In a message dated 7/26/00 8:33:06 AM Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

> I agree that the cost of cleaning masonry in all NYC Boroughs has gone up
due
>  to DEP being more stringent in the issuance of violations, but there also
> has to be factored in

...the large volume of work that is currently under contract in NYC and that
cleaning of a building is a relatively messy job, so contractors are inclined
to raise their costs. A contractor would rather have easier and less
complicated work than messy work.  Also, a contractor needs to keep a balance
between work contracted and the ability to fulfill the work. Right now it is
too easy to get more work, difficult to find mechanics qualified to do the
work. At the same time, if contractors start telling customers that they
cannot do their work, then customers look elsewhere, or remove contractors
from their bid lists, which results in fewer calls next year. A lot of
building a business, years of work, is keeping the phone ringing with
requests to bid on more work. So the safest action for a contractor is to
keep bidding work and raising their prices in hopes to not get the work, not
upset their customers, and if they do get the work that somehow they will
figure out how to get it done and that the extra cost will make up for the
higher levels of anxiety and problems of quality control going to hell. It is
not a good strategy for a contractor to tell customers that this is why they
are raising your prices, so the excuse becomes DEP, which is plausible enough
to pass as a good excuse.

There is also the tactic of raising costs for PIA (pain in the ass)
customers, and then telling them it is DEP.

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