Deck Work Cost Or Framing Cost ?

hrscammisa

I just moved to Elko NV from northern Calif a year ago my question is I had a call from a contractor about a bid on a deck it was 32 ft long by 22ft two story .Footings have to be 2ft x2ftx3ft deep done in red wd railings and stairs he was pushing me for a price right then ball park . off the top I said well I just did a small one 10x15 and it was 1500.00 just for labor I could hear a pin drop he said thats ten bucks a ft well I only pay 5.00 afoot for framing how dose deck work compair to framing ?were your at . To me deck work is a art

Susan Betz

Your choice is to ignore him or explain your craft. If you're good at sales, it might be worth your while to explain. My husband would take the time. I wouldn't. I can tolerate homeowners being naive about what goes into what we do, but not other contractors.

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Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
http://www.fencesofdistinction.com

hrscammisa

Well I think it cuts into there money. They want the bucks but dont want to do the work or some times there guys dont know how.Now I charge even more in my area it is small so as it grows the money is coming last year at this time houses were going for 95.00 a ft now we are building at 150.00 a ft but they want to still pay the subs the same as last year its hard to get them all on the same page and raise there bids

RobertCDF

For a GC my pricing is a little lower as well as if I sub from someone. It is much less of a PITA for me to work for a GC or sub from another deck builder. If I dont have to deal with material, customers, advertising to get the customer, permits, etc, etc... I will drop some money off the price for sure.

That being said I wont go below my pricing just because someone else will do it cheaper or what not. I do HIGH quality work that you cant get just anywhere. If they dont want to pay for it someone else will.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

hrscammisa

I think thats one of my problems out here it is just starting to pop so there realy not any high end decks out here but that is all i do is customs so i think the bid realy throws them off but the ones i do for H.O they just love them but you think 10.00 aft is high for the G.C

RobertCDF

Kind of depends... If the deck is a 6'x6' piece of crap that need to be there just to get in the front door of a low priced home. Then the GC is going to be looking for a cheap deck. Now if it is like the one I just bid for a GC and is 62' wide and 3 levels and roughly 12' span... Then it needs to be done by a pro and not just a cheap deck builder. While a framer can throw it together and the clients will have a deck... If I build it the clients will love thier deck.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

Same Old

My father called decks "finish framing"

hrscammisa

I feel the same way it is finish framing not for hacks or the week at heart takes time and exp and they need to pay for that

hrscammisa

Heres a new one Im starting when weather breaks 50 ft long 8 ft wide about 8 ft off the ground . I will have to tear off the one thats there hall it off and build new one materails are 1600.00 gave a bib of 4.000.00 just for labor I will tear off one day post beam and joist the next day lay my decking the next hand rails the next so four days at first they needed to talk about it may be try and save the old one all the beams were bad and post too time in shoring it up to replace under penning would cost them more

RobertCDF

Wow... thats a very little amount of money for that project... but I think that has to do with the fact that the materials are so cheap!

Maybe I have been doing composite crap too much to relize how cheap the other stuff is???

The labor sounds about what I would charge but it would cost a little more to haul off the old one. 2 days worth of pay + 30YD roll off.

__________________
Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

hrscammisa

I kinda took this one to get my foot in the door but I agree with a little low on that one. Come to find yester day when we met to sing contract Her son has a 3000 sq ft basement he would like me to finish and then she also has a 1200 ft basement and then I found out they have been here for 65 70 years so they know a lot of people Im new here and just getting started second summer here so hopefully it will help get my name out there you know how that gos may get a lot more or may be O

Forry

We run around $24/ft for high end cedar decks.... handrail and stained... indeed precision work and built for longevity. Don't like composite. $10/ft? no way wouldn't touch it.

hrscammisa

Is that labor and materails also. Out here they like to save money so I have been doing a lot out of doug fir and then using a new product that is a deck and siding stane but it is latex base so I can have it tinted to match any color works like a sealer last for 7 years great stuff the H.O loves it they dont have to do any work come spring we get a lot snow here and it can be hard on the wood

RobertCDF

If your getting $24 a sq ft labor only... I am moving up there.

I bet when you figure it down your getting 10-12 sq ft for your labor on those decks. I know this becasue I get $20-22 sq ft for redwood and the materials are $10-11 sq ft.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

Driftwood

Let Him build it for $5 a foot . Stay away from Conts. Develope new

Buss. with home owners. Only ones that want good work and have money. Good luck

Driftwood

Sent you a private message !

hrscammisa

Driftwood could resend that for me thanks or you can get me at hrscammisa@hotmail.com

John Hyatt

One little thing, when framing a house the foundation/slab is already there unless its post and beam like we did in Oregon and even then the stem wall is up with provided knock outs for the beams.

Not so building a deck. John

hrscammisa

I agree with that the footings here are 2x2x3ft deep I dont care what size it is I'm doing that is code with #4 rebar mats at the bottom and 4 #4 2" down from the top alot of work right

Forry

$24/ft for the entire package.... thats what I meant.