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July 12, 2007
Negotiating Prices
I am having some work done on a 1000 sq ft apt (painting, shining floors, total reno of kitchen and bathroom, and smaller things throughout). I have been given two estimates of $35K and $38K. My question is, is it customary to negotiate a price down with contractors? And if so, can you give me some pointers and suggestions as to how to go about this without offending them? (Obviously I have never done this before.) Thanks in advance.
Comments
Wow, that's pretty cheap to begin with if it's a total renovation of kitchen and bath. IMO, the contractors we trust give us a straight ahead bid, and they stick to that bid, not trying to charge extra later. They don't negotiate, except if you want to take things out of the project to keep costs down. But we are happy to pay a bit more up front knowing the job will be done right, and cost that much, not alot more in the long wrong because the contractor screwed up or suddenly "added" to the price.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 12, 2007 9:04 AM
If this is a good quality, reputable contractor, you are getting a very good price to begin with. Trying to bargin him down is insulting.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 12, 2007 9:14 AM
I disagree. Of course you should negotiate. Not insulting at all.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 12, 2007 9:24 AM
I work hard to price fairly and accurately and will only change my price if the scope changes.
Others work differntly
The only way to know is to ask.
Posted by: urbny at July 12, 2007 9:36 AM
If you need to get the price down ask them how you can do that. There may be some items that can be done differently that will have little impact on the end product but will save some money.
You may not have to compromise on anything in the end but this is a good way to open up the conversation around getting the job done cheaper. If you let them know that you were trying to keep the budget to $30k then you can see how that can be achieved. If you make a good faith effort to work with the contractor and are willing to sacrifice a little on your end, they may be willing to do the same.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 12, 2007 9:45 AM
cash discount....
Posted by: Anonymous at July 12, 2007 10:33 AM
Agree with 9:45. Tell them what your hoped max budget was and see if there's places that they could skim down a little bit here and there (ie appliances, less expensive tile or flooring that is still good quality, etc). They may be willing to do that, they may tell you that this is their offer and that's it, but I doubt that they would be insulted and walk away. If you got similar quotes from two different people that came with recommendations, it's probably about right.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 12, 2007 12:27 PM
Re: 10:33's advice, don't pay cash for big jobs like this. You need receipts for the work you do, for when you eventually sell the place. Tax writeoff. Plus if there is a problem with the work you need to go to court about, you'll want a real contract with this contractor not a handshake and exchange of cash.
Anyway, agreed with the others it's a good price. And that if you need it to be cheaper talk to the contractor about ways he can reduce their effort and labor, to make the price lower.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 12, 2007 1:10 PM
OP Here:
Thank you all so much for your insight. I took your advice and asked him if there was any way he could lower the total price and he said he couldn't unless we went with much cheaper material. He wasn't insulted at all and very cordial. So, again, thank you all for your expertise.
Posted by: anon at July 12, 2007 4:03 PM
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