Who cares what GC's want? They can all go whistle Dixie, for all I care.
New housing , tract housing in particular, is cut-throat already. You could offer to PAY the GC for the joys of wiring his McMansions, and he'd still ask for more.
You're not running a charity.
KNOW your costs ... your true costs of operating a business. Then ... bid PER the PRINTS !!! No prints, no bid. Period.
Despite all the jobs I've done over the years, I have absolutely no idea what my 'per foot' numbers are. I'd be amazed if they didn't bounce all over the place. No two jobs are alike ... and even when they seem similar, parts prices vary greatly.
Finally, KNOW the GC! "Little things," like scheduling, site preparation, even trash removal have a great impact on how efficient you can work. I've had GC's completely fail to allow for electrical work ... meaning that my job was a nightmare of wet paint, dodging the carpet crew, etc.
