Advice on demolition work - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Dmax Consulting · 09-11-2008, 07:36 PM

I have just bid on doing some demolition work. This is a government contract and it seems that we are going to get it. I have never done this before so I would be open to any advice you guys have in this type of work.

Here is what the job entails:

We have 40 student housing/ apartment style buildings. They are only 2 stories and have regular a-frame roofs with a minor pitch (approx. 30-40 degrees). The buildings are all brick.

For whatever reason, the city wants the roofs removed separately from the rest of the buildings. All of the waste needs to be put into dumpsters and removed from the site. This is my job. I am considering renting an escavator with a thumb to get the big stuff off the roof and put into the dumpsters and using my crews to take the rest of the stuff off the roofs by hand with tools.

This seems pretty straight forward, but I would like to get others' thoughts and advice.

Thanks.

Daniel

**joasis** · 09-12-2008, 07:03 AM

More information needed....I would guess the city wants the shingles or roofing material removed, not the entire roof system....if that was the case, hire a tear-off crew to strip the roofs like they were going to re-roof them....after that material is gone, then by all means, excavator and thumb with a good operator.

Just how did you bid this with no experience?

XanadooLTD · 09-12-2008, 07:59 AM

[quote=joasis;493763]More information needed....I would guess the city wants the shingles or roofing material removed, not the entire roof system....if that was the case, hire a tear-off crew to strip the roofs like they were going to re-roof them....after that material is gone, then by all means, excavator and thumb with a good operator.

Just how did you bid this with no experience?[/quote]

I second that question!

nitrox2595 · 09-22-2008, 07:25 PM

Let us know what happens, when its over. I wouldn't even touch this job

Dmax Consulting · 10-06-2008, 03:36 PM

Haha. Wow. My confidence is at an all-time low with yalls responses. I took one of my crew leaders who has demo experience to help me look at the job and put together what my cost are going to be (labor, machine rental, fuel, machine operater, dumpsters, etc.) Then I took all of the expense numbers and added $50k to be safe. The GC said I was about $10k higher than the highest bid, so I took 10k off. The guys that are doing the bidding said that it has come down to our bid and one other contractor. I may have a story for yall. Hope it has a happy ending. f**k it, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

JumboJack · 10-06-2008, 03:58 PM

Who in their right mind would hire a painting contractor to do demo of this size?

woodworkbykirk · 10-06-2008, 04:10 PM

just go with my demo modo, "lets make a hole where the everything is"

daystoshort · 10-06-2008, 04:48 PM

do you have to seperate the wood from the brick or can it go in as all demo.the reason the roof needs to come off is becouse of the shingels,doing demo over the past 10 or so years has gotten to be a paine in the a## becouse of all the new regs.it use to be knocker down and hauler off it all went to the same place.

grizl · 10-06-2008, 07:54 PM

Forty buildings. wow. I would get a forklift. start cutting the roofs free, into large sections. wrap chains around the sections. Place in dumpster, compact with forklift, cut-up as needed. Oh, wait two stories. You might be able to extract portions with a forklift.
Get cutting. rent a crane and a forklift and or bobcat to help move the debris around.
yeah big job, sounds like fun. (with the right tools.)

Leelee · 10-09-2008, 11:19 AM

I am new to the industry. I have been asked to submit a proposal on a job. My question is will it be better to submit the price at per load or per hour.

nitrox2595 · 10-09-2008, 06:24 PM

a forklift?????????Why not use a garden tractor, chain saw, hand truck, 5 gallon pails. You could eliminate all that pesky equipment! Jesus.

Deadhead Derek · 12-10-2008, 02:38 AM

uh, wow. I struggle to find work to do, and then I read this. All I can ad to the comments is this... DEQ reg re: asbestos testing of all demolition materials prior to removal by a certified testing facility. Good luck with that.

Glasshousebltr · 12-10-2008, 05:37 AM

Dmax ......if you don't have the vocabulary to properly identify a product .....chances are you don't own the knowledge to construct such a product ......that being said .....why in the hell would you lay your head on that chopping block? ........do you really have any idea what the Gov will do to you if that blows up in your face? ........They'll prosecute.

