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  1. #5576
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Tahoe-ish
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    3,141
    I'm sure the Taco is up to the task. Maybe borrow a Ridgeline or Baja from a friend for superior towing capacity.

    Maybe you can get a bunch of M80 firecrackers and blast the new opening. There are also carbide chains for chainsaws so you can get your Texas Chainsaw Massacre on.

    I also like the flowing concrete down sculpted dirt steps idea.

    $40k is prob high but def not insane for doing it right.

    $3500 to frame a 20x8 deck is also not insane. That's 3 days of work for a carp and helper (assuming it's a real contractor with WC etc). What do you think it should cost?
    ride bikes, climb, ski, travel, cook, work to fund former, repeat.

  2. #5577
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    10,905
    Quote Originally Posted by tgapp View Post
    just got a bid for $40k to turn a (very large) basement window into a walkout door. any thoughts here? i've had such a hard time getting bids (which after reading this thread I totally understand why that is) - can i get a temperature check on that? ie - "40k, that's the steal of a lifetime!" or - "run away, that's insane"

    job would involve ~6-8 concrete steps, a little bit of excavation (the window well is already super oversized), a landing area with sump pump, cutting the window bigger, and putting a door in there
    I’ll do it for $39k


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  3. #5578
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    your vacation
    Posts
    4,718
    Quote Originally Posted by climberevan View Post
    I

    $3500 to frame a 20x8 deck is also not insane. That's 3 days of work for a carp and helper (assuming it's a real contractor with WC etc). What do you think it should cost?
    I thought that was cheap as hell prolly nail those deck boards down for that price
    15k labor and materials would be my guess

  4. #5579
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    1,235
    Quote Originally Posted by fastfred View Post
    used to close 30% of the jobs I estimated (I don't bid)
    a few years ago I got smarter and don't estimate many jobs anymore
    a majority of the time I'm the only one doing an estimate for a job other times (20%) it's 2-4 people and we are all on the same level of competence usually 2 of them won't estimate or aren't interested
    since I prescreen people pretty well now, I'm usually at a 80-90% close rate
    it's a game and you learn the hard way after many years how to size people up how not to waste time
    usually my referrals and background and long list of happy customers I just get handed jobs these days

    customers all say the same stupid things, if they nail 3 or 4 of the 12 dumb ass lines I'm out the door

    looked at a potential job and the people wanted to start now (this was a year ago, fall 2020) I told them I'm 6-12 months out before starting and it was going to be a 9-12 month job they didn't like what I had to say so they went with another guy I know, I've known him for over 20 years and have alot of respect for the guy, they haven't started yet, probably won't start till spring of 22 and the other contractor and I have talked about teaming up on the job because it's so big and complicated, 15 year old house, massive views, elevator, 8k sq ft, highly visible from most of the ski area, the customer doesn't like the interior so they want to gut it, rebuild and redo, my kind of people

    fyi I have 8 legit employees all on payroll w/c etc, number of subs, manage 3-4 large scale jobs at a time, invoice anywhere from 150k - 200k a month on average
    What are the 12 dumb things people say? Asking for a friend.

  5. #5580
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    base of the Bush
    Posts
    14,871
    Yup


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    www.apriliaforum.com

    "If the road You followed brought you to this,of what use was the road"?

    "I have no idea what I am talking about but would be happy to share my biased opinions as fact on the matter. "
    Ottime

  6. #5581
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    2,848
    Quote Originally Posted by Obstruction View Post
    Big ass arborvitae.

    I think I’d have stuck with a vent. First insulated behind and then blocked with something solid (such as super thin plywood). Then the vent painted in the same color as the siding. Won’t look nice but it will be clean and give the appearance of being necessary.

    Or clean the hole Back to the nearest studs, nail in a piece of exterior plywood or sheathing that is a similar depth as the siding and stucco then paint. Then get tired of the painted patch sticking out like a sore thumb and paint the whole side of the house.
    Are you saying I don’t need the vent? I have a stucco guy making a few repairs on my chimney and I bet I could get him to feather in a repair there. Wouldn’t look perfect, but works at last seal it from the weather.

