Two weeks ago I paid $47.24 for 75 M 14.2, last week it was $82.58!!!!
Haven’t checked copper pipe yet but I’ve been told to expect the same!!
Last fall it was drywall, still waiting for the $ of it to come back down, now its copper, picked a great year for the big reno. Anyone hear any predictions of when it might come down again (other than when the house is finished).
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Replies
Think were all SOL, they say once fuel gets under $2 a gal everthing will come down in price!
they say once fuel gets under $2 a gal everthing will come down in price!
You have any idea when I can expect that?
Doug
snowballs in hell.
I figured as much, dammit!
I vowed never to use PEX (just didn't trust it) but I just starting costing a remodelling. Yikes! Wanted to put copper eavetroughs and flashing too - might rethink that one!
Make me wonder if a penny is worth more as scrap copper than as currency!
Yeah, I think PEX eavestroughs would be just the ticket!
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Are they making PEX electrical wire yet? I need a couple thousand feet of romex and I'm afraid to ask.
Man!!! If it's made of copper up here, guard it or weld it in place.......wait....no, they'll cut it off with a torch!!!
Copper downspouts and roofing has been ripped from churches in some places. Manhole covers have also been stolen with people injured. Of course, it's done at night and I think there was 1 death, possibly in Vancouver (can anyone confirm this?)....nuts!! nuts!! nuts!!
>>>>>>>>Manhole covers have also been stolen with people injured.You got copper manhole covers? Are the streets paved with gold?
Can I get that Little Debbie snack cracker out from under the heel of your pointy boot?..
http://grantlogan.net/
Should have mentioned that iron/steel is up quite a bit also. Just priced some 3+1/4"x10" galvanized wall stack yesterday- wholesale is just about double 1-2 years ago- 3.49 vs 1.89
The last time I talked to my electrician, she said romex had gone from $40 up to $130 in a week. How do you estimate a job under these conditions? Everything will be cost plus.
The last time I talked to my electrician, she said romex had gone from $40 up to $130 in a week. How do you estimate a job under these conditions? Everything will be cost plus.
12-2 1k' was $408 at Lowes, $406 at Menards.
jt8
"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." -- Saint Basil
Use PEX and fill the tube with mercury.Where you need to make a connection just push a wire through the PEX.
Re the penny, it's mostly zinc. Has been since 1982. The other coins in your pocket are mostly copper, though.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Smarty pants! ;)
Heard something on the news the other day, for the first time ever the amount of copper in a penny and the amount of nickel in a nickel are now worth more then the face value.
It's cost a lot more to mint pennies than they're worth for many years. But people panic when you talk about not minting them any longer. There have been threads about it here on BT, and people get pretty hostile about it. I think it's ridiculous to keep minting them.
I see the White House is like a subway. You have to put in coins to open the gates. [Johnny Chung]
>>"It's cost a lot more to mint pennies than they're worth for many years. But people panic when you talk about not minting them any longer. There have been threads about it here on BT, and people get pretty hostile about it.
I've been on solely plastic for at least the past year. Don't even carry actual money anymore (mostly 'cause I don't have any). ;-)
I can even get a pack of smokes or a soda at the local convinience store with the plastic.
Maybe sooner or later, people won't want paper and coin money anymore (maybe later rather than sooner).
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
The amount of copper in a penny is something like 3% -- just a plating. The amount of nickel in a nickel is more, but not by much -- mostly copper.Now it may be getting to the point where the amount of copper in a nickel is worth more than 5 cents.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Drill a hole in the penny then ya got a washer then it's worth somethinDo you look to the government for an entitlement, or to GOD for empowerment. BDW
"Make me wonder if a penny is worth more as scrap copper than as currency!"
I think that was a yes when copper was $1.00 / pound. SUre is true at $3.00 / pound.
