Sub contracting pricing

Grumpy

If they don't want to pay your price it's better to sit home and make no money rather than work a day for a loss. Let someone else take the loss. Stop doing new construction and get out of subcontracting and you'll be ok.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

ronbryanroofing

There is no money as far as overhead or profit in new construction, however there is no landscaping, cutting in rig lets or re-flashing chimneys, no slow down for those surprise rain storms, no trips to zoning for permits, no trips to the landfill or arranging for dumpsters, no pissed off HO's for damaged driveways, or mouthy roofers- we are a rare breed.

Grumpy

All of the above mentioned should be charged for... Permits PLUS your time to get the permits should be charged for. You should do nothign for free. cutting reglets? Heck man you still need to do that on new work, the masons have never done it for me. Flashing? Sheesh man the brick is never ready when the shingles are done meaning I need to send a man back and setup the job just to flash a few chimneys, something that could have been done at the same time, I need to charge extra for the travel and setup.

I agree there is no money in new construction.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

ronbryanroofing

So don't do it. But for someone who wants to try, try. I know I made money at it and I liked the ease of walking onto set up jobs and just banging down shingles. The thing I really don't miss is the gas compressors, but then again driving home without a dump trailer (which at least twice a month is at the tire shop filling nail holes) is also nice.

Its something if you are considering try it you might like it.

Grumpy

I've done it which is how I know there is no money in it which is why I don't do it. The problem is I find tear offs to be more straight forward in and out, not new construction which requires multiple half days to get complete instead of one long day in and out like tear offs.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

ronbryanroofing

Oh, I forgot to mention the additional liabilities of children, pets, cars, vehicles, siding, windows, and one of my favorite questions to pass along to the is rake walls under siding, lets say cedar shingle or old wood siding... those kind of issues only slow you down, yes I realize the response you will be giving is charge for it. But then all those green roofers that don't allow for it are keeping these costs down for you all doing it right. We reside or cut in a 1x4/6 up the rakes and install all new step flashing over Ice & Water up the wall and we point that out to HO's.

Inexperienced Roofing Contractors could do well focusing on the new work. Fewer start up costs as in equipment also. To each his own. Everybody deserves a quality roof.

Grumpy

Yes there is more risk in tear offs but there is also tremendously more reward.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

Nick Tomich

Grump you dont do any new construction?

bpcroofing

There are plenty working for poor money just now

Grumpy

Maybe 1 new construciton jobs a year. Most builders simple can not afford me. Materials aside, you can find guys willing to do the work for less than I pay my guys. Pricing aside, I can't deal with doing jig saw puzzle construction and having to come back to a new construction job site to finish a job that I could do in one day if it were a tear off. Dry in one day, shingle another day, flashings a 3rd day, then fix damage caused by toher trades a 4th day. Sure I could deal with all this head ache but by my estimation I should be charging MORE for these head aches, not less.

I'm trying to dabble in commercial new construction, but I am cherry picking the most ez and simple jobs I bid on. If I have to spend more than an hour putting together an estimate, it's not worth my time. So far no biters, but I have also put oout very few bids.


I do not see any point in doing new construction other than just to stay busy.


That's ok though, I do alot of work replacing roofs on 5 and 10 year old buildings. Why compete with the low ballers when I can clean up their messes and make more money? Heck we are going to be doing a job where the building is 4 years old and the "roofers" decided to flash the brick chimney with caulk and wood boards. LOL. To flash the chimney right in the first place would have been what an extra hundred bucks and some know how. But now the current owner going to pay me $850 to flash it right. Who wins? Well I do and the builder does, since the builder is goign to cut corners and save a buck where ever he can to maximize profit. $100 here and $100 there adds up to thousands saved at the end of the job.

I'm not saying that all guys doing new work are hacks. I am sure plenty of you guys do a good job. All I am saying is that the domain of new work is dominated by hacks and I simply can not compete on price.


let me ask you all this question. Who do you think is going to pay more for a roof? The person who owns the property and is looking at the roof as an investment, or the person building the property who is looking at every trade as an expense? Who is goign to pay more for the roof? The person who is going to buy one or two roofs in their lifetime or the person buying a half dozen roofs a year? I'm not trying to say I price gouge my customers. I beleive my pricing is fair and properly valued for the work that we do. There are plenty charging more than me, I am median priced. I can think of many many many more reasons why I don't like new construction. here's a big one: The project as built is never as I bid on my plans and one more head ache fighting for those extra dollars.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing