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i was curious if any of you have a formula for figuring out the cost of floating out a lid that is textured and making it smooth? i usually estimate the hours on it then charge a rate of 30$ per hour plus materials and i also include the dirve time in my estimate. i would rather charge a per square foot amount even though i make a killing on the hour estimates that i have done and i usually come out making more than 30 per hour. i am begining the process of getting my general contrators license and want to be compentative out there but not overboard with my bids as i branch out into commercial jobs and not the remodel types that i do right now.

also:
i have started screwing off the lids prior to me floating them out because i am worried that at the time they were originally hung they may have only been nailed down with nails instead of screws and the extra weight of the mud i intend to put on may cause the sheets to sag. has anyone ran into the extra weight of all the mud sagging the sheets later on after you have finished with the job?

 

[housedocs]

i have started screwing off the lids prior to me floating them out because i am worried that at the time they were originally hung they may have only been nailed down with nails instead of screws and the extra weight of the mud i intend to put on may cause the sheets to sag.

We always rescrew a lid before skimming it for exactly the reasons you've stated. As far as bidding by the s/f vs hrly, depends on the size of the job. For something small, we go hryly, $25 an hr is about all I can bid in this area and expect to be in the running, for a large job like a whole house, then we'd go on a s/f rate, I usually bid them between .25¢ to 30¢ Of course what you can charge has alot to do with where you're located and what the local average is.

Personally I'm moving in the opposite direction than you are. We used to do alot of commercial work, but now concentrate on remodels, better money in it and less competition from the low-balling big outfits.

 

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response

I was thinking that maybe I should only do remodels when I get my license since I do make a lot more money just doing it on the side. I found that people are willing to pay anything for you to do it right and ASAP so they can go on with their lives, Maybe I will just stick with the hourly, it seems to be paying off anyhow, I just worry sometimes about overbidding the job, which most of the time I do, the extra money is nice though.