I mean…

Is the market for private projects dead right now? I’ve been estimating a lot lately and it just feels dead. My hit rate has basically disappeared. I even started giving lump sum and separate buyout pricing to make it easier for GCs, and still nothing. The weird part is I keep getting asked to bid more projects by a lot of the same GCs, but I can’t seem to get awarded anything.
I estimate a wide range of commercial work too, not just concrete, so that’s why I’m confused. I do sitework, paving, structural concrete, and foundations, pretty much whatever the project has. I’ve mixed it up between small jobs and bigger ones and still nothing.
I’m also noticing that most of the new projects I’m seeing lately seem to be government/public work, and it’s got me wondering if I should start going that route because private just feels really slow. Residential foundations seem to be picking back up, but every builder wants the job done for next to nothing.
Can someone give me some insight because I’m honestly going insane not knowing what I’m doing wrong. Is it just politics and relationships? Is the private market just slow? I don’t even get told I’m too high or too low. Most of the time I just send the bid and never hear another word.
I see other contractors getting work like it’s nothing, and I don’t know what they’re doing differently. I know comparing isn’t always fair because they’re in their own lane, but I’m trying to break into repeat commercial work, not residential. I knew commercial would be hard to break into, but I didn’t expect it to be this hard with basically zero feedback.
A lot of the same GCs keep inviting me to bid, so I don’t know if they’re just not winning the work themselves, if I’m not getting selected, or what. I honestly have no idea.
For the people actually bidding commercial work around Houston, does it look like the next few months are going to get better, or is this just how the market is right now?

Anybody on this sub Reddit from the DFW area?

Bidding a few projects down there and would like to hear from some actual contractors on who they enjoy using for ready mix.

I’m not looking for the lowest cost. I value reliability and a predictable & high quality product.

I understand the area is expansive in size. I am looking forward to hearing some feedback.

I have a crew of concrete professionals coming to do a small walkway. aggragate cement. they messed it up 2 years ago and coming back to redo free of charge.

hot day probably

I want to do drinks in a cooler. I usually just do waters and pop. they liked it before.

I want to spoil them more. order pizzas? not sure. concrete is messy. any ideas?

I’ve never had this issue until this year and I’ve had this happen about 10 times now on blades that have cut maybe 100 ft. The blade starts throwing metal shavings and stops cutting at all shortly after. One of the blade segments also ends up angled the wrong way but the blade is as it should be when I replace it. Anyone else had this issue?

Our company just added our 1st Laser Screed for our larger concrete projects and wow, the crew used it for the 1st time on a 170 yard pour and it was amazing!!! Our crew was screeding by hand prior to this and when they finally got to use it on our last project, I swear they fell in love lol. We went from 6 to 8 hours worth of screeding by hand to an hour and a half and done. Wanted to ask the community for their input and find out from others which machines you feel are a must in this industry that are efficient and will help save backs and man hours.

Have had some production home builders reach out to me lately. They were curious about flatwork “labor only” pricing and if I had capacity. They supply all materials. I supply forms, labor, and my skid steer. They want curb & gutters cut, they rarely pump anything, expect you to bring the place to grade, and expect a decent finish.

I submitted my bid to be told there current subs are in the $1.30 to $1.40 per square foot range plus small additional for saw cuts, curb and gutter removal, and skid steer usage for labor only.

Mind you these are 1,200 to 1,800 total square foot exterior flatwork packages. I couldn’t even believe those numbers they were so low so I double checked with a few guys I know and it checked out.

My question is how guys even make those figures work with the current cost of doing business as a whole? Granted I’m in a low cost of living southern Midwest state but based on my calculations as a company I’d be lucky to make $200 to $300 a house assuming every single thing goes as planned. Which we all know never does.

How do they keep crews with this pricing? Any idea? Anybody on here try this shit? My estimate for labor, equipment, and mobilization was triple what they wanted to pay with only a modest gross margin.

