We all know Mike Holmes, the Canadian GC, from his TV show. Well, I've just read his book "Make It Right," and I found his section on "Hire Right" to be most interesting.
He argues spelling out, in great detail, what he is quoting. He specifies the work, the methods, the materials.
Here, many (including myself) have advocated making the quote vague, to avoid giving the customer a 'shopping list.' Mike says that's not good enough. To quote from his book:
"If I'm doing a bathroom, I'll tell you everything about those tiles: what material they are, how much grout they'll need, the type of thinset I'll use, how I'll prep the floor. My quote shows the square footage of insulation, vapor barrier, and drywall; the linear footage of trim, how many doors, doorknobs, and handles, the style and price of the faucets and shower heads- every detail is in writing."
Another interesting quote refers to his approach to 'negotiation:' I will present a price. This price is not negotiable. I do not present you with a higher price so we can negotiate down to my real price. I give you a set price. ...... If people can't afford my quote, they have two options. Wait, continue to save .... (or) Look within my quote to see if there's anything you can do without."
Well, what do you think of his approach?
