Vent: Overheard a GC say he bids jobs 15% low and adds charges later

Was grabbing coffee near a jobsite in Nashville and heard a general contractor straight up tell his buddy he intentionally underbids by 15% then hits clients with change orders for "unforeseen issues." Said it's just how you win work here. I've been a trim carpenter for 8 years and this stuff makes us all look bad. Has anyone else ran into this kind of bidding around your area?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_brown3d ago

My buddy down in Knoxville had a patio job go sideways last summer because of this exact kind of thing. The GC on his site bid like 20% under everyone else then suddenly claimed the dirt wasn't compacted right and tacked on an extra $4,000 for "site prep." The homeowner was stuck because they'd already demoed the old slab. It's a real shame because guys like that make it so hard for honest contractors to even get a foot in the door around here.

victor_butler502d ago

Hold on, is this really that common though? I hear about one bad GC every few months but most guys I've dealt with just do the job and move on.