For doing multimillion dollar vacation homes in a little ski resort town. Whaddaya think?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Skim-coating with joint compound covers texture, renews old drywall and plaster, and leaves smooth surfaces ready to paint.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
$15 to $50/hr.
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Hell, I'll carp for free. What do you want me to carp about??
I think it depends on the nearest large city, and whether or not you're talking about California.... but I'd say $25-30/hr. plus some benefits, probably medical and a bit of profit sharing but no paid sick leave or national holidays or anything governmental like that.
Ah , but a wide question. My guess ;
25 plus or minus bennies.
Tim Mooney
Where? We live in Ski Country USA! Do I have a 1099 @ years end? $50 an hr would be a good starting point.
I'd say 40 to start with a 5 or 10 dollar an hour raise after a month if everything is working out. Maybe 40 plus a reachable incentive based on performance.
Multi-million dollar houses, eh? A million still a million,what's it matter where it is? He's keeping you from getting dirty, and taking care of your problems. I'd pay him what he wanted, and then a little...happy campers Don't worry, we can fix that later!
I'd say Buck's closest with his high end............
You guy's are giving yourselves away!
Why would you build homes for millionaires for $35.00hr.?
I wouldn't talk about it for less than 50 to start. He said vacation town; NOT "you are on vacation"
Eric
Where are you located and what does this job description pay there? What's your involvement in the industry?
David.
I'm in NY. I've been in residential construction and remodeling for around 25 yrs. I have been mostly s/e for the last ten or so. I try to bill out for at least 40-45 per hr.
To answer your question though, I'm not sure what the rate around here would be. A GOOD carp could easily make 40-45 working for a good contractor plus some bennies.
I don't understand why people in our trade consistently under rate their skills and abilities by working for so little. At the rates I bill, I can barely afford to provide myself with a healthy benefit and retirement package. As a matter of fact I can't right now.
Why aren't we entitled to that? We certainly aren't going to acheive that at 25 hr.
I'm not building anything in that price range unless someone is willing to slide plenty of green my way. I'm trying to be done with working for nothing, I only have another 15 or 29 at best to go, I need to make the most of it. I've adopted a new saying; "if I'm gonna work for nuthin, then I may as well go work for the church".
Lead carpenter is a g/c in disguise or will be once his boss discovers how much responsibility he can dump on the guy.
I can't think our economies differ that much. What do you think? What are rates up there?
Eric
Edited 6/10/2004 8:55 pm ET by firebird
Eric,
I think Bob's question was about payroll, not s/e billing rate. My experience is that in the SF Bay Area, good leads working on and running the job for a high end company are going to get between $25 (very low end) and $35 (highest I've heard of). That's gross hourly wage and on top of that would be benefits, although not the level you get as a federal employee or professor. Same guy with a license and insurance would be $50-65. Here in San Juan County there are a lot of expensive new homes going up and I think the rates are about $5 lower. Bob's ski resort community sounds similar to here, in terms of (I'm assuming) an overall lower wage level for everyone with a lot of wealthy folks living there part time. Maybe a few people are making more, but not many.
As far as giving away your work, you can't charge a whole lot more than the market will bear, and that level is determined by what the majority of guys charge. Most contractors are not sophisticated businesspeople, in my experience, and as a group we're charging less than we should. I don't know if that will ever change. There are always young guys coming into the business and willing to work for less that you. Certainly some contractors manage to become very well established and charge a lot of money, but that's a few not the majority. Oh, and add to that the fact that plenty of 'contractors' are unlicensed, uninsured, work for cash, pay employees cash, and don't pay their taxes. Hurting themselves and the rest of us too...
I'm with you. it's a shame that there are some talented people out there who are giving their work away. On the other hand it's disgusting that so many hacks are managing to charge a relatively high dollar owing to demand.
Here in Jacksonville, I increased my rates steadily until I felt comfortable -- comfortable that I was still delivering a fair job for the money, and comfortable that the hacks couldn't come close.
i bill myself out at $65 hr., my lead man at $55 and skilled apprentices at $45 hr.
interestingly enough, it seems about right -- I pay my bills and make a buck. imagine that.
Those numbers sound correct--way to go. I wanna grow up to be like you....
Pete, keep pushing that rate by about $3.00 per hour and about ever 3 months. If still gettting a lot of jobs, push it another $3.00.
And that lead carpenter should be charged out at the same rate as yourself.
