Hello gentlemen,
I didn’t want to hi-jack Lawrence post so I just wanted to list in this one. I see at Lowes today that they are advertising a compostive deck for about $33. a sq foot. (Signs all over the store in thje decking area)
How can they hire guys to build it for that cost with materials and still everyone makes money?
Mike
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Replies
How can they hire guys to build it for that cost with materials and still everyone makes money?
Simple. They dont worry about everyone making money. Just them.
OTOH, if it is a very simple design, we have done the cheap composite ( veranda? i think) for about that price per sq. foot.
Does that include railings?
If not, then I know you could make plenty of money if that was your specialty.
With railings it might be difficult, but a couple of efficient carpenters could get an awful lot done when they've done the same thing fifteen times before.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
A friend and former employee, who rents a home from me, works as a millwork specialist at Lowes.
He said the deck program has just begun, and the first phase will be simple, cookie-cutter plans.
He said Lowes will be paying $8.50 per SF labor in the Houston area, and there are add-ons for height, mileage, railings, steps, etc.
I agree, I think it would be like any of their other install programs - "prices starting at $$XXX" - EVERYTHING is extra. Non-standard design: extra, troublesome access to the site: extra, post footings: extra....most likely an exhaustive list of 'extras'.
The one thing the sign does do - it gets the customer to initiate the conversation with Lowes rather than a contractor.
-Norm
VT,
Sorry for the ramble, but deck building triggered memories of our history.
I remember just 8 - 10 years ago, PT decks could be built turnkey for $7.00 per SF, and several pool companies were offering $5.50 per SF plus extras. Extras: radiused edge decking, stairs, rail, screw down, level changes, 45 degree decking, access, milage, skirting, etc.
We did a few for a pool company. We master mined the small offering, and would make some of the other deck builders mad as we completed most of them in one day. We would be loaded in the evening before, show up at 7:00 AM and leave about 7:00 PM with the project compete.
Of course, those were the days when we had in house crews, we did our own framing, trim, cabinets, roofing, painting, etc. I'd take my best frame helper, and we applied the same home framing processes for production to the project.
220 SF $1,210.00 / 1 day projects / No extras
Materials $585.00
Builder $500.00
Helper $125.00
Extras could easily add $300.00 - $500.00.
$500.00 + per day was good money in 1997.
We were good and fast. In 2000 we framed, corniced and finished the attached home in the George R. Brown Convertion Center starting on Monday at 7:00 AM and finished on Friday 9:00 AM in time for the home show.
The home was 2500 SF with a 6 x 50 porch with rails in the front and 300 SF of raised deck in the rear with wheelchair ramp. We owned a landscape and pool company, and built a moch swimming pool, backyard bridge over a pond, installed sod, landscaping and trees.
We raised the house up off of the floor with 18" pony walls, a framed floor structure and 2 x 6 T&G pine decking. We installed trim after drywall (by others) and painted. Interioor decorating companies did each room.
Our display space was 50 x 130 and included several partners who sheetrocked the inside, built a synthetic putting green, built a flagstone and rock pond and waterfall, laid brick pavers, laid a flagstone walkway, provided landscape lighting, installed a metal shake like roof, etc.
The management said it was the best home built in the 12 years of the show. The expense paid off as we had about 40 new home leads, 65 pool leads and 150 landscaping leads. We were on a TV morning show, clips on the news, radio, the internet and had top billing in all show advertising. $80,000 in expenses produced about 2.5 million + in actual projects, and those projects lead to other projects.
We tore it all down in one day and donated all of the materials to our Church and Ministry.
Nowdays, I don't have 16 - 20 craftsmen and office help. I have a construction manager, and my wife does the books and manages the office. Our company meat and potatoes is custom home design / build projects.
I checked out the pic, that is me standing in front with my face toward the camera talking to a couple. More hair and beard at the time.
Edited 3/9/2007 8:45 am ET by txlandlord
deck building is not rocket science and if you're ambitious enough there are plenty of simple guide books to help you along. in fact its how a lot of guys get their feet wet in business. then there are the type of guys who cannot make it in business on their own for whatever reason
a lot of guys get into bed with the big box and it rarely lasts. once they figure out how much they could be making doing their own sales and they build up their tool inventory, they usually go off on their own. nothing wrong with that, everyone has to start somewhere.
to be fair its not always guys with little or no experience, or guys who have failed in business willing to work cheap to get by.
stairs-extra
railings -extra
posts below frostline-extra
square-extra
level-extra
proper flashing-extra
quality-extra
design-extra
delivery-extra
sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach-FREE!!!
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