Owner's Insights — Pricing Honesty

Why the Other Bid Is Lower

By Jason Brunaugh, Owner · Brunaugh Construction & Design LLC

In residential construction, we rarely start with full architectural drawings and a complete bid specification package that can be handed to contractors for a true apples-to-apples comparison. Without that level of planning, it is very difficult to run a fair and accurate competitive bid — so before you judge two numbers side by side, here's what our experience says is usually behind the cheaper one.

1. The other estimator isn't as experienced

BCD has a combined 35 years of experience quoting residential construction. We have a proven process to accurately quote the work you want performed — and we don't charge extra if we miss something in our quote. Being thorough sometimes makes our number higher than the competition. Look at it this way: the contractor who misses the most items in his quote will most likely be the lowest bidder. Do you really want to work with a contractor who missed thousands of dollars of line items and now has to find a way to break even on your project? What corners would they cut to make up the difference?

2. Industry-leading customer service comes with a cost

We include experienced supervision on every project. We don't allow field employees or subcontractors to run the job — you work directly with our project manager from start to finish, and we guarantee the quality, schedule, and cost of our work. Would you hire a contractor who didn't include appropriate supervision for your project?

3. Product allowances and product quality aren't comparable

Not all products are created equal in the building industry. We have a standard of building we follow and we will not go below that line just to lower the price. We want our work to last for years and be an investment that increases the value of your home. Material budgets between two competing bids can vary by 50% to 100%.

4. Cleaning is important

A project that lasts six months requires regular general cleanup. We take pride in how clean and safe our job sites look. That cleaning labor and attention to detail has a real cost — and it isn't optional in our quotes.

5. Are you hiring an established general contractor — or someone's side hustle?

We carry full General Liability and Workers' Compensation insurance. BCD employs management and trade professionals with decades of experience, and our subcontractors are vetted, experienced, and required to carry insurance. It still surprises me that fewer than 10% of the clients I've worked for have ever asked for proof of insurance. When it comes to your most valuable asset — your home — you risk too much by hiring workers without verifying coverage. If someone is injured on your property and they aren't insured, will the savings in their contract cover the potential lawsuit?

Guaranteed Price · Guaranteed Labor · Guaranteed Customer Service. That's the Brunaugh difference — and it's why our number is our number.

Brunaugh Construction & Design LLC · 970 E Ailine Dr, STE A, East Alton, IL 62024 · Serving Jersey, Madison & St. Clair counties, Illinois · brunaughconstructiondesign.com