finish work/ how long - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

propertyone · 11-05-2009, 07:18 PM

Hi guys,

I have a 3 bedroom ranch with large living room, kitchen , bath, small office. My carpenter replaced 11 pre hung doors, then trimmed them out, trimmed 10 windows, and did the base. All white contractor grade. Just wondering how long roughly it should take a carpenter and helper? I know there are many variables ! rough estimate.

CookeCarpentry · 11-05-2009, 07:30 PM

I thought you just said your carpenter did it....? You should know how long...

jhark123 · 11-05-2009, 07:38 PM

That question is alot like the "how much do I charge" question. There are so many variables on how long it should take to trim a house. Where were the materials stocked?, Quality of the framing job?, etc.

Framer53 · 11-05-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propertyone

Hi guys,

I have a 3 bedroom ranch with large living room, kitchen , bath, small office. My carpenter replaced 11 pre hung doors, then trimmed them out, trimmed 10 windows, and did the base. All white contractor grade. Just wondering how long roughly it should take a carpenter and helper? I know there are many variables ! rough estimate.

2 weeks? What did I win?

CookeCarpentry · 11-05-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Framer53

2 weeks? What did I win?

The chance to answer an offspring of the "how much" question.

Your check will be arriving in the mail shortly.

**genecarp** · 11-05-2009, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propertyone

Hi guys,

I have a 3 bedroom ranch with large living room, kitchen , bath, small office. My carpenter replaced 11 pre hung doors, then trimmed them out, trimmed 10 windows, and did the base. All white contractor grade Why bring race into it?. Just wondering how long roughly it should take a carpenter and helper? I know there are many variables ! rough estimate.

NormW · 11-05-2009, 07:53 PM

Seriously, I know a carpenter who has taken two days to hang and trim one door. I also know a carpenter who can trim out the whole interior of the house you just described in one day with a helper (probably be late for dinner)
Those carpenters would be me... and sadly, I can't explain why its so... but it is so...

samccard · 11-05-2009, 08:01 PM

However long it took him!

propertyone · 11-05-2009, 08:13 PM

Tomorrow will be a week, I don't think he will be quit done, I am not a carpenter like you pros, just looking for average estimated time . I just don't like being screwed. I am paying him good money. I didn't ask how much. Thanks to anybody who wants to put some thought into question.

propertyone · 11-05-2009, 08:15 PM

The week before he spent some time truing thing up, windows were a little tricky little power planing, all materials stocked for him.

CookeCarpentry · 11-05-2009, 08:17 PM

Really hard to say, too many variables...a day to two weeks.

Depending on the framing, drywall, type of doors, type of trim, etc.

Are the door jambs all sized correctly or do they need extension or split jambs? One piece casing, two, three? Are the miters being biscuited? One piece base, two, three? Quarter round, shoe molding? Did he have to make all the window sills and jambs? Is he filling nail holes and caulking? Is he installing hardware for the doors?

SLSTech · 11-05-2009, 08:22 PM

Same as others have said - no issues, I have had a job that size knocked out in a little over a day, other times with issues - about a week

On average - I would say 2 to 3 days

Now are you paying hourly? That is a catch with some of these guys, however by paying piece work - you can get the slap it - caulk it - forget it work that looks like...

NormW · 11-05-2009, 08:42 PM

If it takes him a little over a week, you are not getting screwed. He is right in the ball park, for someone trying to do a careful job.

Its almost impossible to estimate how long it should take, it truly is just like the question.. how much should it cost? It's so rhetorical, as to be meaningless. Biggest question I would ask is? What quality are you looking for? You can't do perfect, yesterday, for the "going" rate...

An overused but usefull way of looking at this is: Think of a triangle, with Quality, Time, and Price. Making up the three sides. If you lengthen any side of the triangle, at least one other side has to move as well... I know this is lame, but some people never realize this...

In other words... If you want him to move faster? what are YOU willing to give up. Settle for Lower Quality, or Pay him more to bring in more resources?

Im not trying to be a pain in the arse... but its nice, when one of us Is put into the customers shoes. Let's us see it from thier perspective... Trust me, if I was in your shoes... I would of tossed em out the window, on tuesday, and done it myself.

Oh, and getting into detail... Are the windows picture framed? or do they have sills and aprons, that can add a lot of time to a trim job...

NormW · 11-05-2009, 08:50 PM

Read your OP once more... Jeez, to be dead serious... like I was going to bid that, and do a professional job. That's a week to a week and a half job. No B.S.

KennMacMoragh · 11-05-2009, 09:47 PM

This is out of the Craftsmen 2009 National Construction Estimator, all in man hours:
Prehung interior doors .5
Casing per opening, per side .25

You didn't say what kind of window trim, but here is for a picture frame, per window.
Extension jambs 4 sides .33
Straight casing with square corners 4 sides .5

Baseboard per LF .04

You can multiply and add them all up if you want. I find these times to be pretty accurate based on what I've done and seen. Except the .25 hrs for casing on one side of an opening seems pretty slow to me. But I saw a guy spend three hours putting casing on two windows once, though he sanded it good, and did a nice job. If it's an easy door or window, I'll probably do a side in .1 hrs, consider the detail being put into everything.

oldfrt · 11-05-2009, 09:55 PM

Sounds like you may be talking about an occupied home, so take into consideration,moving furniture, daily clean up and being careful around personal belongings to the time frame.

WarnerConstInc. · 11-05-2009, 10:00 PM

I would have been done in 4 days but, it would have been 2x whatever he charged.

I am like the green streak!!

skymaster · 11-05-2009, 10:18 PM

Propertyguy: I see you are an excavator; Tell me how long does it take to dig a hole with 3 sides and a bottom Just about so big, a bit more than so wide?

mics_54 · 11-05-2009, 10:38 PM

Two days maybe..Four days maybe. What kind of window trim? Just seats? Boxed window returns? Is he set up to trim houses or did you hire a carpenter instead of a trim contractor? Are the walls painted or what? Is there room to work? There are lots of variables.

How about YOU tell us how long it took him and what he did and why you thnk he took too long?

Scribbles · 11-06-2009, 12:22 AM

Depends on the scope of work. I can do a slam bam track house by myself in a day, and I just bid a craftsman style custom, doors are already hung and I estimated 96 hours. Completely different quality and scope.