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around my area decks and fences need a plot pln and a permit you also have to have the yard surveyed. that cost about 500.00 around me . the numbers you got so far for fencesis right i have seen then as low as 25.00 to 225.00 a 8’section.hoped this helped
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"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
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DO ALL BUILDERS GO TO A SCHOOL TO LEARN HOW TO SCREW THE SUBCONTRACTERS ON THEIR JOB!
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...that's when you squint...real hard...helps bring things back to plain old ungood.
Unless, of course, "double ungood" counts as a double-negative, therefore turning it into a positive?
Try it out on your next job..."Yessir, we're going to do a double ungood job on your house today!" Before you do, make sure you've properly structured the customers payment schedule so you have costs covered to date...just in case.
*No, It's usually covered in the "how to rip off home owners course".What got you so fired up?
*Depends on whether they've read 1984 -- and have a sense of humor!Just so long as nothing is bad -- stick to happyspeak -- everything will sound OK. Like "I'm triple-plus f*cking ungood happy with this project!"
*Lawrence, Where do I send the pictures? I'm pretty proud of the job and don't mind showing off. Maybe it can make it in FHM. Bill Swales
*Hey William, If they are digitized you can send them as an attachment in jpeg format. My email is [email protected] or if you talk really nice to Joe Fuscoe...he may tell you how to post them in the forum,(posting a link to them if on a website. Ok guys, here is the deal. (see my post entitled *Plans For BUILDERS?*)
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Is it profitable enough to bother with? Are the building departments requesting architectural drawings and permits? Are the franchise companies like arkiedeck making it difficult to sell? (spelled wrong as not to market for them). Are there inherint problems with that type of sideline down there?
Fill me in ...I know very little about the american market aside from your framers making almost 3x what our Canadian boys do.
*Lawrence,I personally enjoy decks and fences as an opportunity to design/build with minimal changes. Utmost is longevity. Given the popularity of each, there is an excess of whores in the marketplace; building garbage for the bottom line minded customer. AS for existing projects, I believe time is on my side. (maybe I should consider writing songs), Intresting sideline: Many people are using lawn maintainanceservices. The weed wacker trimmers eat away the base of 4x4posts at a rate that would make a young beaver proud.Riok
*Hey Sean or whoever is doing his job....Somehow this was posted twice...could you remove one? THANKS!
*Decks, no. Fences, yes.Fence is typically included in initial permit (new construction). Drawings important if over 6', max height here allowed is 8', and always specifically get design approved if it is a fence on a common property line.Most fencing is a derivation of a square picket colonial design. Four-by posts, cedar mostly, some pt,some picket runs scalloped, some straight, some combo. 2x6 bottom rail, 2x4 top rail.I take stock and bevel tops of rails, mill pickets, etc, do a little embellishment with a bead on the rails if desired. Nothing over the top fancy. Simple (ie, nothing "victorian-ish") and if I may say so, classic designs that looked good 100 years ago and will look good 100 years from now.Profit? Yes. Stock can be milled by most any skill level (read new guy). Rail/picket assemblies can be assembled by the same person. Profit is approx $4-7 USD per foot for cedar.
*Ouch! Price per foot altogether? (I assume profit is net.) Someone just asked if I did fences ... and I said I wasn't sure. :)
*Andrew, Some run $130 per 8' section. That's the cost to customer. They pay. It all got started when a fence design was pointed out in a lumberyard catalogue that was around $110 per 8' section. That's a material cost only. Customer wanted it "customized" (Pickets simply shorter by a few inches). Lumberyard would do so at a 50% premium. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I offered to do it at initial cost (the $110 figure) and still made a substantial profit. That's stick-building the fence and installation. Hmmmm...fences....thus a new mini-profit center was born. Don't do many...but when we do...Dead time on the job? New guy mills a few pickets or rails...Are the prices outlandish? They can't be...because people are paying it. And some are willing to pay more. That's scary.
*Fences yes decks yes.Decks around here have to be permitted. If attached to the house they have to be built like it. Continuous footing strapped all the way. My customers know they will pay more for me. They want it done right. The weather around here is fantastic so I like working outside. As for the bottom feeders I dont compete with them. Does Mercedes compete with Yogo?Rick Tuk
*I'm a custom builder in the Philadelphia suburbs and I build decks as a quick money type of job and fences only if architectural in scope. Bear in mind I only do very high-end work with many of my jobs designed by architects. One fence I recently completed was 280lf. but cost $60,000.00, took 4 months to build, and was almost like fine furniture. The most recent deck was 16in. off the ground 19'x12', #2 cedar and cost $5300.00, built in 3days(less if not for the damn rain). If you do very high quality work you will always find a market. I turn down a lot of work because I can't find enough qualified, experienced help,but the works out there.
*William, I'm sure I'd speak for all of us when I say...."Lets see the pics!". We are all pretty curious down here! Congrats on a job that I am sure will assist your reputation for quality work immensely. Now, I have an idea. If rather than waiting for an architect to design things for you and offer you the job as low bidder...how about selling the job yourselves? Having acess to unique details to sell? Interesting? I have sold fencing upto 300/lin' (materials cost, $100/lf), and routinely make 10-15/lin' on fencing. What do you folks think? If I could give you a picture, and a plan for cheap...might this be a service you would use?L
*I'd be interested, for sure. Design is my weakest area, and one that can really make a difference.
*Lawrence, My opinion is that the larger a structure (or fence) becomes, proper proportioning and scale takes on increased importance. This, to me, is even more so when considering privacy fencing, which tends to be solid construction, vs a lighter, "airier" picket or slat-style fence.I, for one, can build. I, for one, can't design. I have little confidence in images dreamed up in my skull. I typically need a scale drawing or mockup to realize if something would look good or, well, un-good.I'm always up for drawings, plans, etc, for higher-end pieces. I'd certainly consider using them if made available.
*... then there's always double-plus ungood...
*around my area decks and fences need a plot pln and a permit you also have to have the yard surveyed. that cost about 500.00 around me . the numbers you got so far for fencesis right i have seen then as low as 25.00 to 225.00 a 8'section.hoped this helped