Fighting back gators, like this young engineer who begged too many times for a
budget estimate for work that I do not know how to estimate. I hate doing
budgets.

"I very much appreciate that you need information, as per your lengthy message
in my voice-mail, but I cannot provide it further than I have already. My
original task was to provide mechanics to make some holes so that some other
person could look in them. My business is not in estimating or sidewalk vault
repair. I have not the staff to assign this excercise, so I am stuck having to
figure it out myself between other demands, particularly of work already under
contract. I simply counted up all of the items you had given on the sketches,
assigned for each to have two mechanics to work for two days, which seemed
reasonable as most of the difficulty of the site is access and has nothing to
do with materials cost or actually doing the work itself, some activities will
be easy, some will be difficult, and tacked on 20% for materials, then
combined overhead and profit and threw on a 15% contingency. I have no idea of
any breakout for general conditions -- though you can fudge by backing out 5%
-- or any other sort of breakout that you find pleasing. I’m very sorry and
grieved that I simply don’t have time right now to do a detailed breakout for
what I do not understand and need to educate myself more fully to comprehend.
As well, there is nothing reasonable, or unreasonable about the budget price
given, as I have no possible dream of doing this work... we never get to do
this type of work, and strongly I suspect we never will have an opportunity of
finding any satisfaction in it -- I really am not terribly enthused by mucking
with sidewalk vaults, you see. As I say, we are good at punching the holes,
where my enthusiasm does endure, and carrying the ladder around -- we will do
it willingly on any day. We are also good at historic facade preservation
work, which is not this, though even there we are selective and avoid
management nightmares wherever possible. There are people all around NYC that
do vault work, certainly at less expense and remaining competent in more ways
than I can imagine, and I strongly suggest you develop relationships with some
of them for your future budgeting needs. I would be glad to provide a price to
install shoring, despite the fact that I have no idea what shoring should
reasonably cost or what it is you have in mind. If you will provide me with a
drawing of what you want the shoring to consist of, including all dimensions
and locations in specific detail, I know someone I can ask for a price, but it
will take at least a week, and only if they are not busy and remain residing
in America."

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