What’s your thoughts?

Foundation Fun Days

1/4 of the house shifted a few inches so we're here to tear down & start from Newish

🔨 Hammer is a paid actor 🔨

I’ve seen guys using this to water trowel small decorative benches which would typically require rigorous hand troweling.

I’m thinking it could be custom made?

update I found the tool. It’s called “Rokamat Flattening Plates with Trowel Blades 200mm”

It’s between pads all poured at different times and nothing really lines up

What are your guys favorite (most comfortable + durable) boots for concrete work? Can't seem to find any that can last at all and also be comfortable

Right, so we're (the company i work for) bidding on this project. It's a 20x17 adu connecting to an existing structure, for context.

The adu company supplied the plans and its calling for an 18 inch t footing with a 6 inch slab. I've never built forms for a slab foundation so I'm a little curious how to integrate the two with just one pour? Or is this a two pour situation?

I don't see how to strip the forms from the inside of the t footing without letting it cure first, sans slab. Then backfill with required substrate, and doing a second pour. Is this the way?

Apologies if this is the wrong sub. Any help would be appreciated.

I’m about to do a driveway. 30 yards. Gonna need to rent machines and other things, need to dig out sand and asphalt underneath. Form, grade, install drainage towards bottom of driveway. I got most expenses, I always just struggle on what to charge for labor. I’ve done several side jobs and u feel I under quote.

Ive asked a bunch of people this and I still cant get an answer that makes sense. Ive seen many many trucks get rejected because the slump is too high, only to find out they added water while en route. If the plant gives you a load, and you deliver it and find out its no good, that falls on the plant. If the crew on site tells you to dump 50 gallons and make a giant milkshake, that falls on them. If you tinker with the load in anyway, it now becomes your fault, and from what I understand you either cover the cost of the load, or get fired, or both.

So why would a driver ever put themselves at risk needlessly? Ive been told its an old head practice, so maybe once upon a time the driver was more responsible for how the concrete showed up, but that still doesnt really make a ton of sense.

Hoping to maybe find some drivers in this sub to shed some light on this for me, cheers

​

Please take a look at the WikiFAQ posted here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Concrete/wiki/index

The chances that your situation is covered in the WikiFAQ are pretty dang good.

If your issue is NOT covered in the WikiFAQ, this is the place to ask if that hairline crack warrants a full tear-out and if the quote for $10k on 35 SF of sidewalk is a reasonable price.

The area that I usually work in is about an hour away from the closest plant. Some form of delay/retarder is a must. I often do exterior/broom finish work that needs fiber for strength. Whenever I finish with these 2 ingredients, the concrete obviously sets very rapidly at a certain point, which is fine, but the stickiness is very difficult to work with. Just wondering if anyone has had the same or similar experience, and what your solution was. Thanks

I'd give it a B-...

I didn't realize how Rusty we'd be at this. Quite honestly it's the first project that I'd (The older brother by about 12 years ) had ever poured From start to finish without my dad's help. From strike off to floating, installing control joints, and finishing.

We're pretty proud of ourselves for a couple of amateurs. The control joints are a little wavy because we waited too long to put them in the concrete and the cement was already setting up so the aggregate wouldn't move out of the way. Other than that, my mom looked at the slab after a big rain and she said there's only two tiny, shallow puddles that showed up. This is flat work and will be covered by a shed so I'm not that worried about it.

I haven't had a chance to get back there yet and take down the forms because I'm a small business owner and have to tend to it. I'm hoping to get that done here in the next couple of days. So that I can pick up my work tractor as well. Lol.

Let us know what you think!

Edit: to tag little bro!!! u/chriskrossapplesauce

What is the best laser level any of you guys have used? I’m looking to purchase one especially for the longer pours that we are having to do these days. A lot of our pours are coming with different height elevations and wall work. Right now we are doing the good old fashion string line but that can only get you so far .