Q&A Forums

Contractor prices... Post New Topic | Post Reply

Author Comments
Gerry Wagoner
Posted: Jan 07, 2009 02:04 PM
Contractor prices...
I just got off of the phone with an individual who asked us to quote a large building with SPF. Wed did. I asked him how our price compared.
He said another fellow quoted the same project with 4" of CC material for $5500. I had to laugh. Our price was over 10k. Hard material cost for that project is in excess of the other bid total.
I asked the customer, are you sure that you were clear on the depth and size and that you wanted closed cell? "Yes."

I told him to accept the other bid and ask the contractor for a few things, and also verify thickness during application.

This is amazing,


oG
Posted: Jan 07, 2009 06:09 PM
No big mystery, he might just be getting 38,000 board feet per set.

/should be another rig for sale in a few months..
SprayFoamSupply.com
Posted: Jan 07, 2009 07:32 PM
I have heard rumors of such prices from some of the contractors that I deal with. A couple of them seem to think that the contractors that are low balling are spraying 1lb foam and passing it off as closed cell.

I have not seen any concrete evidence of this, for now, they are just rumors. I hope this is not the case.

George
Gerry Wagoner
Posted: Jan 07, 2009 08:26 PM
That doesn't make sense either. Hard cost of 1.2 -pound at 8200 ft2 per set (maximum yield in hot weather) is $4146. Add masking, labor and overhead, you are over 5500.

I like the 38,000 bf per set theory. That makes sense.

:)

oG
Posted: Jan 07, 2009 08:55 PM
1.2 lb Closed Cell

Hi guys, are your customers requesting 2 pound for closed cell or are they just asking for closed cell.

If so, is 1.2 lb closed cell acceptable? What is the R-Value

Steve
Posted: Jan 07, 2009 09:08 PM
1.2lb is open cell.
SprayFoamSupply.com
Posted: Jan 07, 2009 09:08 PM
1.2lb foam is not closed cell, it is a dense, open cell, some call it a hybrid as it has a higher % of closed cells than .5lb. R-value of 4.5-4.9 depending on whose spec sheet you look at.

George
Posted: Jan 08, 2009 06:19 AM
george..ya think,,,
maggots been doin it all the time....


olger,,,i would guess the contractor was packin your booty....he didnt have another bid and was "flabberazzted" by the "expensive foam"...and couldnt/wouldnt tell you the truth...

i would guess he had like $5500 budgeted for insulation (the cheap stuff) and "wanted to see just what this foam stuff costs".... and you were the lucky soul who got to spend 3 hours of his day on the wild goose chase for cheap insulation,,,
Gerry Wagoner
Posted: Jan 08, 2009 09:13 AM
haha. Might be might be, Mark.

As has been stated, 1.2 pound is not closed cell.

`dude, you going to SprayFoam™ ? We're sitting this one out. Had too many trips this year already. Boston, San Jose, Kansas City.

have fun,


`oG
quentin
Posted: Jan 08, 2009 09:38 AM
Holy Crap!! What idiot is that contractor? We are doing a few jobs here and there right now and busting to scare up more and working on pricing adjustments while we learn but anyone that bids below their costs is an idiot.

Mark may be right though since I have done a fair number of estimates where people and contractors had sticker shock thinking we need to compete with the pink crap or contractors just wanting to know the costs and not being serious so wasting my time.
quentin
Posted: Jan 08, 2009 10:47 AM
Hmmm, was it a pole barn/workshop? If so either he gave me wrong numbers or my math was pooched since I got a call last night that sounds like that.

Ok, time to go beat my head against a wall if it was my math since I will get to loose $$ on a job if it is the one I am thinking of.

BTW, would have edited the above post but edit function is not working.
quentin
Posted: Jan 08, 2009 05:14 PM
Hey Olger, want to slap the newbie around a bit? Lesson, NEVER talk calls for quotes when dealing with the ex and while waiting for the lawer to call. Yeah, I am an idiot but he called back and was nice about the problem. Instead of using a calculator or my spreadsheet it was pen and paper where I missed a multiplier.

Live, learn, and so far as long as I have been honest with people they have been honest and fair with me so I figure keeping that formula of business ethics I will succeed.
SPFer
Posted: Jan 08, 2009 08:58 PM
Been dealing with this for awhile up here in Boston. One job, we came in at $3,000, material cost was $1,600, winning bid was $1,900.

It would be a good thing if these idiots would at least buy quality rigs, so we could buy them for cheap when they go under. Problem is all these rigs are crap.
quentin
Posted: Jan 09, 2009 08:09 AM
Caddis, in this case it was just bad math. I try to keep from hurting Olger's business as I believe there is enough here for both of us and prefer to work with him to expand both companies instead of hurting either one.

Competition is a good thing to a good degree but I am not going to try and step on him or his toes.
SPFer
Posted: Jan 09, 2009 01:35 PM
Sorry Quentin,

I did not realize it was an honest mistake. It happens.

Good luck
quentin
Posted: Jan 09, 2009 02:31 PM
No problem. Shoot happens! LOL

Just finished shooting off another quote. I use a spreadsheet that makes it a lot easier and need to try and keep from doing them on the fly like that error.
philip mullins
Posted: Jan 11, 2009 01:49 AM
LMFAO!!!!!!!
Gordon Howard
Posted: Jan 11, 2009 04:12 PM
Contractor was no doubt lying through his yellow teeth.

I recently bid to install rclad on an exposed foundation at a condo in Canada.

They were full eight foot high walls around a bottom level parkade.

I bid 6.50 sqft.

The contractor told me that he got a quote for EIFS that was half that, including 2 inches of foam. Forget it. EIFS (acrylic) is $8.00/sqft.

Contractor actually thought I fell for it. I din't even give him the final quote. I just walked away.

As I left he told me to put in a bid anyways. Forget it!

He called me multiple times after that.

When I showed the developer the look of the rclad, they absolutely loved it. Now that I walked away they are begging for it.

I'm not going to install it now, because i fgure i'll let the super get in trouble with the developer for lying to me.

Don't EVER drop your price. let the cheaper guys bid it, and they will be tied up making half the money you are. Once they get tied up, they won't be able to quote anyone.

They'll bury themselves in debt.
Gordon Howard
Posted: Jan 11, 2009 04:12 PM
Contractor was no doubt lying through his yellow teeth.

I recently bid to install rclad on an exposed foundation at a condo in Canada.

They were full eight foot high walls around a bottom level parkade.

I bid 6.50 sqft.

The contractor told me that he got a quote for EIFS that was half that, including 2 inches of foam. Forget it. EIFS (acrylic) is $8.00/sqft.

Contractor actually thought I fell for it. I din't even give him the final quote. I just walked away.

As I left he told me to put in a bid anyways. Forget it!

He called me multiple times after that.

When I showed the developer the look of the rclad, they absolutely loved it. Now that I walked away they are begging for it.

I'm not going to install it now, because i fgure i'll let the super get in trouble with the developer for lying to me.

Don't EVER drop your price. let the cheaper guys bid it, and they will be tied up making half the money you are. Once they get tied up, they won't be able to quote anyone.

They'll bury themselves in debt.
Posted: Jan 14, 2009 10:16 PM
trout,,im with you...
pmpilsh...

tonite at spray foam they had a great band,,,
lumary and i were shakein our groove thing to
"sho fly,,dont bother me"

peace olger...

You need to login to reply to this topic. Please click here to login.