Hot debate: should we push for better pay or keep bids low?

Last month I bid a kitchen remodel at $4,500. Got told I was too high. A guy from across town got it for $3,800. But I heard later he cut corners on the trim work and the homeowner is mad now. So which side wins? Do we charge what we're worth and risk losing jobs, or keep prices low to stay busy? I lean toward fair pay but I'm second-guessing after losing that bid. What's your take?

2 comments

2 Comments

park.robin16d ago

That bit about the guy cutting corners on the trim really hits home. You get what you pay for in this trade and the homeowner is learning that the hard way now. I stick with fair pay because lowball bids always lead to headaches down the road. You either lose money on the job or you rush through it and get bad word of mouth. Losing that one bid stings but keeping your reputation clean is worth more in the long run. The cheap guys will always be out there but they burn out fast.

carr.brooke15d ago

Isn't it wild how homeowners don't realize that cheap work always costs them more in the end? I had a guy last year who went with the lowest bid on his deck and six months later the whole thing was warping and splitting. He called me up to fix it and it ended up costing him double what my original quote was. That's the thing, you can't rush quality and you can't pay people peanuts and expect them to care. I'd rather lose a bid than be the one getting those angry phone calls down the road.