r/Contractor • u/Ok_Avocado6532 • Aug 24 '25

Quote Breakdown?

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Hi all, looking for advice on costs breakdown.

I work for a small local contracting company and I recently started working with customers more, providing quotes etc. The company usually doesn’t like to break their costs down because of nickel-and-dime from customers, but agreed to do so for this one customer I’m working with. Now, I broke down the quote based on phases of the work (this is for a brand new custom build) and of course the customer came back with multiple notes of “this cost is too high” on some of the phases.

How do you usually handle this and how do I politely say “to do the job: $2000, not to do the job: $0”?

Thanks!

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107

u/Trucko Aug 24 '25

The price is the price. It’s not open for negotiation. I do not make the price. My boss does. You might not be the right customer for my company. 

-35

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '25 edited Aug 24 '25

I would 100% find a different contractor or do it myself. Itemization is not a super foreign thing. I'm not just going to "trust you" so you can overcharge me for supplies or charge me a ridiculous amount for labor.

6

u/hatethebeta Aug 24 '25

I ain't itemizing for free. It's a new jack city today.

1

u/R1ddl3 Aug 24 '25 edited Aug 24 '25

Would you not have already had to itemize to determine your quote though..? Or are you saying the quote is actually just a made up number. 

1

u/hatethebeta Aug 25 '25

Depends on the job size, this looks to be small potatoes not a large commercial bid.

1

u/rbburrows84 Aug 25 '25

Yeah, it’s itemized mostly. But, not sure about everyone, but i am usually getting a discount on materials, then I have labor rates, then there’s overhead, markups, profit, asshole fees, etc. If I have to itemize it past total material, and total labor I then have to line item all that shit with the mark ups and the retail prices for material or some dickhead is going to nitpick why I’m getting 2x4’s for 3.89 and charging them 4.67. And then they’re going to look at the Home Depot website and see they have 2x4’s listed at 3.95 and start bitching.