This feature in Pumper reports noteworthy conversations that take place at the Pumper Discussion Forum, an online forum for industry professionals found at www.pumper.com. Pumper Discussion enables exchange of information and ideas on septic and drainfield installation and maintenance, trucks and equipment, portable sanitation, chemical and additives and much more. Information and advice in “Overheard Online” is offered in good faith by industry professionals. However, readers should consult in depth with appropriate industry sources before applying such advice to a specific business situation.

Question:

How do you feel about bidding on work? I’ve never done it, but I just found a website for my area that allows you to place your bids on work through the county.

Answers:

It seems like in my area the only way to get package plant sludge is to bid it. I’ve never bid on anything. But if I get bigger, I’m going to have to start. So any advice from anyone would be helpful to me too.

When bidding, make sure you remember why you’re in business: to make money. It’s nice to win a bid but no one wants to work for free.

Some companies in the area put in bids for all the local district school grease traps. A couple companies bid low (really low) and have very high repair prices to offset the cost. This doesn’t apply to plant slurry but you have to look at what was charged on the last contract (public records), and determine if that’s around what you would charge. Then find out if, in the contract language, you would be responsible for any additional work that you could use to offset the discounted rate. For example, a company may charge $300 to install a tee on a baffle or $600 for jetting since there is no restriction on those costs, as the contract only focuses on pumping the tanks.

If your child needed a life-saving operation, would you go with the doctor with the best reputation, or the cheapest doctor you could find? If you want to purchase an item available at several stores, sure, price it out. It has been my experience that people who hire the cheapest pumper end up having the most trouble with their systems, spending more money in the long run. I could work cheaper if I did the same things some companies I’m bidding against do to get the job. I make out much better by getting this information in the hands of prospective clients putting jobs out for bids than under-bidding other pumping companies for work. I have often repaired systems that were pumped and serviced by the cheapest bidder.