? on how some of you measure and price rails

[patriot pressure washing 14]

just interested to see how some of the best measure and price the rails for cleaning and strippin/ staining?

[Neil_Asheville 114]

mike, i typically take total linear feet of railing x total sqft/linear foot to get total sqft. Bandboard/rim joist is included in this figure. For an all wood railing system I'll stand on deck facing rail and start my wheel on the underside of railcap or subrail, come over top of cap, down spindle around bottom rail (if there is one) and down bandboard. Now you have sqft/linear foot to apply to cost per square for estimate.

Works good 'nuff for me.

/neil

[Neil_Asheville 114]

LOL! I just reread your post and you asked for 'some of the bests' advice! Didn't see that or I'd have backed off......:)

/neil

[MMI Enterprises 289]

In other words length x width = sq. area in anyones world but Neil makes sure to measure the inside and outside. Others will beg to differ of course and I am not one to argue with either as I am undecided on whether all the air space is taken up by all the facets or not.. :).. always a dang good question though..

[PressurePros 248]

Neil..please with the false modesty. Here is good way to actually make some money doing decks. Measure floor square footage and multiply by $4. If there are more than 2 steps, planter boxes, a trellis or benches add those on as extras. Thats the simplest ways for guys that complain about measuring everything. For calculating stain, double your floor square footage to account for rails.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Ken, that sure is a power point..haha... couldn't resist the pun :)

Seems valid enough way to consider a bid to me if ones sq. ft. rate is decent.

When I bid other type of work I usually get very close to competition by taking an average between differing bid methods. If an average hourly production rate for Sq. ft. size is known or minute based production rate per item can be formulated we can average between the two. Apply the figure to a workmans hourly wage and we get job labor cost. Add overhead, taxes, and material costs onto that as a percentage and we get total job cost. Add this industries perticular profit margin as a percentage and we get total bid amount...But you know and practice all that for sure..

Been 60%,10%,30% fer me in other fields but this industry has higher material & labor costs with a differing profit margin so I got to change the figures a bit...

For instance daily janitorial of 10k or larger offices had been based between 4.5 to 6.5 cents per sq, ft. per mon. In considering low wages of about $7 the total bidding was about $12 an hour for many years. So in that field if folks wanted contracts they would average between sq. ft. and hourly to get close to others bidding.

Every time Ken speaks I learn a little more it seems. He dishes out all the important factors .. :)

[Neil_Asheville 114]

Every time Ken speaks I learn a little more it seems..... :)

Gonna get sick...Cack, Barf, Hurl....:)