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[quote=Anonymous]Can someone with inside knowledge of contractor business models please enlighten me? Almost every time we ask for a bid on work, for example patio construction, drainage improvements, bathroom renovation, the bid we get basically works out to $1000 per day per worker, and I'm including the estimator/business owner as a worker in this count, even though they only show up at the site for 30 minutes on the first day and never again. These workers tend to be hard workers but not very educated, unable to speak English, and basically just doing things like digging ditches, pouring concrete, laying down pipes. I'm not saying it's easy work, I realize it's hard labor, but it's not heart surgery either. So for example if we're getting French drains installed, we're paying $8000 for a project that takes two days, with 3 guys doing the actual work and 1 guy being the estimator/business owner who's getting a cut, paying for insurance, gasoline, marketing and so on. The materials in this case add up to less than $1000.

Is this the way contracting is supposed to work? Or is this a particular gouging disease that has afflicted the Bethesda area? I've lived in many places around the world, including in New York City and Boston, and I've never seen these types of prices anywhere.  But maybe these prices justified? Genuinely trying to understand.

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