# Getting into commercial jobs?



## Rickioo (Jun 16, 2012)

ok me and my boss are trying to work out how we can get jobs from bank owned property's and places like walmart kmart and other places, someone told me there is places i can go online to submit our priced to snag jobs like these, but I'm having trouble finding links to anything, can anyone provide any help my boss isn't to tech savvy and I'm working on getting my lic soon and helping in the techy part of the company.


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## [email protected] (Apr 17, 2012)

introduce yourself before they pick u apart bud.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

It doesn't sound like you are ready for that type of business right now. Everything seems to be done over the computer with them as well.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Commercial customers will require a licensed contractor if for no other reason than to minimize their liability. Is your boss a licensed contractor with insurance? The rule with commercial is 'handymen need not apply.'


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## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

Who are you?


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Rickioo said:


> ok me and my boss are trying to work out how we can get jobs from bank owned property's and places like walmart kmart and other places, someone told me there is places i can go online to submit our priced to snag jobs like these, but I'm having trouble finding links to anything, can anyone provide any help my boss isn't to tech savvy and I'm working on getting my lic soon and helping in the techy part of the company.


 Are u working for jnoshss???


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## mccmech (Jul 6, 2011)

Rickioo said:


> ok me and my boss are trying to work out how we can get jobs from bank owned property's and places like walmart kmart and other places, someone told me there is places i can go online to submit our priced to snag jobs like these, but I'm having trouble finding links to anything, can anyone provide any help my boss isn't to tech savvy and I'm working on getting my lic soon and helping in the techy part of the company.


I think the problem may stem from your inability to read. The first page of this site clearly states it is for plumbing pro's only & kindly requests an intro from every member. If such a big flag has been missed by yourself then it is understandable how you may be missing the website for contractor bidding. I suggest stepping back, take a deep breath & then move forward, this time being aware & paying attention to details. On a side note, it probably won't hurt the quality of your work either.


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

can we get an intro


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

Rickioo said:


> ok me and my boss are trying to work out how we can get jobs from bank owned property's and places like walmart kmart and other places, someone told me there is places i can go online to submit our priced to snag jobs like these, but I'm having trouble finding links to anything, can anyone provide any help my boss isn't to tech savvy and I'm working on getting my lic soon and helping in the techy part of the company.


what is this place called the ebay of low bidding

seriously dude what the hell. You really think there is going to be one place where the companies have their jobs for bid. 

what type of hack would bid on these sight and plans unseen.


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## user7551 (Oct 21, 2011)

http://dodgeprojects.construction.com


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

If i wanted to go after the big government or university jobs in my area. I would just read my local paper. They publish all request for bids. these jobs are not for one or two man crews.


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## Rickioo (Jun 16, 2012)

my boss has over 40years exp, master plumbing lic, and 2mil dollar insurance plan we only work in service. we do the hardees in the eastern part of the state and some of the wal-marts in the sounding countys he is having me post on here for me, if you do not wish to give advice thats ok with me i'm here just to get info on locking down a few more service work in my area. that is all


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## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

Rickioo said:


> my boss has over 40years exp, master plumbing lic, and 2mil dollar insurance plan we only work in service. we do the hardees in the eastern part of the state and some of the wal-marts in the sounding countys he is having me post on here for me, if you do not wish to give advice thats ok with me i'm here just to get info on locking down a few more service work in my area. that is all



With 40 years experience, he should not have questions such as this, should also have a firm customer base established....unless something's wrong.:blink:


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## Rickioo (Jun 16, 2012)

he is 64 years old and old fashion word of mouth kind of plumber his been running his own place since 2008 before that he worked 17 for a plumbing company then before that we worked for a long time in TX for a major plumbing company i don't know which company, and before that he worked for is fathers plumbing biz that was a small outfit.

so maybe you can understand a bit more where we might be coming from, we trying to get things going with computers more like a pricing system and billing and so forth

i'm learning the trade as fast as i am able and hes got me out of my own for small jobs others we work together on i'm just looking for way we can bring in a few more big clients to our biz so any ideas would be welcome


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

Rickioo said:


> my boss has over 40years exp, master plumbing lic, and 2mil dollar insurance plan we only work in service. we do the hardees in the eastern part of the state and some of the wal-marts in the sounding countys he is having me post on here for me, if you do not wish to give advice thats ok with me i'm here just to get info on locking down a few more service work in my area. that is all


really in the world of the "big jobs" That 2 mill policy aint ****

What licenses do you hold your self?


