Most of us would admit to working for McDonald's wages on cabling jobs. It happens now and then.
When you stop for gas you think "does this guy make more than me?" hahahah
What we do if we are up against low bidders using CCA cable, and most likely non-licensed labor, etc, is trying to explain why crappy wiring will come back to bite them. Talking about the end user here, not a general contractor. All they care about is meeting the contractual specifics for the lowest possible bid.
When losing a bid to someone underbidding we try to get our information in front of the end user and let them know we'd be happy to come in and fix up the mess after the fact.
We subscribe to the 'code' that it really isn't cool to put down another contractor's work or bad mouth them. Approach it as 'we'll this is the way Company-A did it, we like to do it this way, and this is why ..."
A LOT of money is to be made by being the contractor that comes in after that fact. Many times it is more profitable than if we got the job in the first place.
It is easier for us to make money selling systems than cabling jobs nowadays. Back in the early '90s we charged a flat $150/cable + materials. Try that now.
On this last job we quoted we had to prove that all our licenses are up to date, that we pay cable techs $36+ an hour prevailing wage, that we have a Public Works bond.
At least that should weed out Bobby installing cabling via the back of his Camaro.
