What to expect after you receive your bid:
After we send over our initial bid, we like to follow up and answer some frequently asked questions. Here are a few of those.
About the Team:
Q: Who will be on my project?
A: It depends on the project. We have a 9 person site team, including two Project Captains. Beyond that we have two plumbers and two electricians who we use on a regular basis and a list of supporting subcontractors for other services who hold the same values and standards as we do.
Process and Product:
Q: What does your build process and product look like?
A: We’ve learned from the numerous kitchen, bath and home remodels we’ve done over the years and have come up with timelines for each that we work diligently to hit on each of our projects. Every project differs, so these timelines may shrink or grow slightly depending on the specifics of your project. Reference one of our timelines below as an example.
A big part of our process, and any remodel’s process, depends on high level communication. We pride ourselves on having great communication with clients. We use an app called Slack to make sure we never have to play a game of telephone to get the right message to the right person. Your project will have its own dedicated “channel” ensuring all active participants, from project lead to plumber, have access to the information and communication relevant to the project.
Payments:
Q: What payment methods do you take:
A: Cash, Check, and ACH Bank Transfer. Made simple through an emailed QuickBooks link.
Q: How are payments broken up?
A: We’ve heard too many stories from client’s who’ve had contractors take 50% of the project cost up front only to run-off without properly finishing or in some cases not even starting the project. We believe that an equitable payment schedule tracks with the amount of work accomplished and leaves neither party on the hook for too much of the project costs at any one time.
Projects less than 20k are generally broken up into 4 payments of 25%
Projects between 20-60k are generally broken up into 5 payments of 20%
Projects more than 60k are broken up into 7 payments, 6 payments of 15% and one of 10%
Pricing:
Q: Why are you less expensive than others?
A: Firstly, we run an efficient operation composed of dependable professionals. We minimize mistakes through our process driven approach. Waste not want not. Secondly, we do many tasks in house. Since we don’t have to sub out every task, you don’t have to pay double the margin for every task. Lastly, our meaningful relationships with subcontractors allow us to receive their services at discounted prices to market rates. Savings that help us provide our service at a more affordable price.
Q: Why are you more expensive than others?
A: There is no one price for construction services in Austin. I’ve seen bids from different companies vary by 50% or more for the “same” quoted project. Product and process differ greatly between companies. In construction, like in many things, you get what you pay for. We have a very high quality product and process and that comes at a price. We offer a high level of communication, excellent quality, and do so consistently across projects. We pay for high quality products and pay our team well for their skills. I’ve had numerous client’s come to me after learning the painful lessons of going with the cheapest bid. It seems the adage “the cheaper you go the more expensive it gets” plays out over and over again.
Next Steps:
Q: What are the next steps?
A:
If the bid is a little vague there might be need for design details that can help instruct a more precise bid.
If there is a specific budgetary number you hoped to reach we are happy to start a dialogue about making adjustments to help you reach your project and budgetary goals.
If you don’t have any other questions and would like to schedule your project let us know! We will get you in the calendar and begin our new client onboarding which includes sending you over a copy of our contract and inviting you to the project’s Slack channel.
The IOC team looks forward to working with you and being your construction sherpa!