I got about 3 to 4 hundred pounds of copper pipe to turn in on friday I'll let ya know what I get.Do you look to the government for an entitlement, or to GOD for empowerment. BDW
I got about 3 to 4 hundred pounds of copper pipe to turn in on friday I'll let ya know what I get
two weeks ago I had to salvage cabinets and some other stuff for a customer, from a house that was gonna be torn down. After getting the stuff they wanted out he said I could have at the copper piping, ornamental copper fascia, copper drip edge, and planter boxes. 640 lbs total take of less than clean sheet copper was at $1.50/lb. Copper pipe was at $1.90/lb. Someone said clean copper, like grounding wire was at $3.00/lb, but don't know sure.
Bowz
I turned in some scrap pipe I'd pulled out of the project house. They gave me right around $2/lbs.jt8
"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." -- Saint Basil
Forget about copper coming down. Commodities of all kinds have gone through the roof. Everyone wants to take about oil, but teh same is true of copper, zinc, steel, gold, etc.
China's economy is growing at 8% a year plus. Sure there demand for energy goes right along with it and therefore it's demand for oil. Everyone knows about this for oil and see the result everyday at the local gas pump. But China's economy demands copper, steel, zinc, etc just the same.
Drywall? I don't know. Could be teh same kind of deal, but gypsum is less scares than steel, zinc, or copper, I think. ?
China's economy is growing at 8% a year plus. Sure there demand for energy goes right along with it and therefore it's demand for oil. Everyone knows about this for oil and see the result everyday at the local gas pump. But China's economy demands copper, steel, zinc, etc just the same.
China's economy has been growing for quite a while. The jump in some of these metals (copper for one) has just been in the last few years.
jt8
"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." -- Saint Basil
Edited 5/31/2006 1:16 pm by JohnT8
Yes, China has been growing for some time. But sometimes things caught up to you. In my area, there is one environmental fight after another about digging a new mine here or a mine there or a mine. Guess what? None have ever gone in.
What do you think that does to supply of copper, zinc, iron, etc? Supply flat to falling demand growing year after years after year. The same has been the case for middle east oil production. Gee, what about ANWR, off teh coast of California and the Gulf. All banned from development.
Surprise China nailed you.
Gold and other metals hit a huge high in the past couple of weeks. I suspect that, in your case it's also the addition to the shipping/fuel costs contributed. The good news for you, I hope, is that prices are going down. Gold about 10% in one day. The metal market seems iffy right now.
While things are unsteady, you might want to put a cost escalation clause into your bids. I've heard that vinyl wall base has seen a number of increases of late. This would be fuel driven, but if you are bidding a job, you want some assurance you can cover the cost.
For those who bought metal low and can scrap it high, who can blame those whose bucks are tied up in inventory. For the contractors with bids out, it stinks without an escalation. If you have a good record with the company and do a bit of business, you might be able to call for a quote and get a time limit for the price. If it goes down, you can just call up and order without mentioning the quote and still come out ahead. If they have to purchase at a higher cost, it will trickle down and all your competitors will be in the same boat. You can be competitive, but still need to figure a potential escalator into your bids.
Wording might consist of "Material cost subject to market fluctuation, but not to exceed X% in X days". If you are into a contract with a builder you might be stuck.
This info is from a different end than you see, but I've seen it more than once and know that some distributors will offer, albeit a short-term, a guarantee, based on their inventory purchased at a lower cost. It seems unfair, but one has to ask why any business person would sell lower than the market price that then can get from anyone, including a scrap dealer. Such is life. Good luck, and please consider using a material escalation clause to cover yourself if it works with your business. Best of luck to you.
Rainbow: If you have material in stock purchased at the lower cost and can, you get an instant increase in your profit IF you have a price escalation clause. If that does not work with your business, I'd go for the quote, maybe ask for a 30 day guarantee, if that works from the supplier.
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thanks for all the comments, but now I'm getting depressed, looks like wire is getting a double wammy since it's affected by the price of material and gas .. wish I was big enough to lock in prices, and I hate to buy anything until it's absolutely needed 'cause it just get's legs and walks away and I have to buy it twice ...
I've been investing in precious metals and energy for a while now, so at least when I'm loosing at the pump or with material purchases my retirement fund is benefiting, but I am starting to wonder just how valid the "China's economy is growing" arguement is and how much is due to the war?? .. we can only hope ..