$2400 for 400sf floating slab excavation?

[quentin]

Doesn't this seem high? It was my first bid and I was a little shocked. It is a floating slab 16x24 on level ground with easy access. The area is currently just grass that is mowed. Why is it so much dough?

Could it be that I am being overpriced on most of my bids because I live on a lake in a home that is probably worth 1.5 million dollars? Tell me the truth, do contractors bid the price higher if they think the owner has a lot of dough. I actually don't have a ton of money, just a nice house. That's why I'm trying to GC this thing myself...to save money.

[Thumper]

Allot of excavation cost is just getting the equipment to the lot espically if it's taking time away from other more lucritive locations where he can do three or four small jobs at once or a single large one - tieing up truck time & fuel on the road to and from a lot regardless of how easy it is to access once there is a waste of effort so they may just be upping the estimate to make it worth while. maybe a more local guy would be cheeper. I was just quoted $1200 to level 100' of driveway cause I'm 15 minutes out of the city. Some contractors will charge a premium for loactaion, they really can't be blamed for that, they're not in it just for fun it is a business - some also will reduce their cost just for the exposure to more lucritive clients... maybe you could offer to put up his logo sign for a month in exchange for a cost reduction (it's common practice around here espically in fresh developing areas - he'll recoupe the difference at tax time as an advertising line item)

[quentin]

There is an equipment move charge of around $200 in the bid. There is also no removal of any of the fill. Just footings, backfill and compaction.

[giddonah]

I'm more pessimistic. I'd say some contractors do indeed charge more if they think they have a loaded client. Get a couple more bids. It can't possibly be that way with all of them; or can it? (Like I said, I'm a pessimist).

[montytx]

We arent stupid. If you look rich we likely are going to jack the price. I would think you could get that done in 1 day for under a grand. But I dont know diddly about where you are. Heck if you tight go rent a bobcat and grade it yourself.

[jproffer]

I dunno about jacking the price just because a client is "loaded", but I can see raising it if your working next to a $1.5M house. Think about it, if i'm digging next to Joe Blow's $30,000 house and I collapse his foundation and half the house comes with it, my insurance will be out $30,000..minimal insurance premium jump, if any. If I'm doing the same job at the $1.5M house and the same thing happens, I'll likely be looking for a new ins. carrier, and be paying 3 or 4 times what I paid before.

More Liability/risk = More $$$