what am i doing wrong.I get companys to come make bids on my project needs. We seem to be on the same page.They agree to make a bid. Agree to give a quote.Then I try & reach them. i don't get a responce.
They all seem willing & able.
???
Any clues to actually getting folks that will work,
elaa12

How big is your project? Do you have architectural drawings on which they can base their bids? Are you requiring that your own subcontractors be employed?

There are a few reasons why you may not be gettiing responses:
1. They are all very busy. (Of course, they could have told you that)
2. Your job is much smaller than others that are available.
3. Your job appears to be a complicated (pain in the rump) situation,
4. You are not crystal clear in what you want. (This is where architectural drawings are helpful...so they know that they and the other bidders are bidding on exactly the same thing)
5. They are irresponsible, business-wise.
6 You are making requests that they feel are unreasonable.

Contractors tend to want to go where they can get in, get done, and get out and get paid. If other jobs on the market appear more like that to them than yours, that is where they will likely put their energies, but again, they should at least be honest and say they can't do your job.

First off what type and scope of project are you considering?
What is the time frame you’re looking to have this done?
How are you going to pay for this project?
Do you have plans for a contractor to view?
How many bids are you taking?
Where are you going now to get these contractors and who else is bidding on the job?
Is the house cluttered and hard to get around to the area of work and how are you going to correct this before the project starts?
These are questions that we ask before we even begin our bidding process or come over the house.
I know some questions are hard to answer, but in many cases we turn down fairly nice projects because the overall picture of the house when we visit indicates to us the person really does not want to proceed or appears to be kicking tires.

My suggestion is to prepare for the contractor before you ask for bids.

Have drawings done. Or at least some sketches of what you’re considering. Measure the room and have the dimensions of what you’re considering within it ready for them. Do not worry about being exact. They will measure themselves anyway but it shows them that you’re serious about what you’re looking to have done. Be prepared to be willing to have professional drawings prepared. This should be done ideally before you even take bids.

Cut out pictures of some other rooms from catalogs of what ever you’re considering having done so the contractor gets some idea of what your taste is. Or at least have the information on where they can see some of the ideas of what you want.

Be prepared for the contractors that visit. Have a table in which to sit, talk and take notes. Have someone keep the kids, dog and grandma out of the way while the contractor reviews your desires. Have both spouses there to answer questions. Do not stray off the topic in which your bidding contractor is there for. He could care less about what your bathroom sink is doing when he is there bidding on a basement.

Interview the contractor BEFORE you waste time having them come over to measure and bid. Ask them how busy they are? The busier the pickier they will be when choosing clients. But watch them come out of the wood work when they are slow. Do they do all the work themselves? Or do they use sub contractors. Is the person that is coming over to bid going to be working on the job, or are they just sales people.

Remember that these bids (depending on the size of the project) take several days or weeks to produce. And the less information you provide the longer it will take.

I always ask my client to email me with questions and answers to mine. Sometimes it is easier for them and sometimes for me to email to tell them that I am not interested in providing them with a quote. I know once I provide them the numbers I sometimes never hear back. Its not they are not bad people its just they are embarrassed to tell me their not interested or were too much etc. By providing an email address they can tell me no without the fear of us asking them why?

Richards answers are also on point as well.

To amplify what Home Care Club said: professional drawings show the contractor that you are serious, and give him a sound basis on which to base his bid. Without good drawings, here's what happens. Contractor A bids the job, and he sees that things will be required that the drawings do not cover, so he puts in money for them and gives you his price. Contractor B bids the job, and he sees that things will be required that are not on the drawings, and bids based only on what is defintely shown. Both contractors have acted in good faith, and one's price is likely to be unrealistically high, while the other's is unreasonably low. So, having gotten your bids, what have you learned? Exactly nothing about the true value of the job.

Professional drawings are vital to obtain bids which are accurate and meaningful. A good architect will deal with all issues that may arise, either by drawing or by specifications, leaving very little or nothing for the contractors to guess at when they are bidding, and also when they are building. Whatever you spend to get good drawings will pay off many times over in construction costs.

The other possibility is that the companies doing the bids decided that the job isn't worth their time to do. But they should atleast tell you that and not blow you off.

I noticed that you are in Iowa - are you near a city or in the countryside? I know of a few people who live out of the way and they have alot of trouble finding contractors. It could be that you are kinda off the beaten track and contractors are worried about moving people, equipment and supplies to your job site. I would suggest asking neighbors who did their work and are they happy. Referrals are the best for both clients and contractors. About 90% of our business is referrals. Just a suggestion. Everything that Richard and Home Care Club have said also plays into it.

Good luck!

All great ideas on your situation.
I also can suggest a few things that have put me off starting a job.
I take the time off from making money and show up to hear "we want your ideas on how to fix this".
We need three differnt quotes for three differnt ways of doing this job.
I need you to start this job tommorrow.
(Anyone that can do it that fast is out of work for a reason)
I'm not willing to pay (at least) for the materials until the jobs done.
I just want to cover up all the rotten wood so I can sell the house)
I'll supply the labor you just show up and tell them what to do.
"I do not care to hear what the right way to fix it is, this is the way I want you to do it.
I do not want to pay for a helper, just you. (this was heard when I had to replace rotted 27' rake boards on a three story house).
One job was to replace one piece of coil stock on a three story house at the peak that's 30 min from my house. I quoted $250.00 and they said I was ripping them off. Two people 3 hours labor, having to stop what I was doing to load all the equipment, showing up with $2000.00 worth of equipment, $1500.00 trailer, $25,000 truck, and have to climb a 40 ft. ladder.
Two years later and it's still not fixed, now there looking for someone to replace the rotted wood and install the coil stock. Ha Ha.

Hey Joe,
You might want to check the dates on the postings before you spend a lot of your time answering them. The folks that asked the question in most cases are long gone.