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

Rickioo said:


> he is 64 years old and old fashion word of mouth kind of plumber his been running his own place since 2008 before that he worked 17 for a plumbing company then before that we worked for a long time in TX for a major plumbing company i don't know which company, and before that he worked for is fathers plumbing biz that was a small outfit.
> 
> so maybe you can understand a bit more where we might be coming from, we trying to get things going with computers more like a pricing system and billing and so forth
> 
> i'm learning the trade as fast as i am able and hes got me out of my own for small jobs others we work together on i'm just looking for way we can bring in a few more big clients to our biz so any ideas would be welcome


It is hard to have the bigger accounts with just an " aging " master and a 'helper.

The big jobs like rapid response and all that jazz
i will say this
commercial plumbing is not half assed. it is either all in or go home


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Did I miss the formal intro???


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

rjbphd said:


> Did I miss the formal intro???


We all did.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

rjbphd said:


> Did I miss the formal intro???


Sure would have saved a lot of ink.


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## user7551 (Oct 21, 2011)

On the bigger projects 100,000 or more it is done by computer, prints are sent by email,specs also, all questions ( RFI's) to the MEP and Architect done by email,all clarifications before bidding done by email,contracts by email. If the Mep or Architect can't answer a question by email or phone you meet on the job to take a look at it. In order to do service work for bigger companies like someone else posted everything is an emergency period (EVERYTHING). The 1st time you get ****ty with them or say that can wait till monday , more than likely they will move down to the next plumber on the the vendors list.You will need all the equipment you can possibly think of and then some . These bigger customers don't want to hear why you don't have a piece of equipment , they want to know why you didn't have it 6 months ago. So good luck.


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## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

affordabledrain said:


> It is hard to have the bigger accounts with just an " aging " master and a 'helper.
> 
> The big jobs like rapid response and all that jazz
> i will say this
> commercial plumbing is not half assed. it is either all in or go home



....


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

If I could choose just one thing for some advice it shall be the Yoke vent! Any intro yet?:laughing:


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## 6th Density (Nov 29, 2010)

Rickioo said:


> ok me and my boss are trying to work out how we can get jobs from bank owned property's and places like walmart kmart and other places, someone told me there is places i can go online to submit our priced to snag jobs like these, but I'm having trouble finding links to anything, can anyone provide any help my boss isn't to tech savvy and I'm working on getting my lic soon and helping in the techy part of the company.


Good luck, man!
I'm an estimator for a big commercial company. I want to warn you foremost that trying to get in as the traveling plumber group that jumps from walmart to walmart is just about as cut throat as bidding against handyman plumbers.
The hardest part about bidding commercial is that you have a very high probability of being held to the flame if you do not follow plan and spec. Those traveling plumbers that follow walmart and the sorts, know exactly what they can get away with and exactly what it takes to get the job done via T&M. 
I just recently bid on a walmart in our turf. It was a complete demo/remodel. I came up at 380 thousand. Did some follow-up calls and they GC's were saying that these jobs go for just under 300 thousand if you want to get it. Point being is that the cookie jar is spent on these type projects. 
My advise is stay small commercial and enjoy the lack of headache and hours. There is a reason why the dinosaurs died off and the small animals flourished!!
But if you want to continue down the path, these are some of the best commercial construction info websites that we use...
1) http://www.constructionjournal.com/
2) http://www.datafax.net/
3) http://www.construction.com/dodge/

My favorite is the construction journal, because you don't even have to be a 1500 dollar a year member and you can at least see on their website that a project was awarded. They wont tell you who was awarded unless you are a member, but at least you know by then that you can do some follow-ups without pissing off too many GC's, by wasting their time.

Hope this helps. Good luck.


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## fightnews (Jun 3, 2012)

Tommy plumber said:


> Commercial customers will require a licensed contractor if for no other reason than to minimize their liability. Is your boss a licensed contractor with insurance? The rule with commercial is 'handymen need not apply.'


need not apply is a ridiculous phrase. Who ever talks like that anymore? don't need to apply. And also qualified mechanics can be handymen


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## fightnews (Jun 3, 2012)

mccmech said:


> I think the problem may stem from your inability to read. The first page of this site clearly states it is for plumbing pro's only & kindly requests an intro from every member. If such a big flag has been missed by yourself then it is understandable how you may be missing the website for contractor bidding. I suggest stepping back, take a deep breath & then move forward, this time being aware & paying attention to details. On a side note, it probably won't hurt the quality of your work either.


