Deck Restoration Estimate (Volume)

[One Call Power Wash 500]

I have been awarded a Parks & Recreation job that contains 33792 sq ft. of Deck Restoration to include stain/seal.

I know what I got it for and just wondering what you all might have bid per sq ft.

Specifics: Wood is in great shape, Very little popups, I will be using either Olympic or Wolman F&P. They have not decided on color yet but they have those choices. Semi Transparent.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Gordon, call me about Wood Tux. You client will be happier and the product will go farther per sq. ft.

Beth

[Tim McCulla 14]

Hey One Call you will let us know the answer to this winning bid?

I was thinking the gross would be around 27k with material for cleaning and sealing at around 8.5k.

please do tell, but wait a little bit to see what others would bid - make it fun.

I'll take it a step further (I welcome feedback)

$.25 soap, acid and sealer

$.32 for labor (try to keep labor at 40% or less -???)

$.04 for insurance (workers comp & Gen Liablity)

$.08 fuel and wear on equipment (10%)

$.12 for fixed overhead (15%)

$.08 for profit (10%)

OOPS! I'm going out of business - my cost adds up to $.89 - when I originally viewed the survey my price would have been $.80 - can I adjust that bid. LOL

[One Call Power Wash 500]

Just Remember to think volume. 34000 square feet plus the advertisment you will reap since it is a Parks & Recreation job.

[One Call Power Wash 500]

And yes, I will let everyone know what I got it for. Only after the poll. By the way, I am not proud of what I got it for but doing work for the county is hard to get. (Graffiti Removal, Senior Centers etc.... We have done allot of work for the county and is nice to put down as a reference which has allowed us to get into Federal Work.

[Guest rfitz]

Why not gouge our government like every other contractor they hire...?

I have seen people get jobs for government work that was double they would have charged for 1 residential job...?

Anyway, you cant look at volume in this case, because come spring you will

or should have more wood work that you can handle anyway, I already do for the first 2 months of spring, and I havent been in biz that long, back to your poll, normally for wash and stain only $1.00 a sq ft plus materials, if stripping washing and staining, $1.50 a sq ft plus materials, this is considering everything is ground level, no ladder work, other wise add 20% for each story up, (8 ft off the ground add 20% to job) (16 ft off the ground add 40%)

etc..

These are my prices for residential, and plan on doubling the amount of sq ft of wood I did last year, if this wood has the old arsenic in it, I have a great article to post that the government put out in our paper, and how all the schools, parks, etc.. are looking for contractors to safely seal this stuff into the wood, so that kids do not get this on their skin, etc.. If I were doing wood like this, I personnally would use Wolmans durastain, it will hold up for years and the poisons wont get through it, it is more like a paint/stain but tough as nails, and yes you still get some of the wood grain to show thru, If I were using that product, I would charge a flat $1.00 a sq ft total...

Hope This Helps

[reed 500]

"why not gouge our government?" seriously Rob, this is not the thing to do. Just because others do it doesn't make it right. Gouging our government cost EVERYBODY money down the road. Practice ethical business is what all of us should be doing.

Gouging the Government, this kind of stuff is down right bull **** and needs to stop.

[One Call Power Wash 500]

I agree with the reedster. My property taxes went up last year probably due to this reason. We are already as American's taxed way too much. Just think, the Government just authorized 85 billion for the reconstruction efforts of Iraq. I ask this, What about our schools, our homeless, our infrastructure, our kids future etc...

So, do we join the bandwagon and charge the Government $85.00 for replacing a board screw/nail ? I VOTE NO.

rfitz, I know you were just talking, I have said the same thing a time or two but we both realize what is the right and wrong way to do things.

[Littlefield 65]

Bid $20,613 for clean and seal. Extra prep and protection of adjacent surfaces not included in this price. Some pics would be nice...;)

labor and materials breakdown?

labor 6758

materials 3548

other funds breakdown for company profit, owners pay, sales commision, advertising, overhead.

[Aaron Ochsner 14]

Given the large sq ft area, I would gather with what you said that your bid is around $15,000.00. Personally I would not go that low but it seems like you really wanted to get the job so you lowballed? Anyway, I would shoot out around $22,000.00 without seeing it.

Cheers,

Aaron

:yoda:

[Guest rfitz]

I hope you guys realize I was being sarcastic by saying gouge our government, that would mean charging $3-$4 a sq ft, but seriously I think $1.00 a sq ft would be a fair price that is including materials, and I meant 2 coats of product, as always, that would include, nail pops, sanding,(especially for the kids sake) and 2 coats of a hi quality stain/sealer, and any wood replacement, that would be approx. a 25-30% discount, for that size of a job

and I think everyone would be in a win win situation

[mattia 14]

I am up over 27,000 and feel that is fair price for what will be involved in a county job. Your head aches and labor will end you up in a looney farm with alot of locations in parks.

I would also go with a good stain, I mean a better stain and try for a 20 % discount for a two year agreement on maintance and at least 40% price cut on a clean and seal in two years.

We can dream or we can sell, lol that would be the sale of the year. Try asking for a nice small sign on each deck with a hundred dollars off for each deck for the sign space.

Matt

[Howard 50]

Without looking its hard to say but I'll take a stab at it.

You didn't say if it had anything on it now, but living in southern MD myself I'd say no it dosen't

So here goes.

Clean/Brighten - .10

Labor - .16

Stain/Seal - .14

Company - .25

$22,100 and that would be rock bottom.

Also I'd try to steer them toward Wood Tux not because this is Beth's board but because I started using it last season and it is really a good product easy to use and contractor frendly if ya know what I mean.

Hope this helps

Howard

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

:D Thanks Howard! :D We love it.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Originally posted by Aaron Ochsner

Given the large sq ft area, I would gather with what you said that your bid is around $15,000.00. Personally I would not go that low but it seems like you really wanted to get the job so you lowballed? Anyway, I would shoot out around $22,000.00 without seeing it.

Cheers,

Aaron

There is a difference between LOWBALL and getting your foot in the door. Don't jump to conclusions before he shares his price.

I have read enough posts by One Call, that I am confident that he has the experience to price very competively and still make money.

As far as the gouge the goverment comment, I know Rob was kidding, but be careful what you say, as it may give someone a stupid idea.

[One Call Power Wash 500]

One Tough,

Thank you for breaking the ice. When ever your in Maryland, I owe ya a dinner. Let me know.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

One of these days, I may make it there. Heard that it is very nice. Have an Aunt in Virginia, very close to DC but can not remember exactly where. My mom used to love going back there and watching the leaves change color.

[One Call Power Wash 500]

Okay, times up. We won the bid @ $.73 per square foot. According to how we computate our profits vs. cost, we would have not bid below $.67. Sorry, due to competitors, we can not reveal how we computate our profit vs. cost scenarios, besides there are several ways to do this based upon what you are bidding on. For you guys/girls that polled below this, it would be interesting to see how you came up with the amount. Again, I will understand if you do not place on this board, but it would be interesting.

Thanks to all that responded to the poll.

[Guest rfitz]

This is a little lower than I would have bid, but with that much sq ft I could have probably worked out maybe a 25-35% discount on my stain/sealer,

so other than that we are about even, I mentioned $1.00 a sq ft, without a discount on stain /sealer, so we are actually pretty close... Hope all goes well