  7. #5582
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    8,715
    Regional markets vary widely so that has a lot to do with it but I think the $40K and the $3500 sound fair to me. Around here just figure $75/hr. for skilled labor, cost +20% on the materials, and then 20% on top of that for whomever is gonna manage the job. Now if you are gonna want a fixed price agreement, the contractor is gonna tack on some about above actual estimated cost to a. be compensated for the risk of uncertainly and b. because they can.

    With my relationship based long term customers, I am always fair. With Johny come lately homeowner, I could give two shits and tell that to them from the jump. "I'm trying to be expensive, you can probably find somebody to do the job for less. I have a choice about what jobs I take and if I don't do this one, I'll try to do something else."

    Said a different way, we are looking for price insensitive customers. I do plenty of jobs where everyone ends up happy, the check comes quickly and it is very profitable.

  8. #5583
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    your vacation
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    4,718
    Quote Originally Posted by Lvovsky View Post
    What are the 12 dumb things people say? Asking for a friend.
    I can't tell you it's top secrete trade secrets

    I had an hour long weekly phone meeting with a customer yesterday they asked when I was going to invoice them next I said soon I'm busy posting on tgr instead of doing invoices he told me that it may take a couple days to wire me the money this time last time I was paid in two hours of submitting the invoice told him not to worry if it takes a week for me to get paid I will be aok guy was shocked my kind of customers I did say the sooner the better is always better cause I was out of weed and I wrote my prep school a big check so they would put my name on a plaque in the theatre lobby

  9. #5584
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    slc
    Posts
    17,891
    I built a 16x14 deck myself and just the materials cost me $3k...14 years ago.

  10. #5585
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    1,218
    Quote Originally Posted by alias_rice View Post
    Are you saying I don’t need the vent? .
    Only you can answer this question.

    What does it connect to?

  11. #5586
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    Jan 2010
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    your vacation
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    I built a 16x14 deck myself and just the materials cost me $3k...14 years ago.
    so that material is now at least 6k prolly closer to 8k

  12. #5587
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    slc
    Posts
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    Quote Originally Posted by fastfred View Post
    so that material is now at least 6k prolly closer to 8k
    Well, I just re-read SorryBro's post and the $3500 was just for labor so not the bargain that it initially struck me as. Still, assuming a 2-day/2-man job that's ~$200/hr. That's a good bit more than Foggy's $75/hr for skilled labor, but not outrageous in 2021 IMO.

  13. #5588
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    关你屁事
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    9,532
    $75*1.2= $90/hr
    $3500/32= $110/hr
    Within regional variation.

  14. #5589
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    Oct 2003
    Location
    slc
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    Quote Originally Posted by dunfree View Post
    $75*1.2= $90/hr
    $3500/32= $110/hr
    Within regional variation.
    Hah, whoops, math is hard. Yeah, more like $100/hr, totally reasonable.

  15. #5590
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    driven way past the Stop and Shop
    Posts
    3,068
    Quote Originally Posted by alias_rice View Post
    Are you saying I don’t need the vent? I have a stucco guy making a few repairs on my chimney and I bet I could get him to feather in a repair there. Wouldn’t look perfect, but works at last seal it from the weather.
    Couldn’t say but given the lack of duct work or flex tube it doesn’t look like active cold air return to me. But I’m not a hvac guy either.

    Besides I got the impression from your initial post you were all about deleting the vent.

    Where exactly is the hole ? Basement? Between first and second floor? Attic? Only place I have ever seen a vent through an exterior wall with no tin or flex tube attached is in uninhabited attic space.

    Maybe it used to feed your hvac system and a new system was installed and this thing and the old cover was just a loose end.
    Damn, we're in a tight spot!

  16. #5591
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    cordova,AK
    Posts
    3,686
    since we are talking stucco and do, dont's. Do not ever do your own stucco and there is no such thing as a small stucco job.
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    lumber yard sold me 4 bags of hardened mix. Had to order more. Cold joint looks bad but hopefully will cover with the color coat in the spring.
    off your knees Louie

  17. #5592
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    2,848
    Quote Originally Posted by Obstruction View Post
    Couldn’t say but given the lack of duct work or flex tube it doesn’t look like active cold air return to me. But I’m not a hvac guy either.

    Besides I got the impression from your initial post you were all about deleting the vent.

