"Sorry, That's Too Much For My Budget."

jrschultz

I quoted a lady $1.25 per foot to tear off a 1348 square foot roof 3 layers deep, 2 stories high, and it's a 12 pitch to boot. The only saving grace was that she was going to have a dumpster there. I thought it was a good price at $1685. She said, "I'm sorry but that's too much for my budget." Was my price out of line?

JonM

Maybe she is just broke.

MJW

Jeezus! What's wrong with you guys??!!

How can anyone operate a legitimate business make a few hundred dollars a day. Get a life!

jrschultz

How? By living simply. I can pay all of my bills by putting $550 dollars a week in my pocket. Would I like to make more...sure, but I don't need to. At $1685 I'd put 30% away for taxes, pay myself $550 and still put $629 in savings. Funny that everyone here thinks I way under bid it, and the lady thinks I way over bid it. Maybe she'll realize after a few more bids that I gave her a nice deal.

JumboJack

What do you use to pay your overhead?

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

Warren

only overhead for this guy is probably the roof.

jrschultz

No overhead at the moment. No debt. My wife and I split all bills. Only added expense i have at the moment is extra insurance for liability which is factored in. Wouldn't have to buy any extra tools for this job. I keep my life simple so I don't have to bust my butt every waking moment of my life to pay bills.

HusqyPro

Smart guy.

There are nice things about owning a job versus owning a company. You just highlighted a bunch of them.

Of course there are also benefits to owning a company with employees and such.

Find what works for you and run with it brother.

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Bob's Lawn & Landscape
When You Want The Best
Serving the LC Valley & Moscow-Pullman

jrschultz

Thanx!

MJW

What about insurance? What about a license? How about, what if your compressor breaks down? Do you just quit the job until you raised enough weekend cash to buy another one?

You sir, are whats wrong with business.

JumboJack

You do tear off's like that all by yourself?Man that would kill me.No way no how I could do that alone.

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

MJW

Beer money = motivation to do hack work.

I thought this was a contractor talk forum?

HusqyPro

He said he has liability insurance. Don't know abut a license, he hasn't said yet.

If his compressor breaks down he'll likely do what all of us one man shows do. Buy another one and keep on trucking. Either withdraw cash from the bank, write a check, or put it on the credit card. Worse comes to worse rent one. How do larger than one man shows do it? Do larger operations not have bank accounts, credit accounts, and rental accounts?

There's nothing wrong with being a one man, licensed, insured operator that works out of his house. If you're competing for jobs in the one man with a truck market and you're a big company then set your sights a little higher.

A one man operator will only get small jobs that don't have a time constraint.

Long as he runs an honest business, covers his nut, and follows the law there is absolutely nothing wrong with what he's doing.

Live and let live brother. Peace and love.

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Bob's Lawn & Landscape
When You Want The Best
Serving the LC Valley & Moscow-Pullman

MJW

My father was a one man show for 15 years, now we are a two man show for the last 20. No way we would do a job like that. It's people like this who ruin the business.

The Mexi's are down to $40/ square now. They can live on $1,000 for the year probably, so they don't give a ***** who's throat they cut. Doesn't that bother you?

Would you sell something you own for half it's value just because "that's all you need right now"?


As for the original complaint..........I hear you brother, but in order to be taken seriously, you need to be serious in the market. What did the person expect to pay? I mean, seriously..... $1600 isn't exactly alot of money these days to get a professional to your house to do anything.

Mike Finley

That's $24,000 a year income. That's roughly the same as an $11.00 an hour full time job.

You're making $11.00 an hour as a self-employed business owner?

The national average for an employee in the construction field in 2008 was $21.00 an hour.

JumboJack

Not to mention risking his neck on a 12/12 roof.

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

PA woodbutcher

a 12/12 2 story How much did you tell her to install the shingles if you don't mind me asking

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jrschultz

This thread is so funny to me. You guys are making a lot out of nothing. I originally posted this because I thought it was funny that this lady thought my bid was too expensive. This lady had a low budget. I knew that. I wanted to throw her a bone. I din't know she had that low of a budget. I usually do siding, soffit, and fascia. My siding friend and I have some good money jobs coming up. I don't usually do roofing, so I posted this thread to get some funny feedback. Well, I got it. You guys can continue to flame and wonder how I run my business...Blah blah blah. I'll sit back and read the funny replies.

kubie

21/hr? not around here.







and i dont think that was a bad price for a 12/12 3 layer tear off.





did you have to remove the debris too?

oldfrt

How long did it take to get the job done?
How many people?

In my younger day I could do it by myself in two days.
Pretty good money _$850/day

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