Did that make you feel good?


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

If you want to bid commercial jobs join a construction association...

In Ontario all the plans and specs are there for you to bid on....

Make sure you qualify first before you bid..,

Qualification could be a minimum of just a site visit prior to bidding and some job will require bid and performance bonds....

You will need assets to back up these bonds... This cuts the pack down alot...

If this is your first bid and you are lower bidder ask what second place was .... You may want to high tail it out of town and change your name..,

Plan on bidding lots because once you get into the bigger dollars you need more to keep your ship floating...

Sent from my miniature laptop


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## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

Do yourself a favor. Estimate a few jobs and DONT BID. Get the bid results. That way if you make a mistake on the low end you don't get stuck. And you get a feel for what that market dictates.
I would suggest working for a company who does this type of work first. Take it from me, don't make the mistakes you will make on the learning curve on your or your boss' own dime.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*a mean road to go down....*

*I would not wish this kind of work on a dog...*

I did this back in the 90s and would not recommend
it to anyone.... did the dodje reports, did cmd... 

faxed a bunch of bids out to a lot of folks and got some work here and there.... 

the worst thing about it all is you dont know who you are faxing these bids out to and how legit and solvent they are....  it can get pretty mean and nasty

 half the folks that claim to be GCs are nothing but a bunch of skumbbags attempting to become GCs...

if one of them get awarded a job and you are the low bidder... you are gonna have a tough, nasty time...

and forget about ever getting the 10% retainage when the job is over cause they will already be down the road.... long gone.....

everyone wants you to be jonny on the spot , they show no mercy, scream and holler and raise all the hell they can,,, 

 but when its time to pay up and settle up.... they sing another tune


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Master Mark said:


> *I would not wish this kind of work on a dog...*
> 
> I did this back in the 90s and would not recommend
> it to anyone.... did the dodje reports, did cmd...
> ...


I wish I could thank your post a 100 times because you hit the nail on the head and described my daily experience with some of these gc's . It is a very Thankless job.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

justme said:


> I wish I could thank your post a 100 times because you hit the nail on the head and described my daily experience with some of these gc's . It is a very Thankless job.


do you do a lot of supermarket work where you are located?

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

Big! A 2 million btu cb progress boiler, 3 inch welded pipe, cold water booster pump package. Big as a bus, the rest is just instinct! Was that also done in iambic pentameter! :yes::no:!


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

pilot light said:


> Big! A 2 million btu cb progress boiler, 3 inch welded pipe, cold water booster pump package. Big as a bus, the rest is just instinct! Was that also done in iambic pentameter! :yes::no:!


What the hell are you talking about?


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

U666A said:


> What the hell are you talking about?


Lol!!

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

U666A said:


> What the hell are you talking about?


I can see it is just not me

Sent from my miniature laptop


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

it was a poem!:thumbsup:


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Mississippiplum said:


> do you do a lot of supermarket work where you are located?
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


Apparently you really want to say something but can't just spit it out , do you want my phone number so you can call me and whisper sweet nothings in my ear. :yes: apparently this other guy left a bad taste in your mouth.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

justme said:


> Apparently you really want to say something but can't just spit it out , do you want my phone number so you can call me and whisper sweet nothings in my ear. :yes: apparently this other guy left a bad taste in your mouth.


What other guy? All I wanted to know is if you do any supermarket work.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Mississippiplum said:


> What other guy? All I wanted to know is if you do any supermarket work.
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


 Are you being facetious with me?


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

justme said:


> Are you being facetious with me?


Huh? What are you talking about?

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Mississippiplum said:


> Huh? What are you talking about?
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


Coy isn't your color.:no:


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

So I guess you don't do supermarket work?

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Mississippiplum said:


> So I guess you don't do supermarket work?
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty



http://www.plumbingzone.com/f15/get-over-19652/#post293548


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

I have worked on equipment in supermarkets!:laughing:


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Is there a GD. Full moon tonight¿¡¿


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Keep it civil.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

I wish I could thank your post a 100 times because you hit the nail on the head and described my daily experience with some of these gc's . It is a very Thankless job.


Its a nasty sort of life style.... thankless and cold...

the folks you are dealing with are usually the skum of the earth drunks, with no ties to the community.... vagabonds .... nomads... most are only fronting at that job trailer for their boss untill they find something better far away from here.... and their word is worth nothing..