    Where exactly is the hole ? Basement? Between first and second floor? Attic? Only place I have ever seen a vent through an exterior wall with no tin or flex tube attached is in uninhabited attic space.

    Maybe it used to feed your hvac system and a new system was installed and this thing and the old cover was just a loose end.
    It’s connected to ducting, the picture is just shitty. I assume it is an air return and they most likely put it there for a reason. Probably added when they added a second a/c unit. The stucco guy said he can clean up the edges a bit, but I’m just going to put a new vent on it and call it good.

  18. #5593
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Alpental
    Posts
    4,166
    Two more and it’s done it’s hard to believe only a couple windows were changed out since the house was built in 1920
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    “I have a responsibility to not be intimidated and bullied by low life losers who abuse what little power is granted to them as ski patrollers.”

  19. #5594
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    1,140
    Quote Originally Posted by fastfred View Post
    I thought that was cheap as hell prolly nail those deck boards down for that price
    15k labor and materials would be my guess
    Framed it myself with the framer who did my addition in one Saturday. Started at 8am and was done at 5pm. That includes posts, cap/base, beams, joists, blocking, hangers, decking with hidden fasteners and fascia. It could not have been more simple.

    18 hours of labor is $195/hr. I was going to pay him cash and he lived 2 miles from my house. He was doing it in the side, so he wasn’t paying taxes. I wish he would have just told me he didn’t want the job.

    I’m happy to pay a fair wage, but (2) 4x10, (15) 2x10, and some decking is not a $195/hr job. Paid the framer $600 for the day and fed him lunch and dinner.

  20. #5595
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    base of the Bush
    Posts
    14,871
    Quote Originally Posted by fastfred View Post
    I thought that was cheap as hell prolly nail those deck boards down for that price
    15k labor and materials would be my guess

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    Quote Originally Posted by SorryBro View Post
    Framed it myself with the framer who did my addition in one Saturday. Started at 8am and was done at 5pm. That includes posts, cap/base, beams, joists, blocking, hangers, decking with hidden fasteners and fascia. It could not have been more simple.

    18 hours of labor is $195/hr. I was going to pay him cash and he lived 2 miles from my house. He was doing it in the side, so he wasn’t paying taxes. I wish he would have just told me he didn’t want the job.

    I’m happy to pay a fair wage, but (2) 4x10, (15) 2x10, and some decking is not a $195/hr job. Paid the framer $600 for the day and fed him lunch and dinner.
    www.apriliaforum.com

    "If the road You followed brought you to this,of what use was the road"?

    "I have no idea what I am talking about but would be happy to share my biased opinions as fact on the matter. "
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  21. #5596
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Tejas
    Posts
    11,859
    Quote Originally Posted by Vt-Freeheel View Post
    Yup

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    Hahaha. That's hilarious. I wish I had the balls to talk to customers like that.

  22. #5597
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    2 hours from anything
    Posts
    10,732
    Hvac question.

    Currently have two old hvac systems. 3 and 5 ton I think. Gas furnaces. Seer of 12.

    Looking to replace them with a high efficiency system that will last a long time, we plan to be in house for a long time. It’s 3,500 sq ft and high ceilings.

    Go to heat pump or stick with gas? I’m leaning towards heat pump despite the cost increase.

    Stay with two systems right? Looks like that is generally better than one large unit?

    What are the best makes / units? I’d rather pay more up front to save in power and maintenance. (Ac outages suck). Seems like most hvac guys only install certain brands.

    Also, If anyone has done the California/ PGE/ federal rebate game recently your input would be awesome.


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  23. #5598
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Posts
    6,643
    There’s literally no way to properly advise you without knowing:
    Climate
    How well insulated your home is
    Amount and quality of glass


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  24. #5599
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    my own little world
    Posts
    5,838
    I’ve got this situation:

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    And I’m not sure what to do with it. Do I seal it up? How? Leave it?

    I was going to defer for a while, but have a squirrel making a home in there and I’m not a fan….
    focus.

  25. #5600
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    2,656
    Already bowed out of bidding on this one, but just curious. This listing has an unpermitted ADU with a 3/4 bathroom that the city doesn't seem to know about (property records say this property has 1 bathroom, not 2). How do you get a toilet plumbed to the sewer without the city knowing about it?

    https://www.redfin.com/WA/Bellingham.../home/15815230

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