I have picked up a couple of remodels that will keep me out of the poor house thankfully! My bread and butter over the past 4 years has been commercial buildings but that has all but dried up. My main builder has gone to steel saying it is cheaper. The guys he is using are providing materials and labor (drywall included!) and from some of the numbers he showed me, I cant imagine how they even buy the material! They appear to move a bit slower than our wood frames as well. Anybody else getting eaten alive by steel? I had thought about giving it a try myself but no way I can touch their numbers
How is the market where you are??
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Joined
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3,938 Posts
I know what you mean about the bids. It's not just w/ steel it's everything. I'll throw out a "just put food on the table" bid and someone will still beat it by like 25%. I have no idea how they do it! It sucks. MI sucks. Sick of hearing about freinds loosing jobs and what not. Hard to point the finger too. I think it started when some government official decided it would be a good idea to borrow $$ from China. Then it was all down hill. NAFTA doesnt help...
Joined
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2,603 Posts
All American tradesman
I’m doing pretty well here in NJ
I did 8 estimates this week and signed two contracts so far, not bad 3 weeks before xmas
I’m starting to see an all American tradesman trend
It seems homeowners don’t want illegal immigrants working on their homes
My business profile and refusals are really paying off, and the market is dead.
Can’t wait to see how busy I get when the market picks up
I’m doing pretty well here in NJ
I did 8 estimates this week and signed two contracts so far, not bad 3 weeks before xmas
I’m starting to see an all American tradesman trend
It seems homeowners don’t want illegal immigrants working on their homes
My business profile and refusals are really paying off, and the market is dead.
Can’t wait to see how busy I get when the market picks up
Joined
·
104 Posts
Steel Structure's aren't popular here... yet!
I was under the impression that Steel is still quite expensive! Go figure, huh?
Work around here is still pretty bad. Luckily, i've learned to diversify. Been doing a lot of Finish Carpentry on kitchen remodels to try to keep busy. Patio's and Deck's are a big hit around here as well! Seems that existing home-owner's can still afford these smaller projects.
Until "Short Sale's" slow down, nobody will actually know what real estate prices should be. Therefore, the banks WILL NOT be lending until we bottom-out...
Maybe thing's will start to pick up towards the end of the year?
:whistling
I was under the impression that Steel is still quite expensive! Go figure, huh?
Work around here is still pretty bad. Luckily, i've learned to diversify. Been doing a lot of Finish Carpentry on kitchen remodels to try to keep busy. Patio's and Deck's are a big hit around here as well! Seems that existing home-owner's can still afford these smaller projects.
Until "Short Sale's" slow down, nobody will actually know what real estate prices should be. Therefore, the banks WILL NOT be lending until we bottom-out...
Maybe thing's will start to pick up towards the end of the year?
:whistling
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