Two years ago the housing marketing was booming and everyone in the construction trades was successful. Some were charging outrages rates for shoddy work commonly done by inexperienced workers. Now that the housing market has taken a 180 degree turn, many building contractors wonder why things are so bad for them. Some are just barely making, but some are going out of business or nearly so.
Some wonder why they can't get any projects when they submit bids that are 10% cheaper than they used to be just 12 months ago. There are of course a multitude of reasons why contractors are having a hard time getting more construction jobs and why they are failing in their requests for proposals, but what is certain is that the markets are not the same.
The markets are simply not the same and submitting bids that are just slightly lower than they used to be are not going to do much for the contractor, because the market is so much more competitive. Another factor they have to consider is the quality of the work that was done in the past. The days of the fast furious when materials and waste were not an issue are likewise gone.
When contractors were using inexperienced labor often in the form undocumented workers to double or triple their already huge margins, people remember. For these contractors it will become very difficult to erase their reputation. It is true that some were diligently in insuring that the work was high quality, but when work was so abundant and contractors could not only pick and choose, but also charge what they wanted, few sought to insure the quality of the work.
There is no sure answer as to what a contractor can do to increase the number of construction jobs that can be secured, but what is certain is that at the very least the contractor can attempt to adapt in the search and bidding of construction projects. For one thing the a bid for an RFP should be substantially lower than what it used to be. Bids need to be aggressively priced, based on the market. Contractors should make it a goal to get construction jobs not just bid on jobs. The goal should be to secure construction jobs at the rate that will provide enough income for the contractor to just barely live on. The contractor should certainly not try and make up by charging more than before.
This is not a time for choosing and picking and trying to buy another luxury toy. It is a period of survival. This should be reflected in the bids submitted in response to the RFP and RFQ. The bid should be cheap, not just reasonable, the goal is of getting more construction jobs and the contractor should not lose sight of that. This is especially true where prior work was shoddy, why would anyone choose a contractor with a history of shoddy work if quality work can be done for the same.
Another issues is where can the contractor find construction projects to bid on. The traditional methods used by the contractor may still work, but the contractor has to look for other avenues. The contractor should look into anything that is feasible that had not been considered before, the contractor should also look into small construction projects. The three hour drywall repair project, but not a life changing event, but it can provide enough income to pay a bill.
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