Installation cost of "porch ceiling"

[MiamiCuse]

I need to install T1-11 boards as ceiling in a porch area. I have about 800 SF of porch space and I was quoted a price of $6500 to install it (labor + material). The labor involves cutting the 4x8 sheets to the porch dimension, in some areas I have overhead hi-hats so those need to be cut. For the most part it is pretty straight and uncomplicated. It does NOT include the cost of painting the boards. The materials will be the boards themselves which sells for about $22.00 per sheet in local lumber yards, staple guns and nails. Now this works out to be $8/SF. This is more expensive than laying tiles!

I asked the guy and he said hanging stuff upside down (the porch is 7 feet from the floor reachable by hand without being on a ladder) is very difficult and that is why its so expensive.

Anyone knows what the on going rate should be?

Thanks in advance,

MC

[Larry]

I certainly would entertain more than one estimate. I would also want to know the specifications on the T1-11.

My lumber yard sells it in 1/2" & 5/8", in either pine or fir. Fir 5/8" is the most expensive, and can be bought in 4", 8", & 12" O.C. grooved.

I seen 3/8" pine being sold at one of the box stores. Just wonder if you got a price, with no specifications. Or, was that $22 per sheet was for?

About 18 years ago, I used 5/8" fir on a house a had, and paid $28 per

4'x8'. I don't believe the price has come down since then.

[aemeijers]

Don't know about current going rates, but he is right, nailing upside down is a bitch, esp if you don't do it every day. That is why almost all finish carpenters use pneumatic nail guns these days. Two man job, unless he wants to mess with prop sticks, which slows things down a bunch. (They never trusted me to nail as a kid, but being tall, I got to hold up the other end a lot.)

aem sends...

[Edwin Pawlowski]

At that price, I can take a week vacation, buy air tickets for my wife and I and get the job done with plenty of time for sunning on the beach. I'd figure $650 for material, $300 for a small compressor and nail gun, leaving an easy $5000+ for labor to hang 25 sheets. That is $200 per sheet. For that price I'd expect you can get the Sistine Chapel sided and repainted.

How about you do it with the help of the teenager next door?

[Joe]

You already know the rough cost of materials, so ask the contractor how long the job will take. If, for example he says 3 days, call that

24 work hours times two for an installer and helper, or 48 hours labor, so round that off to 50 hours to allow cleanup time. With material at about $600. that leaves $5900 in labor cost, so the two guys are making $118 per hour. This is two to three times what most tradesmen will ask for. If the $5900 is near correct, then an installer and helper at $45 per hour would take 130 some hours or more than three weeks. Seems to me things aren't quite right there. Might be a good idea to get some other quotes and references while you're at it. Good luck.

Joe

[aemeijers]

I wish there still was 'the teenager next door!' I could sure use one for the outside chores I'll never get around to. I have more money than time, ambition, and energy these. Hell, with my allergies, 20-30 bucks a week to mow my 100x300 yard with my mower and my gas, would seem like a bargain. Hole lotta pruning that needs to happen, too.

But, sadly, ny neighborhood is all gray hairs or young couples with rug rats. No kids I have noticed in the 'yard work' age range. And I can't bring myself to hire a commercial lawn service at 50 bucks plus a pop.

In today's liability-paranoid, 1099/W2-required world, does anyone still hire cash casual labor, especially involving gas-powered sharp things? (And no, I don't mean the straw-hat wearing gentlemen hanging around the shady side of Home Depot. Fine laborers in most cases, but mi no habla espanol.)

aem sends...

[RicodJour]

You've been working on the house for a while now with a few stumbling blocks along the way. Constantly shopping for contractors is wasting your time and money. Money that could be put to far better use hiring a qualified contractor that would be willing to work on more than one project on your house.

It's pointless to ask the "going" rate. You need real numbers from real contractors in your area. The number you've gotten so far is in "unreal" territory. Call some other contractors and get some more numbers. Talk to some material suppliers, hardware stores, neighbors, postman, etc. and start putting together a list of recommended contractors. When you start seeing the same names pop up, you've found a good place to start.

Contractors' prices usually improve as the contractor becomes familiar with whoever hired them, whether GC or homeowner. Once they've learned that you're not an unknown quantity - not a pain in the ass, nit-picking perfectionist, slow paying, unrealistic expectations - their risk decreases and they enjoy the job more. Two critical elements in getting good prices.

Do the legwork now. Find that guy that's willing to tackle an assortment of jobs as your finances allow. It'll be effort well spent.

R

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Funny how time changes things. When I moved into this house 26 years ago, I used to cut my lawn and some of the next door neighbor's as he was up in years and could use the help. He has since passed on and a young couple moved in two years ago. He wants to start a landscaping business. He does my lawn now for $15 a pop. When he was buying the big mower, I paid most of the season in advance so he'd have some bucks to buy the equipment.

Did my own oil changes on the car also. Last one I did was on my 1991 Regal. Much easier to pay $25 that to crawl under a car in December.

[mm]

A 10 or 12 year old kid came around in the winter wanting to shovel my walk. I didn't feel like doing it, but I said no anyhow, because I'm in the habit of doing things myself. And I don't like people touching my stuff. But would have better to give him a job. I hope a few other people hired him. I should have at least gotten his name and phone number.

