ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Business Related Discussion Bidding on jobs with sloppy plans

Really, now....

I have a job developing that is to a CNG facility. The original plans were like catalog cartoons ... only nowhere near as legible! A simple box marked 'compressor', with a single line to another box 'storage tank.' From all this I was supposed it infer all the controls, alarms, etc!

When you get plans like that, there's just one thing to do - send them back! It's not MY architects' or engineers' stamp on them. INSIST they do their job.

As for exclusions .... some things I don't sweat. If I end up putting in the pipe for the thermostat, it's no big thing. Yet, I do expect others to do their part, as well. As I've said before, I only expect a few things from the GC: a dumpster DURING the job, a toilet, and scheduling. If he's not going to do his part, I don't need him. I sure don't need him for billing; the customer almost always pays me direct.

As with most other relationships, you vote with your feet. I will not be available for a GC who does not do his part, or is overly zealous with the back charges.

Again, the current job - and it's not a bad job - reminds us of the basics. You can't just stick your head in the plans like an ostrich. Informal discussions with the end-users have already identified a number of details that never made it off the drafting table. This, in turn, has allowed change orders to get started while the dost is still minimal.

This is a little something that one of the guys in the office came across. We have it up on the wall as a friendly reminder.

Supplementary Conditions
Article 1. The work we want performed is clearly indicated on the attached plans and specifications. The architect who has had plenty of college has spent a hell of a lot of time drawing up these plans and specifications but nobody can think of everything. Once your bid is submitted to the owner, that’s it, brother. From then on anything wanted by the architect, the owner or any of his friends or anybody else, except the contractor, shall be considered as shown, specified, intended or implied and shall be provided by the contractor without any expense to anyone except the contractor.

Article 2. If the work is done without extra expense to the contractor, then the work will be taken down and done over again until the extra expense to the contractor is satisfactory to the engineer.

Article 3. The contract drawings are intended to be correct. If drawn wrong, it should be discovered by the contractor, corrected, and done right at his own expense. It won’t cut any ice with the owner or architect if the contractor points out mistakes which the architect has drawn on the plans. If he does, it will be one hell of a long time before that contractor does any more work for the owner of architect.

Article 4. The contractor is not supposed to make fun of the architect, his plans or specifications. If he does, then he same consequence shall apply as stated in article 3 above.

Article 5. Any contractor walking around job site with a smile on his face shall be subject to a review of his bid.

Article 6. If the contractor doesn’t find all the architects mistakes prior to making his bid on this job or if he doesn’t have enough sense to know that the architect is going to think up a bunch of new stuff that has to be done before the job can be deemed complete, then the contractor shall provide any such items without extra expense to the owner or architect.

Article 7. The contractor shall use good stuff on this job. None of that crap from Japan.

Nice one, Scam!

Current job .... everyone, including the state archaelogist is involved. They want to re-create a historic building 'like it was' before it burned down.

I am currently trying to explain to them that there is absolutely no way I can put the specified 12" fixture in the 6" soffit. It's quite difficult to make them understand this detail.

Next thing you know he will be billing the subs for back charges for "your percentage" of your use of the portable toilet. I bet the subs only work for him once.

Problems like this are a common occurence here.
This could be why I have so much respect for Architects and their great working knowledge.

"Per-Prints" I learned this one the hard way when a contractor (recently) told me in advance that the basement would include walls and rooms not shown in the original set. I left out the phrase "per-prints" and didn't specify exactly what I would do for my stated price, I was too general and it cost me, they went nuts with add-ons that I couldn't count as add-ons because I failed to draw the clear line I usually draw. I have learned, though, that if I get one of those "we're not going quite by the prints anyway" requests again I'm going to go room by room and specify exactly what they will be getting for my hard earned pay. This counts for sloppy plans as well; specify in your bid what you'll do and that anything not specified is an add-on or change order. I guess it just depends if you want to make the effort.

(billing garbage percentage? what kind of chemically induced state is THAT GC living in?)