thank god we have 4 large private jobs going on (that total $37 million), because I couldn't survive bidding against everyone that gets into this business that doesn't carry the proper insurance, screws around with the prevailing wage, uses equipment operators & superintendents on jobs interchangably, hugs the line when it comes to performing abatement legally, etc, etc.

Then when you think you have a shot at a public job - that has limited bidders because of high insurance and bonding limits, they swing some deal to the local contractor.

What I'm speaking of is these new HUD RFP projects - where you get points for this (price), points for that (experience), mbe (points) and it is so wide open for judgment that when you spend $10,000 in flights, estimates, printing, proposals, etc and you don't get an interview its very frustrating.

You have to be able to read between the lines here. Certain things for these row house demolition are constant or escalate - C&D, backfill, time. These are your constants - C&D in Philly is no lower now then in was 3 years ago - its about $70 per ton and average row house is 70 tons -$4,900, backfill for the row houses 20 x 50 x 5 -200 cy w compaction x 10 - $2,000, prevailing wage in philly is $60.11 per hr for an operator and $42 for a laborer or $125 per hr w/burden each day costs $1000 - say its 2 days for demo & loadout - $2000 - so your constant is $8,900 another $1,500 for the water & sewer disconnect -$10,400 - $500 for parging and $500 for roof - $11,400 -$1,600 (12.3%) profit for a single row house. Its better then the stock market but a lot less then the days we got 33%.