Then I rationalized that he would damage my pristine grass (yeah, sure) next to the sidewalk.

A few days ago there was another 12 year old mowing someone's yard. My yard needs mowing, someone's even been complainging, but I can't start the mower. Again, I should have offered the second kid to mow my lawn. Here he really could bump into my AC or in theory, mow down my bushes, but I doubt he would. He did fine on the lawn he was mowing.

When I used to work more and there was a highschool kid here, I did hire him for a few years to mow the lawn as he saw fit, and he was fine. He even read the n'hood newletter and saw that the board was going to meet at my house and made a point to mow my lawn that afternoon, without my saying a word.

I told him if he really liked me, he wouldn't go away to college, or take a job out of town after he graduated, but he did both of those things.

FWIW, all these kids are black.

[MiamiCuse]

Thats easier said than done. I have been trying for months without luck. Seems general contractors are an extinct species. Talked to all my friends, neighbors and co-workers and same thing "yep we been looking too, no one is available". I think Wilma really did south Florida in...every other house got damaged, in flux of out of state contractors to make quick bucks, a lot of unlicensed contractors came and collected 50% down from retired elderlys and never show, skyrocketing insurance, property taxes and housing cost may have sent the good contractors somewhere else.

The few I found via yellow pages or business cards tagged to big box store bulletin boards did not impress me - I mean - they seem to know far less than I do - and I don't know a whole lot LOL.

It seems all I can find are "designers". They will hire architects for me, architects will hire engineers, and they also will hire contractors for me who will then coordinate with the subs. However I cannot afford a "designer". Talked to one the other day and his fee is $400 a day flat over the life of the project on top of the architect's fee, engineer's fee, contractor's fee and construction cost.

I have been looking for a good contractor. They are just no where to be found. So for now I am hiring the tradesman for specific tasks until I find one. So far I found one good electrician, went through three subpar finished carpenters, interviewing a few framing and drywall finishers, have not found a good plumber yet, have yet to find and talk to a mason, I might have found a good lawn care guy, he did cut my grass without knocking out all the sprinkler heads LOL.

If all goes well I move in one year from now.

MC

[MiamiCuse]

That's a good way to figure it. Thanks!

MC

[MiamiCuse]

I am not skilled enough to do the cutting part. Some areas have to be "notched" (downsprout) or "holed" (hi hat lights). All I have is a compound miter saw I don't have a table saw or good jigsaw.

MC

[HeyBub]

You're in Miami, right? You've got box stores in the neighborhood?

Here's a starting plan:

Buy the material and have it delivered. Paint the raw material yourself.

Drive down to the box store parking lot, find a worker waiting for a day job. Somebody with his own tools. Let him pick his own co-worker. Offer $20/hr for him, $15/hr for the helper.

Plan on actively supervising the project.

When the big job is done, go back and touch-up the painting.

[Greg]

Hey I'm in on this bidding, I'm a painting contractor, I'll fly down and paint and install for that price.

[David Martel]

Bub,

I don't think you'll find a $20/hr. guy with a table saw and compound miter saw in the back of his truck. This does not sound like a "hand tool" job. This might be the route for the painting.

Dave M.

[marson]

Well, you can't find a contractor to save your soul. Tells me that they got you bent over a log. They'll charge exhorbitant rates and if you don't like it, they'll go elsewhere. That's the beauty of the free market, isn't it? Why should contractor's operate by different rules than say the oil companies?

[jJim McLaughlin]

MUCH SNIPPAGE

Does your local high school have a auto mechanics shop class? Metal working class? Shop class? Talk to the local shop teachers and I bet you find a kid with some sense who ould use a few extra bucks.

Heck, around here, as summer comes and schools close, lot of teachers go on to "second careers". I know several who do painting and are good. Might find a grass cutter at a lower price than a commercial service.

[betsyb]

This sounds a lot like a situation my kid was in. He bought a stackable washer/dryer unit to go into his 3rd floor condo in South Beach, Fl. I heard the estimates he got for over 1000 and promptly called him. I sent my husband down from NJ and he was done in three days. {trips to HD for extras}Whole thing cost less than 300. Including airfare.

[mm]

It's conceivable that this project should wait until more of the hurricane damage has been fixed. A year?

It doesn't sound essential, and one can say, "I can't find anyone." Everyone should know by now about the work situation in Florida. At least everyone in Florda.

Even if he could find someone by paying enough, wouldn't it be better for everyone as a whole if that guy were doing someone's roof or some part of his house that is more essential, like the walls.

[Colbyt]

I agree the price sounds very high. You need more local estimates.

The guy did not lie about the overhead part.

Your material cost may be higher than you think. If this is being installed over bare rafters you may not get the full 32 square feet per board because the rafters may not be a perfect 16 or 24 OC. The last time I replaced a soffitt on an older home I averaged using about 6.5 foot of each 8 foot run. In some cases you can improve the use of the T-11 by using some scabs.

A contractor is not going to waste his time shopping at the BORG. His cost may be slightly higher than what you waste a half a day buying it for at the BORG.

Is there something that need to be removed? Are the rafters open and visible?