Builders Quote Project Manager & Work Site Foreman

[canalsiderenovation]

We have our quotes and are exploring the finer details from the builders. Ultimately, aside from the likely Internorm windows part they would be responsible for pretty much everything else for our extension, which may involve them using subcontractors for some parts of the work.

 

One builder, the more expensive one by a significant amount has provided a detailed breakdown of a Project Manager for 28 weeks £4200 plus Vat.

 

Do we actually need a Project Manager? I mean if I've read a lot about if you are using lots of subcontractors and trying to coordinate this yourself but is this something I could do. I would be on site and work from home. 

 

The same builder also has quoted for the same period for a Work Site Foreman £9800 plus Vat.

 

There does seem to be some quite ridiculous fees. He'd quoted £2600 plus Vat to get rid of the sectional garage in the photos below. I advertised it on Facebook two weeks ago for free and two guys came with a Stihl saw, dismantled it and loaded it a van and 6 hours later it was gone. I won't even mention the price for getting rid of tree stumps of which we have three (the trees were cut a few months ago) and the £200 for getting rid of the heating oil plastic tank (which we sold for £100).

 

The other builder hasn't quoted for either a worksite foreman or project manager or if he has, hasn't detailed it. We are speaking to him tomorrow.

[PeterW]

Usually means they have been using a quotation system that adds them in automatically. 
 

if you have a working foreman then a PM isn’t needed. Big firm ..??

[canalsiderenovation]

Just now, PeterW said:

Usually means they have been using a quotation system that adds them in automatically. 
 

if you have a working foreman then a PM isn’t needed. Big firm ..??

 

It's a local building firm family business, but they do have a good reputation and it's one our architects recommended. Everything was itemised to the point of row 600 odd on a spreadsheet though I'm not sure it was all things that were needed or necessary. The other builder is again local, family business and provided a detailed quote but not a fancy spreadsheet but as my dad described it without the 'fancy-ancy, namby-pamby' stuff! Of course we need to check the finer details of both but there was a BIG price difference between these (we have a third one too but are less taken with this one for other reasons).

 

You are right, sounds like perhaps quotation software. 

[PeterW]

Sounds like it’s an Estimators Online or other type of standard quote system. 
 

I have to say in these sorts of circumstances go with your gut feel ... it will probably be right !

[canalsiderenovation]

Thanks @PeterW let's see what the other builders says tomorrow. When there is around £70k of price difference we need to find out why! Some things we know why but others are less obvious.

[joe90]

I agree with @PeterW about your gut feeling, as some on here will know I had a brilliant builder, local, well recommended and when I met him I felt completely at ease, so much so I did not get any other quotes ( tho I don’t recommend that ). My builder had a project manager but I was not charged fir his services in the quote but frankly as a retired builder I did not need him but I did call on him on a couple of occasions to discuss on a couple of technical points. Some firms quote fir even the silliest of things!!!,

[Temp]

Our builder was the PM. He employed two people full time, one was called his site foreman and the other was called a carpenter but in reality the two did most jobs from digging founds to tiling the roof. They installed windows, first fix plumbing, floors the UFH and many other jobs. He subcontracted a team of bricklayers and plasterers.

[canalsiderenovation]

I suspect the other builder the one that hasn't quoted for everything will likely be the PM similar to what @Temp described. We are chatting with him later.

 

Initially we weren't keen on second choice builder at our first meeting. He seemed really nervous, though my OH said I was a bit overpowering and I think he wasn't expecting me to know a lot of things (thanks to Buildhub and various forum members here)! When he returned with his QS he was much better and I think realised I knew more than he thought I did and on our brief call yesterday felt completely at ease. I also, through social media managed to find someone who had their house built by him and had a really good conversation with her last night and if we weren't in lockdown could go and see it.

 

By contrast we were taken with expensive top choice builder from the outset who is very good to get on with but I think to some extent we had been primed well by our architects (best mates with them), though I'm not disputing he is a good 'award winning' builder but there are a few points he has fallen down on, e.g. reassuring me 75mm floor insulation is sufficient which really isn't. 

 

Let's see where we go from here.