No communication Dead air…

These are just some of the main reasons why some Builders refuse to work with Architects on certain projects. Did you know that a typical tendering process for a Builder can take up to 4-6 weeks? In order for a Builder to prepare an accurate quote, they must first go through all drawings and documentation (which could be over 100 pages long), whilst also delegate resources to speak with subcontractors and suppliers.

Whilst it is common practice for a tender to involve typically 3-5 Builders, from a Builder’s perspective this can be a deterrent, and nothing is guaranteed in terms of being compensated for your time and effort. There is nothing worse than spending 4-6 weeks of time and effort only to be greeted with radio silence once you have submitted the price. We have been in that position before whereby we follow up things with phone calls and emails, all of which falls on a deaf ear.

The unprofessionalism we faced was gut-wrenching as we spent countless hours preparing our proposal only to be told that the Owner decided to go with a ‘cheaper option’. (Which in most cases included half the scope of works) It is understandable that there can only be one successful Builder, but to simply ignore the rest seems rather unprofessional in my opinion. The least one can do is provide feedback, constructive criticism, and reasoning as to how the final decision was derived. I would suggest having criteria on which tenders are to be assessed.

That way the criteria can be used to judge the proposals received. (And please, don’t just make a decision based on price alone) What are your thoughts? Have you also had the bad experience of quoting on a project only to be met with radio silence and no responses?

Would love to hear your stories.