construction contracts

[charlie1210]

hello all,

i am hoping for a point in the right direction if anyone can help.
i am about to take the plunge and form my own company.
i am a plasterer intending to compete in the commercial sector i.e new build houses,hotels,apartments etc.also with a seperate division of fibrous plastering which is the manufacture and installation of cornicing,ceiling roses,columns etc.
my main problem is knowing where to look to tender for such jobs.
is it just a case of writing to construction companies introducing myself or is there anywhere i can obtain lists of projects that are imminent,for me to apply for the work.
any advice whatsoever on this would be a huge help and greatly appreciated.

thanks for reading,
charlie1210

 

[jimbojones]

Charlie,

The best places to look for work are either in the 'tenders' section of local newspapers and industry/trade publications (however the vast majority are aimed at main contractors.)

Other sources of work are TED (Tenders on the Web) which is a European intiative to advertise contracts to the whole of Europe but generally you will only get local companies competing for the contracts due to the logisitics. By law, public sector bodies must advertise any tender with a value of £3m+ to the whole of europe (search for 'Ojeu').

Other places include websites such as glenigan.com or barbour-abi.com but these cost a few thousand a year to join and so are proabably not going to be use at the moment, but these organisations have teams of researchers who collate data on new projects (such as the main contacts, details of the site, type of build and of course value) - to which subscribers have access.

With everyone trying to operate some form of approved list these days, your best bet is as you already mentioned is to get writing letters to the Estimators/Surveyors within main contractors, introducing your company, capabilities and also any policies you adhere to: i.e. environmental, H&S, etc.

Also, check university websites as these can advertise invitations to tender usually (however most operate in some form of framework, which last 3-5yrs.)

Hope this is of some help,

Any probs, let me know

Jimbo

 

[CKG]

Just get on the blower and ring the building firms that take your fancy and just ask as many questions as you need to get onto the subby list.

I think bigger firms are easy to get in with and get along with as they are less cliquey than the small firms.

I'm still pulling the knives out of my back from my last experience of subbing to a smallish firm where we were not their 'pet' plumbers.

 

[jimbojones]

Just get on the blower and ring the building firms that take your fancy and just ask as many questions as you need to get onto the subby list.

I think bigger firms are easy to get in with and get along with as they are less cliquey than the small firms.

The principle of doing that is fine and it does work - but as an employee & shareholder of a £30m turnover construction company (we were classed as an SME 2 years ago and are now classed as a large company), we would simply want to know if you are competent or not. The company I work for are sticklers for quality of service & build and as we sub-out the majority of the work; we need to be sure that as a subbie, you will deliver the same standard of quality we expect.

Its all very well and good telling us how many years you've been in the game, how expereinced you are etc but you must realise that there will probably be 3/4 subbies like yourselves that main contractors can pick and choose from. Concentrate on differentiating yourself from these other firms by demonstrating your commitment to H&S, CSCS Scheme, etc but ultimately contractors will go for whoever's cheapest...

1) get your foot in the door

2) gain accreditations if it helps you to do this

2) beat the rest on price (easier said than done i know!)

Hope that helps,

Jimbo

 

[creospace]

My clients can help you http://www.tntrgroup.com/

 

[hipwuk]

Hello,

I think the best place to start looking for work is to identify the projects in your catchment area that are up and running and approach the main contractors direct. Since the plastering is one of the final stages of the project this gives you a key advantage to approach the main contractors who have yet to procure their plastering subcontractor, as opposed to say for example, a concrete or piling subcontractor that are in the initial phases of the project. You can do this by simply driving around and looking for projects, or read trade journals to identify projects that are either due to start or have started (as well as tendering opportunities). Ask to speak to the procurement manager, QS or estimator, though I think the QS is probably your best bet.

I would suggest you start small then build up slowly. In my experience of working in the construction industry, the key criteria that main contractors have is whether you have the experience and capacity to carry out the work of that particular contract value and whether you can complete the work within programme. It is probably a good idea to build up a portfolio of work too, as well as a relationship with them as more often than not they would already have a list of subbies that have worked with in the past.

Hope this helps!

 

[charlie1210]

only just read all your comments.been very ill of late which is why i took so long to reply but thanks anyway.really helpful tips.
do any of you know the standard procedure for payments from the main contractors.is it on completion or staggered throughout the contract?
i am concerned about jumping into a big job and being seriously hampered by the costs and payments..

 

[Estimator]

only just read all your comments.been very ill of late which is why i took so long to reply but thanks anyway.really helpful tips.
do any of you know the standard procedure for payments from the main contractors.is it on completion or staggered throughout the contract?
i am concerned about jumping into a big job and being seriously hampered by the costs and payments..

If it's a JCT contract the payment terms are usually monthly - that's the main contractor. That means he puts in an application on a given date every month, and money is paid within 28 days. This arrangement is usually passed on to the subcontractors, but beware of contractors hanging on to cash for longer, and thinking up contra charges to knock off your payment. Working for house builders and developers can be more stressful, as their cash flow is dependant on selling houses (not easy at the moment). Look out for retentions, attendances, warranties and insurances also. They will probably send you 100 pages of contract conditions to read through and accept! And a programme which you must keep to, or incur damages for every day/week you overrun.
It's called 'subbie bashing' in the trade. :redface:

If you are not in good health, maybe now is not a good time to start a subcontracting business. Always better to work direct for the client, but you probably know that.

Hope I haven't scared you. Some contractors are sweeties really!

 

[rbhealthandsafety]

I have joined BIP solutions, they send through any forthcoming tenders on a daily basis, i have designed the alerts to suit health and safety training and fire risk assessments, you cant make it suit any industry. They do a months free trial, but make sure you cancel in plenty of time if you decide not to continue it otherwise your tied in for a year.

http://www.rbhealthandsafety.co.uk/fr_assessment.html

http://www.rbhealthandsafety.co.uk/healthandsafety.html

 

[barber]

hello I've only just discovered this site and I think its great. I have just gained the opportuntiy with a local building contractor to plaster 4 newly constructed flats. I literally went through the yellow pages, local newspapers, visited construction sites and knocked on the doors of suitable companies on industrial estates. I am new to this sort of contracting work as the only work that I have experience in is smaller private jobs. However like yourself I want to get into this side of the industry and really don't want to miss this opportunity. Does anyone know of web sites etc where I can get advice about putting in the price for the job and what I can expect re payments etc. Also I will need to employ other plasterers but don't know where to look as all my contacts are busy themselves. Good luck with your search I hope it works out well for you.

hello all,

i am hoping for a point in the right direction if anyone can help.
i am about to take the plunge and form my own company.
i am a plasterer intending to compete in the commercial sector i.e new build houses,hotels,apartments etc.also with a seperate division of fibrous plastering which is the manufacture and installation of cornicing,ceiling roses,columns etc.
my main problem is knowing where to look to tender for such jobs.
is it just a case of writing to construction companies introducing myself or is there anywhere i can obtain lists of projects that are imminent,for me to apply for the work.
any advice whatsoever on this would be a huge help and greatly appreciated.

thanks for reading,
charlie1210