Help With Estimate

MEL

I am bidding on an insulation job for an apartment complex.

I’m a roofing contractor with a little experience at insulation.

The estimate is for blowing in 14 inches of fiberglass, I think I will need around 2000 bags.

What kind of a price break do you think I can get for that quantity?

How would I go about getting the material delivered and stored at the job site?

__________________
MEL

joasis

We buy 30 lb. bags of cellulose by the semi load, or 1100 bags at a time. On a job that large, you would have the trailer dropped on site. 14 inches of cellulose would run .75 to .95 per sq/ft., depending on your material cost and availability in your area.

What are other insulators charging in your area?

__________________

MEL

Here’s my problem.

I’ve only done about a dozen homeowner jobs and on every job we had several bags left over.

When I used the manufacturer’s coverage chart to estimate how many bags I would need it came out about 20-40% more than what I actually used to get the job done.

So if I use their coverage claims to do the estimate my prices are going to be too high, especially since this is for an apartment complex.

__________________
MEL

MEL

Home Depot recently under bid me by a few hundred dollars.

It was for a 1300 sqft job with 12” of blown in fiberglass. The job needed about 45 baffles installed in a tight attic, about 4/12 pitch.

Home Depot was offering 10% off. According to the homeowner Home Depot charged him around $1100. Their price came out to about .85 per sqft and that included the baffles. He was one of my roofing customers and he went with Home Depot over me.

That’s why I think I must be over estimating my cost of labor and material.

__________________
MEL

MEL

Is that material cost or what contractors are charging for labor and materials?

__________________
MEL

joasis

Total, materials and labor.

__________________

MEL

My competitor quoted a price that is around .60 per sqft for 10” of cellulose and that includes baffles between each truss and building a plywood box around each access hole.

This is for an apartment complex. If you were me what would you do?

My bid is due Monday.

__________________
MEL