I’ve been waiting for pricing for trusses on 2 relatively small houses for 2 weeks now. Fairly simple gable roofs – only 1 pitch per house. My q is what level of effort is really involved to figure out a price for trusses? Does the design actually need to be completed to give a price? Does the design just involve puttin the basic house dimensions into some special piece of software and hitting the go button? I don’t want to seem pushy to the truss salesmen, but this is holding up my permits… I told him that all I needed was the prices, and then I’d be back to him within 2 days with a yea nor nay. If it takes 3 weeks to get a price, and then another 3 weeks to get the design docs, I’m not gonna be a happy camper… At this point I’d just like to have a little insight into what the process is.
Thanks,
Edited 11/12/2004 8:52 pm ET by DIRISHINME
Replies
Matt, if you are just asking for X number of 24' 4:12 pitch flat bottom nothing special trusses, they oughta be able to tell you on the spot.
They build the same thing day after day, it's not rocket science to price them. $100 each, $125?
Joe H
Thanks Joe:
The trusses are a little more complicated than that, but not a lot. For example, one house needs 16 common fink roof trusses with a ~26' span and a 8:12 pitch. Two 8:12 gable end trusses are needed too. I requested the these 2 gable trusses have a dropped top chord so the lookouts (rake ladder) could go over the top chord, rather than being just tacked to the side, which is often done, but to me is a less structurally sound. It also has a 6' x 17' front porch with a 8:12 hip. This porch roof does not intersect the main roof; it just gets nailed to the side of the house (so to speak). So, they are not complicated, but do require some kind of design. Matt
Matt, it sounds like you need a new lumber sales rep. Call the competitors, tell them why your calling and you'll have a price later that day on the entire package.
blue
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
Two weeks, huh? That is quite a while. But unfortunately it's not out of the ordinary when I'm busy.
But to address your question. No, you don't just input some numbers into a computer program and hit a button to get a square foot price. (Although a lot of people have asked me that over the years) Whether the design actually needs to be completed to get a price depends on the complexity of the house/trusses.
A simple house can just be written up and priced by hand. Truss companies have price books for commons and gables, typically.
Throw in some cathedral ceilings, snubbed trusses, raised heels, etc. and you get into a whole different process. Then the layout will have to be done and the trusses are gonna have to be designed individually. That takes time.
I can do the engineering on a moderately difficult ranch in about 4 hours. But get into multiple stories and bearing problems, and it takes more time. I've spent 3 days or mre on REALLY tough ones. And once it's engineered it still has to be priced. That can take an hour or more also.
.
Honestly, I doubt the complexity or the time needed to do the quotes is the problem. There are 2 main reasons I procrastinate on quotes.
First is because orders get first priority. If you had ordered trusses from me, and I told you we couldn't deliver 'em when you wanted because we were working on quotes, you'd be plenty ticked off. Orders take a higher priority because those people have already committed to buying from us.
Second is because I'm TOLD to work on specific quotes by my suervisor. The people who are well connected or complain the loudest are the ones who get quotes first. That's not right, but it's the way things work.
Another reason is because truss companies are perpetually short on designers. They look at guys like me as overhead. We don't really do anything - We're just a necessary expense. So they keep that expense to a minimum.
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So what do you do about it? For starters, keep on their case about it. Remind them that you've been waiting since October 32nd. (or whatever) If you don't call, the other guys who DOES call will get their plan moved up in the schedule. And the personal contact makes a difference.
Make up reasons to call them about the quotes every few days.. Like: "Did I remember to tell you I wanted OSB on the gables?" Again, the personal contact makes a difference. Repeated contact makes a difference.
Try to get past the salesman to find out who actually decides what plans get worked on. Then it's more personal for that person - It's not just the salesman bitching about getting something done. (Which they do constantly)
Don't just call, stop by the office. It's harder to tell someone "NO" when they're standing there. Being there in person is a more powerful incentive than calling them on the phone.
The threat of taking your business elsewhere is useful when talking to the salesman, but not the designers. The salesmen don't want to lose out on a commission. If you tell them XYZ company across town can get estimates back quicker, that's likely to light a fire under their keister.
The designers typically have more work than they can get done. So the threat of losing an order sounds GOOD to them. (-:
Talking to the owner/manager might be worth a shot if it gets too bad. Tell 'em you're not trying to get anyone in trouble, you just can't wait that long for a quote. They'll often intervene and insist that a particular job get done right away.
Hopefully that answers your question to some degree. Every truss plant is different, but what I've told you has held true for the 5 companies that I've worked for over the years.
Streakers repant - your end is in sight.
Boss, any truth about quantity builders getting priority over smaller ones who don't order alot? Just wondering[wink].I DIDN'T DO IT...THE BUCK DOES NOT STOP HERE.
If it matters or not I don't know, but some other guys who work for the company I work for are building med sized apartment buildings - around 80 units each. Right now, there are 5 (I think) under construction. Their truss orders are in the 6 figure range. Maybe my project is small peanuts, but my company does give them some significant business. And I have another co working on a bid too, but company 'A' always comes in lower, so I just want a price, so I can move forward.
Matt
"any truth about quantity builders getting priority over smaller ones who don't order alot?"
Honestly - Not as much as you would think.
When things get REALLY tight, I've seen homeowners being their own GC get pushed aound some. But any regular customers more or less get treated the same.
That may vary from one company to the next. But that's pretty much the way it's been at every company I've worked for.What has four legs and one arm? A happy pit bull.
Ron:
Thanks for your insight. Maybe they feel they need to do the design in order to give me a price. I called the salesmen back after a week, and then again 5 days later. He keeps telling me that he hopes to be back to me later in the day with a price... He knows I need truss designs to finalize my permits.
Anyway, maybe he will call me back on Monday...
Thanks again,Matt