Framing Costs

dragon homes

in our area in southern ontario it costs 2 dollars a foot for labour to frame a house . is that comparable to other areas ?

BirmanBuilders

Two dollars a foot is rediculously low. Don't know what insurance costs are up there and the guys must be on a pittance of a wage. Around Chicago, you won't find many guys less than 5.50 a sq ft.

joasis

2 dollars Canadian probably. That is laughable....I don't think it was that low when I was learning the trade in 1977.

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cssconstruct

That is bad. Here in knoxville we get between $3.50-$7.00. Although after seeing what guys are getting around the country for drywall we have to make it up somewhere.

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thom

For a pretty simple two story upscale tract style, truss roof, truss floor for upstairs, slab on grade first floor, 8' ceilings throughout, nothing tough, I pay $4.00 psf labor, that includes workmens compensation in Albuquerque NM.

T-KAT

Come out west man and cheer for the Oilers

rino1494

In my area, it is around $4.00 sq/ft.

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joasis

From what has been posted in most threads. $4 a sq/ft is about par all across the country....the differences are how they arive at sq/ft? Do you count living space, actual area, or what? here, framers are expected to do $4 for the living area, and the garage is a freebie. I don't do 2nd floors, but I think they get a buck off, on living area as well.

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jmic

Freebie

I ran my framing business from "75" - "95" and nothing was free. Why would you knock a buck off the second floor? Thats where you have to hump all the materials to and the roof work takes the longest. The going rate around here now starts at around $7/ft. and goes up from there, granted the garage should be done at a reduced rate but not free, at least around here.

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Joe

joasis

We all know that is a gimmick....but it drives the cost overall down. I don't do it that way, but I don't do custom homes and I build for myself. 3000 sq/ft home, $12,000 to dry in. with a 500 sq/ft garage, $14,000......and one framer tells the builder I won't charge for the garage, and the other says dried in space...same rate. Which crew is the builder going to hire? Of course it is silly to give anything away, but that is business here, and a common practice.

Maybe that is why I don't do custom homes, we frame on dry in, and commercial always prices this way.

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boman47k

What does the 12,000 take care of?

joasis

Framing and sheeting, including roof sheeting, exterior windows and doors, soffits, and exterior trim (ready for bricks) and sometimes sided, depending on the deal.

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thom

Like I said earlier, $4 in Albuquerque. That's $4 psf of heated space. I've been using the same framer for years. I call him up and tell him to go to work. If there are issues that cost him extra time we negotiate it. I'm pretty flexible. I've done all the trades myself, I'm licensed in them all. I know what is or is not extra work, and I'm willing to pay for the extra work.

Mike Finley

Wondering why no framers would charge by getting their base charges off linear foot? Then if using trusses, by the truss. Seems like it would be way more accurate.

thom

You haven't done much framing. Length of walls isn't much of an issue. It's all the detail stuff that takes time. Framing time on roofs has a lot more to do with the complexity of the design than the square footage.

pwrpapa

I've got as much as 15 psf.
My base price starts at 6 psf.
When I was framing Taco Bells I was getting $25,000 for a 2800 sf. building.
You guys are busting your butts for chump change.
Good luck to ya when you get old an your body is wore out.
Why do ya want to give your services away for pennies?
Don't give me the excuse that's all the market will bare.
Why are framers affaid to ask for a livable wage?

joasis

I bed to differ...if you can get $12 a sq/ft...great. If the framers are charging around $4 - $6 here, and I quote $12...lets see.....I won't be worried about old age....I would be dead from starvation first.

We keep beating this horse in one thread or another, but market is the most important factor in price. I can frame a single story house with a ranch style roof at $4 and make great money in this area.

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thom

And since I hire framers to do my framing, I think I'm going to keep with the $4. That $12 guy can keep on truckin down the road.

joasis

This is academic for me anyway, since I have the crews and rarely do we frame for anyone else...I can't even get started on my next spec homes since we are covered up...and I really don't think we can hire good crews now anyway that aren't booked 6 months out.

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Larry_PCA

$5.00 to $7.00 or there abouts in central NJ, depending on the job. Near or below $5.00 and your getting the "B" crew. The "B" crew may be OK as long as your keeping an eye on them.

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