I certainly made me stronger cause I am not dead yet...:no:

I have had to file liens, I have had my life threatened by some of the GCs over the past when I attempted to collect the bill.... they would go absolutely nuts if you sent the bill past them or called the main office to find out when the bill would be paid.....

 I have had to make screaming threats towards them just to get their attention... I even had to carry a gun once just to make an impression on one motley crew.....

Its not a class of folks you would bring over to your home ....... unless you live above a biker bar....

that is why I like home service work... 
those folks are tame as lambs..


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## 6th Density (Nov 29, 2010)

It's overrated and underpaid.
GC's don't care about quality, they just want the job done as cheap as possible. And if you cheat to get there for them and get caught, you are on your own. Doesn't matter if the engineer thinks that every fixture in the building needs a 2" vent for the system to drain properly. Plan and Spec means just that. You really want the job. You best learn how to gamble on what you think you can get away with. That's how cut throat the market is. 
There are some engineers out there that just draw up a job and over-engineer everything without any thought to the owner's budget. They stamp it and move on to the next. They never show up on the job site to check progress and never will. They are covered, because they oversized everything. These engineers suck and it sucks even worst that they have a market that is literally unchecked by the same "lowest bidder" system we have to compete on.
You end up getting used to them, then you hit that job where an engineer actually cares. You just got used to the others that didn't even know that combination wastes and vents or wet vents existed. These kind of engineers that care will put your butt on a platter come time that they show up for inspection.
Sounds like fun! Top that all off with the small fries that think that they want a piece of the action. They run at job cost plus about 4% gross profit, thinking that they will make up the loss by "cheating the plan and spec."
It's a sick and twisted market. Maybe it's all due to the current economy, I don't know. But I'm tired of trying to estimate jobs in it at my current company I work for. I'm lucky if I get 1 out of every 20 commercial jobs I bid. Which just puts more pressure on me by my boss to try and bid on as much as possible, which just sets me up to increases my margin of error.
I can't wait to leave the rat race and go back to being a small timer. Come August 4th I will play on my terms.


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## 6th Density (Nov 29, 2010)

Master Mark said:


> *I would not wish this kind of work on a dog...*
> 
> I did this back in the 90s and would not recommend
> it to anyone.... did the dodje reports, did cmd...
> ...


So true!!!!
Case and point. Just bid on a school remodel here in PC at the beginning of the year. The remodel was phased out into 3 sections and thus all contractors that bid on it whether prime or sub or sub-sub had a bid form breaking out their prices per phase.
Guess who the low GC was???
Do you think it was the one that came up with the lowest estimate and picked the lowest subs to get the lowest price???

NOPE!!!!

The award went to the GC that picked the lowest price by picking and choosing which sub had the lowest price per phase!!!!!!!!
So if Plumber "A" had the lowest price for phase 1 (but not 2 or 3) then that GC used his price in his bid package. If that GC found that Plumber "B" had the best price for phase 2 (but not 1 or 3) then this GC used his price in his bid package. And finally, if Plumber "C" had the best price... Darn it!!!
You get the picture!! That's how cut throat it can get!!!
Next thing you know they are calling you up saying "we got the job."
Problem is that the Specs state that after the GC is awarded the job they must list all subs used within a 24 hour period.

Kinda hard to do when you have about 6 or 7 different HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical subs who helped the GC reach "lowest bidder."

So what happens next?? The GC can't use multiple subs for the same trade?? Oh, no!!! Guess what!! They come after you and try to beat you down to reach their $500,000 loop hole gone wrong. 
You guys don't need to hear the rest of the story. 

But the point being that I'm getting at is that this current economy has turned the commercial market into a big pile of . 98% of all commercial GC's and Construction Managers are nothing but a bunch of crooks!!
But that's just my opinion. 
And hey, they look at you in the same limelight. What a happy marriage commercial has become!


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Master Mark said:


> I wish I could thank your post a 100 times because you hit the nail on the head and described my daily experience with some of these gc's . It is a very Thankless job.
> 
> 
> Its a nasty sort of life style.... thankless and cold...
> ...


Seriously?