I recently rasied mine from $82 to $85, but I also use what some call a FPS - Variable Prcing Structure. By that I mean I charged much more - up to $150/hr. for more talented work or solving problems others have not been able to solve. For example, cutting in to replace a 2' x 2' ceiling drywall due to water damage is charged at my regualr rate. But skip troweling to blend in with the surrounding texture is done at a min. of $125/hr. Just did the same thing on a complete interior job of a small house to match the knock down texture walls for about 50 holes here and there.
I'm curently looking for a full time employee who can do various trades well, but most important, have great a PR talent with customers. I'll probably pay him around $25 - $30/hr with perks and truck, and charge him out at the same rate as me.
If in Naples, I can get what I get, you can too.
I'm coming down to work for you. seriously.
When ever you're ready. I have a guy who can do almost anything and well - in his mid 30s, who was working for himself and charging about $30-$35/hr when I met him last year. I told him to charge me $45/hr because I want him to make money for himself as well as for me. Only draw back is that he still works out of an older Explorer - not too practical.
I use him about every couple of weeks when I get backed up. In fact, I stopped doing remodels due to the hassles. I'm back at doing small ones (under $20K) again for repeat customers and referrals. Son Pete also needs a good guy since he specializes in jobs under $40K.
Naples is in a constant state of explosion between new construction, remodeling, and servicing condo association. You should drive here and check us out.
A little adventure might do me some good. I did a job in Naples about 5 years ago. -- don't remember the name of the building but it was across the street from the newspaper. my buddy and I installed routed mdf panels in a huge ceiling. I'm changing my boat over to a center console, and it sounds like a good excuse to finish it and drag it down to Naples for a weekend. Send me some info (phone number, etc.) and we'll hook up. Pete Herman 904-673-0537 [email protected] ps. I'm trying to attach a sample of my work.
I think Bob's question was about payroll, not s/e billing rate.
Ok so less than, I guess 35-45 per hr.
I was just reading a short article about Jet Blue. They have become the most sucessful domestic Airline in the US.
The CEO states that it is because they pay their employees ver well and offer profit sharing and stock options. Something like 84% of the company stock is owned by employees! Talk about incentive to do a good job.
Not entirely on topic, but I wanted to share that.
Eric
Edited 6/11/2004 2:51 pm ET by firebird
I agree with your rates. You must have a competent person, it's a complicated and demanding project, requiring significant experience and responsibility, getting someone one to handle that for $40 to $50 bucks an hour, is cheap at twice the price.Never serious, but always right.
Look at it this way (justification time)
What do you own or use that gets serviced at $25-35/hr??
Ok, I'm waiting...............
DW and I had a bbq last w/e. Got to some good construction talk with one of her girlfriends. Yada yada........get out some pics. Yada yada WOW, oooo, oohh. But I hear that you're expensive!!!!!
I went for the throat, nicely! How much to you make Mrs. 15 yrs with same big corp? per hr if you add in all your bennies, 401k. vacay, continueing ed.?? Best guess was around 65- 75/perhr, probably more.
And you want me to work for less than you? Why? Justify it in plain simple terms.
She sarted to mumble something about college or what not and then gave in sort of, when I convinced her that she is no more skilled at what she does than I am at what I do.
Eric
Eric
"And you want me to work for less than you? Why? Justify it in plain simple terms."
Lots of reasons why it happens.
Supply and demand/competition/caliber of people in the field etc...
May not be fair but reality never is.
If it was much harder to get involved in the building industry, like being an engineer, doctor, lawyer, CPA etc... then there would be less people and prices would be higher. Also, if more people actually had the experience, intelligence and know how to figure out what they needed to charge to make a decent profit and EXPECTED to make a certain amount of money (like a lot of other professionals do) they would only go so low in what they charged.
Look at what guys make who work as project managers for large multi million dollar commercial projects compared to the lead guy on a simple addition or a basic new home. Same reason, supply and demand, skill set, salary expectation.
When I work, I bill my self out at $125/hr. Facility design and manufacturing engineering consulting.
Now if there was plenty of other people with the credentials, experience, skill etc..... all looking for work in my field, I too would have to lower my rates. It would also be harder to bill a high amount if there where other people who could do the job and where willing to work for wages etc...But there is no way we are going to just work for wages, we know what we have to charge to turn a profit and we expect a certain amount etc..... so are billing rates will only get so low and then that is it, no one will go lower.
I do have a question though.
Why does it seem that plumbers on a whole, charge what they should to make a decent profit, but other tradesman in the building industry are willing to work for low rates and go broke?
Why does it seem that plumbers on a whole, charge what they should to make a decent profit, but other tradesman in the building industry are willing to work for low rates and go broke?
Or electricians.
You answered your own question I think.
There are plenty of tradesmen out there, but there are far fewer GOOD ones. You just need to convince your clientele of that!
Eric