I received the packet on Monday the 25th. There are 34 houses and one commercial building. They are separate bids. I am going to be honest, I obviously don't have equipment large enough for this task. My little stuff is great for small homes, mobile homes and small barns. I would love to get in on the gig because of the amount of previous bids. I am not going to bite off more than I can chew. I have pondered the idea of subbing for the winning contractor. I don't know if this is even feasible. Not for complete tear-down but for the removal of the foundation and smaller stuff. The contract is for 90 days. That equates to a house every 3 days approximately. I would appreciate some input in regards to subbing for the winning contractor. Similar projects in the past have ranged from 225k to 242k. My excavator is only 8k lbs, I would need at least a 20k lbs excavator. Some of these homes are 2 stories. My little 'ole reach is only 15 foot at best.....LOL Appreciate the input and thanks so much for visiting with me.

John

Well thank you Les, I have not inspected the homes as of yet. The list will not be available until Thursday. As soon as I receive it I will visit each home and take notes and samples.

I don't plan on "lowballing" I am hoping to make this work. I am glad to receive opinions in regards to my equipment. You are the experienced folks. If my equipment is sub-standard then I may not need to look into this type of work. I am just looking for something to do with my equipment for profit. I have had success at clearing land and trees, as well as small demolition work. Mobile homes and small barns. The reason I am looking into this is because I did a job for a fella that works for the city. He told me that they have had a hard time finding demo contractors to tear down condemned houses. I have done some research with the previous bids in the city. I have determined the ballpark as far as bidding and price goes. A tow truck company bid on a demo project once before, he just set a price of 3500 per house. This brought the bid down to 108k. I could tell he did no research. He just wanted the contract. This was 3 years ago and there are still 15 houses that need to be demolished. I guess he figured out he was loosing money at that price.

Asbestos, I am sure some of these homes have asbestos. I have contacted two companies locally that specialize in asbestos removal. I was planning on figuring them into my bid. I am going to get them the samples they need before hand so I know which houses have asbestos issues.

I have visited with my insurance company regarding this type of work. He instructed me that underwriting will cover this. My premium just had to be increased. The new premium is definitely nothing to be desired that is for sure.

We all have to start somewhere and I don't know if I am choosing the right path or not. One thing I know for sure is, you never get ahead unless you take a chance. I am taking the initiative pursue a new business venture. If this is not for me then fine, I will continue to look for something else. This just has my attention now and I am going to learn as much about it as I can. I am not one to just "jump" into something. That is why I am on this site. Once again, you are the pros. I will listen and take heed to what you have to say.

Thank you so much, I really do appreciate the replies.

John