That GC is working for someone else, sign your contract with them, not the GC, unless the GC is also the developer, then you make sure you have thier financial source named and signed in your contract.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Seriously?
> 
> That GC is working for someone else, sign your contract with them, not the GC, unless the GC is also the developer, then you make sure you have thier financial source named and signed in your contract.


 
we have had it both ways, it really dont matter...... 

the game is the same ...
the GC attempts to keep you in and everyone else in 
the dark as much as possible because
they under bid the job and have totally lost their ass..
or are in the process of losing it......and they want to pit 
the subs against the owners if possible with lies and mis-information
in hopes of getting that final draw and hitting the road....


he who controls the money flow and flow of information, 
is usually the one you have to deal with...on what ever level necessary.....


we had a masonic lodje one time get left holding the 
bag for a contractor that took them for about 75k..had
to file a lien on the lodje for 6k


another one fellow actually has a sawed off shotgun under his desk
for those more tense negotiations.. with his subs. he was screwing
... that boy is about to finish a stint of 20 years in the big house right now..


my last builder--contractor was an Iranian and we parted ways 
with me being a witness for a home-owner lawsuit against him.....
he told me if I helped them with the lawsuit that
I would not be doing any more work for him....LOL
I did get to screw up his credit with an unpaid bill .....
.


I just dont need this kind of greif anymore and got totally away from it..


someone has to do this kind of work, and their is plenty of it,,,
 it just is not gonna be me......


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## BuckeyeBowhunte (May 4, 2011)

buncha angry plumbers around these parts. i think some of ya'll should quit being such downers... dang,you guys must be miserable to live with on a daily basis.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

BuckeyeBowhunte said:


> buncha angry plumbers around these parts. i think some of ya'll should quit being such downers... dang,you guys must be miserable to live with on a daily basis.


You must be young or in your early years...
Give it time and experience and will grow into the same attitude


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## BuckeyeBowhunte (May 4, 2011)

OldSchool said:


> You must be young or in your early years...
> Give it time and experience and will grow into the same attitude


i hope not. If i'm as miserable as some of the folks on this thread, i'd rather not be around. Eyore thinks some of you guys need to lighten up.


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## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

who is so miserable?


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

BuckeyeBowhunte said:


> i hope not. If i'm as miserable as some of the folks on this thread, i'd rather not be around. Eyore thinks some of you guys need to lighten up.


There is a difference between miserable and fed up. I think you are confusing the two.


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## BuckeyeBowhunte (May 4, 2011)

plbgbiz said:


> There is a difference between miserable and fed up. I think you are confusing the two.


call it what you will, neither is enjoyable to be around. 

Its a shame, because having read some of your posts and some of the other posts around here, there is a lot of knowledge to be had. Too bad you have to dig thru a bunch of skunky personalities and generally inhospitable folks to get to the knowledge.

Its a big reason many folks don't hang out here much :thumbsup:


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

BuckeyeBowhunte said:


> call it what you will, neither is enjoyable to be around.
> 
> Its a shame, because having read some of your posts and some of the other posts around here, there is a lot of knowledge to be had. Too bad you have to dig thru a bunch of skunky personalities and generally inhospitable folks to get to the knowledge.
> 
> Its a big reason many folks don't hang out here much :thumbsup:


Another satisfied customer ...

You should have asked and we you have put everything you wanted and needed to know on one thread to make life easier for you....


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

BuckeyeBowhunte said:


> call it what you will, neither is enjoyable to be around.
> 
> Its a shame, because having read some of your posts and some of the other posts around here, there is a lot of knowledge to be had. Too bad you have to dig thru a bunch of skunky personalities and generally inhospitable folks to get to the knowledge.
> 
> Its a big reason many folks don't hang out here much :thumbsup:



I rather like it here. I can honestly say I've had more coffee spit out my mouth and nose (once), here than anywhere else - except for my wife's family reunions. They are Greek and so stereotypically cheese that it really isn't fair to compare the two but I need to qualify my statement.

Crap. Here she comes.


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## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

*apology*



MarkToo said:


> I rather like it here. I can honestly say I've had more coffee spit out my mouth and nose (once), here than anywhere else - except for my wife's family reunions. They are Greek and so stereotypically cheese that it really isn't fair to compare the two but I need to qualify my statement.
> 
> Crap. Here she comes.


So she's Greek. Did you give her your daily apology in advance?.


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

newyorkcity said:


> So she's Greek. Did you give her your daily apology in advance?.



I do indeed. "Sorry you're Greek honey".


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

MarkToo said:


> I do indeed. "Sorry you're Greek honey".


Does she share your razor with you ?:laughing:

I dated a Greek girl in high school and she could grow a better mustache than me . :yes:


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