Residential prices
- Thread starter fisherelectric
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Power Tech
Senior Member
- Location
- Lebec, California
To which the other replied "That's funny; I've never won one."
Whenever I see a homeless man pushing a cart down the street I say, "another retired electrician."
Bill Ruffner
Member
- Location
- Plainfield, IL
Just to clarify, every contractor's bid price will be different. There are two basic areas involved in coming up with a price - First you come up with an estimate and then you decide on the bid price.
The estimate is simply calculating your break even cost. Costs will vary based on the following:
Construction Factors: How the residence is constructed will make a big difference on labor.
It will take more labor if you have to drill through the joists in the basement rather than running on the bottom of the joists.
On the 1st floor of a 2 story building, it will take more labor if the ceiling is constructed of dimensional lumber, (2x12) rather than open web joists.
If the 2nd floor's ceiling is constructed of roof trusses then the labor on the 2nd floor will be less because it's faster to install wire running on top of the joists.
Material costs will vary for each contractor. The material costs that I used are simply a national average that a contractor can buy material for at their supply house.
Labor costs are not only different for each contractor but they can also be different for each project the contractor does. It depends on the manpower that will be manning the job. My example included the following:
1 Foreman with a vehicle - $33.48 per hour plus $19.80 per hour in burden
* Burden is the addition cost that you incur for a employee - FICA, FUTA, SUTA, workmans comp, general liability, health insurance, cell phones, etc. It also makes a difference on how many hours the employee will actually work during the year. This will allow you to calculated each employee's billable rate per hour. This will ensure that you get back enough money to pay for the employee's burden for the year.
1 Journeyman - $20.00 per hour plus $10.98 per hour in burden.
Additional labor can be different for each project. My example included the following:
1 hour for deliveries
1/2 hour per day for setting up the job in the morning and packing up at the end of the day
2 hours for meetings
1 hour for sweeping
1 hour per week for paperwork
Every job is unique. Maybe you need to add additional labor for driving time, temporary power, as-built plans, shop time, etc.
Misc. labor adjustments might need to be applied to a specific job for conditions such as weather (production can be affected when it is brutally cold as well brutally hot), job conditions, PITA factors, scaffolding, construction schedule, etc.
To account for overhead, my example used a calculation of 10% of the estimated prime cost.
Overhead will be different for each contractor. The cost to run a business includes rent, utilities, vehicles, advertising, legal, insurance, office personnel, supervision, etc. A contractor's volume makes a difference as to how much needs to be added to each job in order to make enough money back to cover their overhead.
All of the above determines what the break even cost is. Without knowing your breakeven cost, it's hard to determine the bid price.
My example included profit of 18% of the breakeven cost.
Profit percentage can differ based on numerous factors: How aggressive is the competition bidding? Who is the customer? Will they require you to be the lowest bid? (Often times contractors will go in with a low profit percentage in order to get in with a new customer. Once they have proven their value, they no longer need to be the lowest bid.) How bad does the contractor need cash flow?, etc.
I only spent 10 minutes putting together the estimate example so I am sure that there are details that were left out. The labor units that I used reflect manpower that knows what they are doing and are working at a fast and efficient manner every hour of every day.
I have attached another example of how the construction factors make a difference in labor costs.
RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
Ugh. Somebody needs a spell checker. That detail sheet is an abomination. Also, every electrician should know how to spell Fluorescent.
Power Tech
Senior Member
- Location
- Lebec, California
Power Tech
Senior Member
- Location
- Lebec, California
RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
Down boy. First off, I am certain I know much more about this product than you do. Being as familiar with TurboBid as I am, I feel I am qualified to say that it is truly a masterpiece. Bill Ruffner is the only creator of estimating software that is an actual contractor and it shows. TurboBid is the best residential estimating program there is.
OK, let's now tackle the subject of spelling. I don't expect construction workers to appreciate the importance of correct spelling but I will adress this issue nonetheless.
Your claim that by pointing out the deplorable spelling in these reports that I am somehow "slamming" this product is nonsense. The fact that either you are incapable of recognizing misspelled words or do not care when you see misspelled words is really an issue to take up with your third grade teacher, not me. Nothing in my criticism "slammed" this product.
As an intelligent, well educated person, I am offended when I see poor grammar or misspelled words. When I see such things I immediately form a bad impression of the person or product I'm reading about. I deal with mouth breathing, knuckle dragging goons every day, I have very low expectations for them and expect a very low level of literacy from them. I have higher expectations for professional, commercial products.
Personally, I would be ashamed to post my work product on the internet and have it riddled with spelling errors.
The difference between you and I, JES2727, is that I am a proponent for high standards and proper spelling and grammar, and you are not. Congratulations.
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RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
Your from LA, it is spelled: Electricin.
As you know, we spell it "Electri-Can". :grin:
I give him an A for writing up the report, he had no idea, that there would be someone on the site, that never made a mistake.
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RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
Ahhhh, construction workers, they conduct themselves as if illiteracy were a virtue....
Bill Ruffner
Member
- Location
- Plainfield, IL
RH1,
Thank you for pointing out the misspelled words. I should have taken more time to check my spelling. Even though the program does not include a spell check feature, I should have taken the extra steps to ensure that my spelling and grammar were correct.
I agree that professional commercial products have a higher level of expectations. I will revisit the report in question and make the required corrections. I am always trying to improve TurboBid so if you have any other suggestions, please let me know.
Regards,
Thank you for pointing out the misspelled words. I should have taken more time to check my spelling. Even though the program does not include a spell check feature, I should have taken the extra steps to ensure that my spelling and grammar were correct.
I agree that professional commercial products have a higher level of expectations. I will revisit the report in question and make the required corrections. I am always trying to improve TurboBid so if you have any other suggestions, please let me know.
Regards,
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
To you, too.
For the object of a preposition, you should use the objective "me", and not the subjective "I".
I suggest you check the Chicago Style Guide.
mikeames
Senior Member
- Location
- Germantown MD
- Occupation
- Teacher - Master Electrician - 2017 NEC
I agree with Larry.
The Chicago Style Guide, is just that style, not grammar. Same goes for MLA and all the other style guides.
The web is not always fact but here is a link that supports Larrys point.
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/dictionaries/english/data/d0081645.html
RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
You guys. :grin: Let's see what we have learned here today: To criticize a commercial product that costs over $1000 because it contains countless misspelled words will incite the ire of every construction worker on this forum. So much so that they will spend the rest of the day attacking the guy that pointed out this fact.
I'm wondering if they make a pill for whatever is wrong with you guys????
LOL
macmikeman
Senior Member
- Location
- Planet macmikeman
Get with the times. Spelling and grammer have been replaced. What we have going on now is tweet language, which is a teenage bastardization of Hawaiian pidgin. In twenty years no one under 50 will know anything at all about how to spell and speak in proper English. Residential prices will still be at the same place as they are right now, due to undercutting and bid shopping by general contractors,
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
And, with all the tattoos and pirecings they get these days, that's going to be one strange-looking generation of old folks.
RH1
Member
- Location
- Rick From Los Angeles
And, with all the tattoos and pirecings they get these days, that's going to be one strange-looking generation of old folks.
I'm waiting to see all the elderly women with their marvelous breast implants. Not!
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