No I am not asking specifically how to price something :no:
My problem is I have been using a very good tile installer for just over a year. He started out charging $5/sf for porcelain tile run straight with extra charges for things such as seats in the shower, shampoo boxes or special accents.
So he does good work and you like his price, no problem.
It seems that each job he adds a little bit extra for other items (it is like a slow, never-ending bait and switch) such as backer board, bullnose, shower curb, etc. Today was the final straw when he called and said he needed thinset since the HO had not provided any and he would have to leave if I didn't get it over soon.
Are you suggesting he not use the backer board, bullnose etc, or that he was providing it before for no cost, and now he is charging for it.
I am still trying to pickup the pieces of my head after I blew my stack. I have no problem paying for good quality work but this seems a bit excessive. I have never had a tile installer request that we provide thinset. To me this would be like a trim installer request that I buy him nails.
If you had a contract, this would have been addressed before the job started. The guy is training you to be his gofer, slowly and surely.
For you tile guys, how do you typically charge (not specific prices) for showers/tubs. Do you itemize each thing such as sf of tile, lf of accents, lf of bullnose, sf of backer, etc? Or are some of these items included in your base price?
No I am not asking specifically how to price something :no:
My problem is I have been using a very good tile installer for just over a year. He started out charging $5/sf for porcelain tile run straight with extra charges for things such as seats in the shower, shampoo boxes or special accents.
It seems that each job he adds a little bit extra for other items (it is like a slow, never-ending bait and switch) such as backer board, bullnose, shower curb, etc. Today was the final straw when he called and said he needed thinset since the HO had not provided any and he would have to leave if I didn't get it over soon.
I am still trying to pickup the pieces of my head after I blew my stack. I have no problem paying for good quality work but this seems a bit excessive. I have never had a tile installer request that we provide thinset. To me this would be like a trim installer request that I buy him nails.
For you tile guys, how do you typically charge (not specific prices) for showers/tubs. Do you itemize each thing such as sf of tile, lf of accents, lf of bullnose, sf of backer, etc? Or are some of these items included in your base price?
At $5 a ft2 he should be supplying the thinset, if it was not included, it should have been clear from the beginning.
Get another tile guy.
^^ Not saying it is the case with you IHI, but...so many times this is the result of a GC going with a low bidder. You guys want a sub who knows what they are doing, is prepared for damned near anything, doesn't need to borrow tools etc..but don't want to pay for it. Just my experience.
Hell, I have more tools on my flooring truck than most GCs own. When I bid a shower I look at structure, water proofing, plumbing issues, design work, etc... but I'm often looked at like a three headed alien when my price is read, because, ya know, Jose does walls for like $4/ft. Then the same guys is at the local watering hole bitching because Jose needs to borrow a genny and a wetsaw :whistling
I do agree with the above as far as specing a job though. I spec everything and my price is one number, all inclusive..homie just selects a grout color from my chipset.
He gave me his price when we originally started working together and it seems that each job thereafter there has been one more small addition to that price. This is my main complaint since we normally can not have every sub come out to every job we are bidding.
Welp, after all this it boils down to ultimately being YOUR problem and not his problem. Your shooting a price for a sub without him seeing it....ya know how there's jobs YOU dont want and you bid accordingly, guess what...so does everybody else. So here's a quick lesson since you have'nt learned it yet...IF you plan on bidding for other trades, you dang sure better have plenty of mark up built in.....esspecially when your not having them look at the job.
How long have you been doing this?
Are you licsenced at all in your area? I did'nt find anything stating you were so wondering how your able to do work anyhow?
Two sides of the story, just glad i found out you are a hack trying to play your bleeding heart card for being a tool and not having an idea how to sell or run a job.
It is obvious you do not have ANY f-ing clue about the situation nor mine. I have nearly 25 years in this business and we are certainly licensed to work as we permit everything we do.
I have standard prices from ALL of our subs and anything out of the ordinary is priced before it is bid on our part. The showers in question are not anything out of the ordinary. 12" tile run on straight with a simple accent stripe surrounded by a pencil border. The last 3-4 showers have been nearly identical.
IF you bothered to read the entire post you might have gathered that for each of the STANDARD showers of late, the tile subcontractor has added something else on to his pricing although we have not changed the overall installation. This was the problem not that I am ad-hoc pricing things for my subs you idiot. Here's a lesson for you: Next time you want to call someone a hack and a tool at least gather the facts first.
IF you bothered to read the entire post you might have gathered that for each of the STANDARD showers of late, the tile subcontractor has added something else on to his pricing although we have not changed the overall installation. This was the problem not that I am ad-hoc pricing things for my subs you idiot. Here's a lesson for you: Next time you want to call someone a hack and a tool at least gather the facts first.
Why? Because where you are, rates are so depressed that $5/ft without materials sounds like a rip off in your opinion? How does an hvac guy know what a tile guy is supposed to charge, exactly??
Not picking at you but, before making a statement like that you have to know what you are comparing things to :thumbsup:
To the op...sounds like you need a contract first and foremost. It never ceases to amaze me how many jobs in the "contracting" industry fail to actually have a contract. That is the whole point of one in the first place...so everyone knows who is responsible for what, at what cost.:whistling
I am a licensed General Contractor as well as a licensed HVAC Contractor, I have hired enough tile intsallers as well as set enough tile to know what I am talking about.
The OP said the guy started adding costs to the job and wanting him to supply other materials like thinset, obviouly the tile setter originally was supplying the thinset, then started wantingit to be provided for him.