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Heard a client say they picked the lowest bid because 'all contractors are the same'

I was at a supply house in Omaha last week, waiting to pick up an order, and I overheard a guy talking on his phone. He was telling someone, 'Yeah, we went with the lowest number. It's just concrete work, how different can they be?' It really got me thinking. We pour a 40,000 sq ft warehouse slab next month, and our bid wasn't the cheapest because we spec'd a specific fiber mix and a longer cure time. That extra cost is for a floor that won't crack in two years. But if people think we're all the same, how do you even start that talk? Do you just walk away from those jobs, or do you have a go-to line that makes them see the value?
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2 Comments
barbara_baker57
Honestly, sometimes it's just a slab. If they're pouring a shed pad or a basic sidewalk, maybe the low bid is fine. The real problem is when that thinking gets applied to a big, important job. You can't fix that over a quick chat.
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william_carter
Cheap concrete is the most expensive kind.
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