Glasshousebltr · 12-10-2008, 05:39 AM

I'd say there's pretty good odds that might be a ...'when that blows up in your face' ...as well.

Burby · 12-10-2008, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmax Consulting

I have just bid on doing some demolition work. This is a government contract and it seems that we are going to get it. I have never done this before so I would be open to any advice you guys have in this type of work.

Here is what the job entails:

We have 40 student housing/ apartment style buildings. They are only 2 stories and have regular a-frame roofs with a minor pitch (approx. 30-40 degrees). The buildings are all brick.

For whatever reason, the city wants the roofs removed separately from the rest of the buildings. All of the waste needs to be put into dumpsters and removed from the site. This is my job. I am considering renting an escavator with a thumb to get the big stuff off the roof and put into the dumpsters and using my crews to take the rest of the stuff off the roofs by hand with tools.

This seems pretty straight forward, but I would like to get others' thoughts and advice.

Thanks.

Daniel

Regardless how you got this job, if indeed you get it, document, document, document and document more, from the time to get handed the contract until you get the final check. Document everything from the weather each day, (as should anyhow on any job, I think) to phone calls with your Ins agent to make sure your Lia Ins is high enough to cover the public walking by 50 miles away that will complain the dust you disturbed has caused them pulmonary problems. Local or federal government jobs documentation is your #1 tool. To protect your company & you as well as for back charges. Read the specs you have & will receive along with the contract & know the definitions of what you read, don't assume you do.
You state considering renting an escavator with a thumb to get the big stuff off the roof. Yet you have submited the bid and believe you will recieve the contract. If bid has been submitted, is there money for now considering this as well as the added lia ins cost & cost for property damage when using equipment as this? I don't mean if you hit something, just typical ground disruption the tracks cause & typically need to be raked out and or if sod is damaged beyond what specs allow, replacement.

In my career I worked for the Fed Gov once, could have had more jobs, but this was not for me. I remodeled 90 units, (housing, 80 non-commisioned & 10 officers housing) as well built the addition on the Power plant @ the Naval shipyard. By the 2nd week into the project realized survival was about hiring additional secrataries with Gov experience & added cost of offices & bills that go along with running them, then begin reviewing their specs, working conditions, & back charging, back charging, & some more back charging...
Building is so simple if it is your career, building for local or fed Government is not about building, it is about satisfying 20 bosses that have nothing better to do than write, inspect, question, and waste time!!
20 bosses is under estimated but offers an example of what you will get to enjoy.
They do pay now, pay well, more in back charges in most cases, but it has to be something one wants to get into and jsut wasn;t for me.

My happiest day was not collecting the checks, it was putting an end to all the additional overhead & taking a long needed vacation..
If the daily temp only would allow us to lay block or brick from 11 to 1:30 had to have the brick or block guys there for that time, some of the dumbest chit I ever seen in construction and never want to see or be a part of I should say again.. But I do know why something as simple as a garage can cost $30,000.00 for a H/O and cost $240,000.00 fo state or fed...
Maybe you won;t run into all this or feel as I do, but if you get the job, please let us know how it ends up.
Good luck & best wishes

SC sawdaddy · 12-17-2008, 07:06 PM

I agree with Burby. I worked on a federal prison job last year that was a real pain in the butt. Sign in and tool check off list took a couple of hours every day to go through. Government jobs are not what they're cracked up to be.

Rockwood · 01-01-2009, 10:36 PM

I second that the last govt job I did was scrutinized by everyone including the employees in the building. I usually work in the evenings or on the weekend to avoid the busy bodies.

mics_54 · 01-02-2009, 01:20 PM

Quote:

The GC said I was about $10k higher than the highest bid, so I took 10k off.

COLLUSION, CONFLICT of INTEREST I bet the rest of the bidders would love to hear about this. I smell law suits.

rustyjames · 01-02-2009, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mics_54

COLLUSION, CONFLICT of INTEREST I bet the rest of the bidders would love to hear about this. I smell law suits.

Especially if one of those bidders happened to stumble upon this thread...