Hi yall. Nice Forum. People are always asking me for quotes on this that and the other. Still have not found my niche. How long to build frame, sheathe and roof a 12x16 shed, on skids? What is a good hourly rate for carpentry work?...What is a good rate for chain link fence? What is a good rate for painting? Whats a fair price for siding (per square?) All comments welcome and appreciated.
How long to build a shed? and other questions
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Whoa there Nelly!
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What's a good rate to charge for telling some one a good rate.
Bob
Bob
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:Thumbs: :Thumbs: :Thumbs:
C'mon Bob, you know you are less than a hour from me, when we gonna hook up for happy hour?
If you're on the wagon, I know a honey that mixes a mean kiddy cocktail.
1. The shed you describe should take about 1 hour, that is if you're using the Extreme Makeover team.Sophomore said:
2. $5.23/hour for building sawhorses.
3. What is a good rate for chain link fence? $100/foot. You meant a "good rate" for doing the fence NOT a "good rate" to actually get customers, right?
4. What is a good rate for painting? $5.00 for 5" x 7" paint by number pictures and $10.00 for 8" x 10".
5. Fair? per square? Oh, let's say $50??? Again, as in #3, $50 sounds fair to me...
But seriously, Sophomore, you're going to have to ask way more specific questions then you did. The way and the kind of questions you asked appear to be from someone on a fishing trip for information.
This is the dryest fishin hole I ever did see...
A friend of mine asked me to install about 100' of chain link fence. I told him that I normally charge about $16 per foot for wooden fence (materials and labor), and that I had never done a chain link fence before. I told him that the labor part came out to be about $10 per LF.
I told him that since he was my friend, I would charge him only $7 per LF, if he would supply materials. When I was ready to put the fabric on, we went to Lowe's to purchase the fabric. Right there next to the price sign for the fence fabric, was the price sign for installation - 3.50 per foot.
Somebody, that day, looked like a crook.
I am getting a lot of leads for this that and the other, and most of them seem to be lost because fo high price. Am I too greedy?
I am fishing, for information which will indirectly help to put food on my table. Let me relate one experience:DecksEtc said:
A friend of mine asked me to install about 100' of chain link fence. I told him that I normally charge about $16 per foot for wooden fence (materials and labor), and that I had never done a chain link fence before. I told him that the labor part came out to be about $10 per LF.
I told him that since he was my friend, I would charge him only $7 per LF, if he would supply materials. When I was ready to put the fabric on, we went to Lowe's to purchase the fabric. Right there next to the price sign for the fence fabric, was the price sign for installation - 3.50 per foot.
Somebody, that day, looked like a crook.
I am getting a lot of leads for this that and the other, and most of them seem to be lost because fo high price. Am I too greedy?
Sophomore, the point I was trying to make (and the point Mike & Bob were more subtle about) was that your questions were much too general to get any meaningful advice from those here. Your profile nor your post do not state where you are from, what your business is or what your years and type of experience is.
If you look over some of the old posts on subjects such as this you will see that it is difficult for contractors in one area to provide prices/rates to other contractors. For example, for a 5' high PT board-on-board fence with 1' of lattice on the top, I charge $25/foot - but then I am in Canada and materials costs/exchange rate make for a different pricing format for me.
In your example of the chain-link fence you don't clarify if your costs included setting the posts in cement or if the Lowes installation price included the posts in cement. Your friend would need to find out all that is included with the Lowes installation as opposed to what you would provide for installation. There is a lot more to just base price for your services - what you bring to the table as far as workmanship goes a long way towards what your charging rates will be.
If you look over some of the old posts on subjects such as this you will see that it is difficult for contractors in one area to provide prices/rates to other contractors. For example, for a 5' high PT board-on-board fence with 1' of lattice on the top, I charge $25/foot - but then I am in Canada and materials costs/exchange rate make for a different pricing format for me.
In your example of the chain-link fence you don't clarify if your costs included setting the posts in cement or if the Lowes installation price included the posts in cement. Your friend would need to find out all that is included with the Lowes installation as opposed to what you would provide for installation. There is a lot more to just base price for your services - what you bring to the table as far as workmanship goes a long way towards what your charging rates will be.
Indirectly?Sophomore said:
A crook? No, I'd say somebody looked like an idiot that didn't do his homework before agreeing to pay more than 100% too much.Sophomore said:
Why would you agree to make less money for a friend? The flip side of that is he should agree to pay you more since you're a friend. If you want to make less for friends, charge them the going rate and then treat them to dinner. Both of you win that way.
Don't rely on info from anonymous people, in places unknown, for information that is so critical to your livelihood. It's one thing to ask "what kind of saw do you hasve?" but only you can decide what you have to charge to earn a profit. Do some more LOCAL investigative work if you want to know what kind of pricing your target market might bear. Get back in your car and go back to Lowes, go in Home Depot, call up other contractors and get some estimates. Figure out your real costs and see what you need to charge to make it work.
IMO, $3.50 / ft is insane. The sign is broken or something - that's only $700 for a 200 foot fence.
Before I built my 300' x 6-1/2' PT board on board fence I got estimates that ran in the $25 - $30 / ft range (in 1996). Standard chain link was $9 - $12 / ft. Good luck.
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LOL Pro.ProWallGuy said:
Ah....Can ask what she looks like? Or is that like warning the Titanic?:cheesygri
Bob
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Thay's exactly what happens to ol'#2. No wonder I like beer!
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I guess you looked like a crook if everybody in the world thinks that whatever price Lowe's charges for something is suddenly the market price and anything higher or lower must be justified. I don't see where Lowe's should be regarded as the official setter of all standards and practices in this industry. I look to Lowes to be good at selling shovels and giving out really bad advice to DIYers on a consistant basis. I don't look at them to set my prices. I have insurance bills, truck payments, material costs and overhead to do that for me.Sophomore said:
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What part of Va Sophomore?
Bob
Bob
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If you're friend's worried about Lowes prices, ask him if he would get a vasectomy done at Walmart's if they opened a medical office there.
Tim
Tim
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Like rats off a sinking boat.
Bob
Bob
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My next move is south, much warmer there. My bro left today to check out his new hotel in Costa Rica. Maybe I follow soon, rent a permenant room.
Be careful there Pipe.
Our healthcare system may have some flaws but at least everyone can see a doctor without having to pay with their life savings. Also, Q. Who has been coming north all winter long to get flu shots because they didn't have enough in their own country? A. Americans, that's who.
And Canadian women are just fine, thank you very much - actually the woman in your second picture is my next door neighbour! LOL
Our healthcare system may have some flaws but at least everyone can see a doctor without having to pay with their life savings. Also, Q. Who has been coming north all winter long to get flu shots because they didn't have enough in their own country? A. Americans, that's who.
And Canadian women are just fine, thank you very much - actually the woman in your second picture is my next door neighbour! LOL
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