and loose lime render etc.

Would I be best to requote the works because of the extra height or would you just add a percentage on top?
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I had a similar situation once on a big rendering job, the height was 150mm different than specified. Over the whole job it made a big difference. Stop , re-quote before you move forward
 
Thanks guys,
I'm just a bit mindful of losing the work if I requote, I have blokes lined up and supposed to start in a fortnight. This should take me up to mid January
 
I always put on my quote " price based strictly on details listed here, any unforseen or works not mentioned here will be extra with your agreement " usually covers any discrepancies .
 
If you've priced it well and can carry it coz if you don't mention before you start and by email forget getting paid for it.
 
A lot of Drylining firms just submit a composite rate that includes a stud wall MF/board/glass wool/ tape/skim not to exceed 2.7 (usual boars size before a ceiling is inserted) on various size walls.

If your only skimming then I would pull them up on it although bare in mind they might just expect it done. The fact they stated a 2.4 size means you have a starting point to argue your point of view
 
nickelarse said:
U should have in your quotes a rate for up to 2.4 and in excess of
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I was told to assume a height of 2.4, for which I quoted.
The increase in height throws everything out as I will now have to do this from some form of scaffolding.
I have covered myself in the quote, I just need a magic formula for the extra height (if there is one lol).
 
Well there is no magic formula lol. But you have to consider as you said the scaffold and also the extra time. Your not gonna be chucking on massive hits on a tower. Have a play around. Create some imaginary rooms and then work out a price. Chuck on 20% and see if u would still earn money. If not put on 30%. See where it works for you and how much u want to earn for the added effort. Then In a quote you have to skim @£1 p/m. In excess of 2.4m @£1.30 p/m for example. And then you may want to add another for additional heights too.
 
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nickelarse said:
Well there is no magic formula lol. But you have to consider as you said the scaffold and also the extra time. Your not gonna be chucking on massive hits on a tower. Have a play around. Create some imaginary rooms and then work out a price. Chuck on 20% and see if u would still earn money. If not put on 30%. See where it works for you and how much u want to earn for the added effort. Then In a quote you have to skim @£1 p/m. In excess of 2.4m @£1.30 p/m for example. And then you may want to add another for additional heights too.
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Sounds logical when you put it like that :RpS_thumbup:
I couldn't see the wood for the trees.
 
its a live and learn business, and pricing off drawings is something you will live and learn from
 
I appreciate that @church, I am saying I have been told one thing and it's another. I have been through the drawings and the scope again tonight and there is nothing in there about the height.
 
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Fourplastering said:
I appreciate that @church, I am saying I have been told one thing and it's another. I have been through the drawings and the scope again tonight and there is nothing in there about the height.
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we all have been there mate , all i would say is weigh it up , dont burn bridges , and dont do it for nothing ,thats the best advice i ca give you
 
church said:
we all have been there mate , all i would say is weigh it up , dont burn bridges , and dont do it for nothing ,thats the best advice i ca give you
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This is why I'm struggling with it. Normally I would either reprice or just bin the job, however, I get a fair bit of work off of these guys and I don't want to screw them over, but equally I don't want to be screwed over either.

The tacker is in the same position but has just been told to suck it up. I won't be able to do that.
 
Hi....one of the first things you look at on a drawing is the floor to ceiling heights because it will make a difference to the price! It often says in a spec to buy the correct length of board. With any new build attached to an existing building there will be patching so it's best to look before submitting the quote. It's upto you if you want to stand the cost difference but remember once you have signed a contract you are stuck with it and they will be quite happy to let you work your nuts of for little reward.
 
How much extra does it come to? i.e. how many rooms/walls are involved?
 
faithful said:
Hi....one of the first things you look at on a drawing is the floor to ceiling heights because it will make a difference to the price! It often says in a spec to buy the correct length of board. With any new build attached to an existing building there will be patching so it's best to look before submitting the quote. It's upto you if you want to stand the cost difference but remember once you have signed a contract you are stuck with it and they will be quite happy to let you work your nuts of for little reward.
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Yeah, normally i would but i couldn't find it on the plans sent, hence me asking them what the height was and being told to assume 2.4
 
Well I reckon your best approach is to work out how many additional square metres there are, price it up. Work it out as you would normally and add on the extra for working at height and so on.

There's going to be a fair bit extra in materials, and the labour will tot up quite quickly too. So get a price for the additional work as a total and go have a chat with the builder or whoever you're dealing with. It's usually best to have a chat before going onto paper with it, but you can have the figure ready. Once you've explained how it's got to be then it should be a matter of business as usual. Keep in mind that you don't want to loose the work as you're ready to go, but they don't want to loose the plastering gang as it'll put them way behind by the time they line someone else up, get a quote etc. So it's in everyone's interest to get it sorted.
 
Mate never assume anything especially where main contractors are involved....they want you to drop a clanger and come in cheap..... They also hold back info for that purpose. I simply won't send a quote in if I'm not satisfied I have all the info I need. I'm sorry to sound harsh but I have learned from experience and if I can help I will ;-)
 
faithful said:
Mate never assume anything especially where main contractors are involved....they want you to drop a clanger and come in cheap..... They also hold back info for that purpose. I simply won't send a quote in if I'm not satisfied I have all the info I need. I'm sorry to sound harsh but I have learned from experience and if I can help I will ;-)
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Thank, i appreciate that.
I'm pretty old school where my word is my bond and take everything at face value, what i have to remember is that not everyone is like that.
 
imago said:
Well I reckon your best approach is to work out how many additional square metres there are, price it up. Work it out as you would normally and add on the extra for working at height and so on.

There's going to be a fair bit extra in materials, and the labour will tot up quite quickly too. So get a price for the additional work as a total and go have a chat with the builder or whoever you're dealing with. It's usually best to have a chat before going onto paper with it, but you can have the figure ready. Once you've explained how it's got to be then it should be a matter of business as usual. Keep in mind that you don't want to loose the work as you're ready to go, but they don't want to loose the plastering gang as it'll put them way behind by the time they line someone else up, get a quote etc. So it's in everyone's interest to get it sorted.
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I'm doing it Labour only so at least i don't have the extra material to find.
 
The thing with extra height isn't just the cost as in price per square meter it's the extra time and effort doing the job.......it's relatively easy to skim walls and ceilings at 2.35 high but a lot harder and more time consuming to work at 2.5 high so in theory if you're ceiling heights get over 2.4 meter you should charge more money per square meter even on labour only....... We have all dropped clangers like this and took it on the chin the main thing is that you learn from it ;-)
 
I don't see the problem here.if it's higher than on the plans the cost is more.if you work for these guys sit down and talk to them.dont let them tell you to take it on the chin.
 
faithful said:
The thing with extra height isn't just the cost as in price per square meter it's the extra time and effort doing the job.......it's relatively easy to skim walls and ceilings at 2.35 high but a lot harder and more time consuming to work at 2.5 high so in theory if you're ceiling heights get over 2.4 meter you should charge more money per square meter even on labour only....... We have all dropped clangers like this and took it on the chin the main thing is that you learn from it ;-)
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I have no "formal" contract with them. I priced it tight to start with, taking it on the chin is not an option i can take
 
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