I’m trying to figure out dumpster needs for a commercial remodel. Not something I’ve ever done before, so I’m hoping y’all can help me out a bit. It’s about a 2,000 square foot demo. It will include dropped ceilings, about 200′ of 2×4 walls with drywall both sides, and tearing up carpet. There will likely be a few miscellaneous counters and shelves, along with things that the customer decides to throw in the dumpster while it’s sitting there. I’m thinking 3 trips with a 20 yard dumpster, but that’s just a WAG. Abybody got a reality check for me?
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Boss,
I guess the 3 x 20 yrds to be a little light. It so much depends on how ya pack them.
I work w a small co for my dumpsters - real nice folks. On a job like yours I would call them, see how busy they are, what they have available for bins ect. Maybe start w a 30 yrd. You would fill that probably the first day, and you'll then have a good idea of what to tell them to come back with.
Something like that anyway,,,,, good luck.
Harry
Strugglingman, I appreciate your thoughts.
Maybe I should have said that I'm trying to estimate costs on this job - We're still in the estimating stages.
Boss, I think you are light. Demo is tough to figure unless you do it all the time. I would consider culling the steel studs if they have value as scrap.
If you can get back into the building, go in and spend sometime walking around and build some good mental images of how much space this stuff will take up. I would say easily 3 30 yarders but that is just a wag not seeing what you are doing.
Sheetrock can be recycled too if you have an outfit in the area.
OK FWIW, I have a bill in front of me for some bins I had last month..... this is southern ontario.
10 yd dumpster, $135/week
Tipping fee, $90 per ton
Say a 4 foot section of wall weighs 100#,,,, there's 5000#
2000 ft2 carpet and backing,,,, 1500#
Ceiling,,,,, 1000#
Miscellaneous,,,, 1000#
There's 4.5 tons.
I'm always suprised how fast the misc adds up. I've never, ever seen a bin leave a site that was not completely filled!!
There's people on this site that can hit this better than me. Maybe they'll chime in.
Harry
Boss:
Get a 30 yard. Fewer tips than a 20 yard. 40 yards are 8' tall and too high to easily throw stuff in.
I appreciate the thoughts guys.
We'll be using a 20 yard dumpster, simply because that's the size we own. (Painted white with the company name/logo on it)
No idea yet if any of the studs are steel or not, but I doubt it. No drywall recyclers in our area.
Gotta go work on the estimate some more this morning. It should be a good job if we get it, and it should get me back to full time, too.
You of course have to remember that there's at least a 2x difference in how fast the bin fills based on the amount of care you take in loading it. You have to trade off the time/labor to knock down stuff and put it in in some logical order vs the cost of more frequent dumps.
I ask my dumpster provider for advice. I have to have some general quantities of what I plan to demolish in mind but I find them very helpful in translating things like 'SF of plaster walls' into 'CF of Dumpster Volume.'
Without seeing the site i would guess at 2 thiry yard dumpsters. That said consider this option. Anything i think can be salvaged goes on craigs list. I have sold carpet, doors, ceiling tile, ceiling grid, sinks, blinds, cabinetry.... you get the idea. You will be amazed what people will buy. Even if the ceiling grid is trashed & you have steel studs you are taking out, some scrapper will come & get them. The idea is someone pays you to come & get your trash. It works. you can add a considerable amount to your bottom line.
Can you write in your contract that anything over your estimate you will do at cost or something to that effect.
I know that contractors that do excavation put that in their contracts all the time.
Estimate the best you can. And then anything over is an extra.
This is actually a cost plus contract. Right now we're trying to give them a rough idea of what the project will cost. This is something new to me, so I'm just trying to learn something.
boss... it just ain't the
boss... it just ain't the same over here but... anyway...
here is what I'd do first... put an ad on craigslist for the drop ceiling tile... you can pull them or let them remove & load em... I have both given em away and have taken them... @ about $3-$5 each new they should not be sent to a landfill... and you sure shouldn't have to pay to get rid of them... some designer tiles are $10ea... i have removed stored and used pallets of them... usually time well spent for me... if i can get enough good ones the same for a 350sf office that saves me about $300 and takes me a couple hours... I have many 750sf spaces so if i can get that many.... it takes about the same couple hours and could save me $500 or so...
just a thought that would save you a dumpster fee...
p
merry christmas
I'm all in favor of cl and
I'm all in favor of cl and recycling, but when the reality of it sets in there's no way to keep people from pointing fingers when joe blow falls off a ladder and breaks his neck! Is this yo yo going on your insurance? The client's insurance? Try explaining that one! When his family sues everyone involved to see what sticks how's that going to sit with the client?
I'm a fan of recycling but it does cost more and surprisingly many clients don't mind paying the extra costs! Many residential clients and some commercial are tickled when you explain that old wood can be chipped, metal recyled and drywall put where ever the drywall recyclers put it.
I did a knee jerk when I heard "let them remove & load em".
When I sell stuff on craigslist I have the item out in an area where The person doesn't go into the house if I can.
The less exsposure you have with strangers the better when it comes to your home or work place. You never know these days.
My experience has been that the longer the dumpster stays at the curb or in your alley, the quicker it fills up, even while you're sleeping. Magical, that is. And it's usually a lot of stuff the landfill won't take. I'd personally hire an armed security service to watch my dumpster 24/7.
>> I'd personally hire an
>> I'd personally hire an armed security service to watch my dumpster 24/7. << You serious about that? What - do you work in NY City or LA or something? I guess you need be sure no extra bodies end up in the trash. Could hold up the job...
Yes - I have had some trouble with other poeple's trash in my dumptster. About a week ago some unitily workers were working in the neighborhood and loaded me up with some street light boxes. I did some checking around and called their boss. Boxes were gone within 12 hrs. Usually I'm not that lucky - but a guard? Problems where you live must be extreme....
No way would I consider CL. Aside from liability issues, the business will be in operation while we're doing the remodel. The work will have to be carefully sequenced so we can work while they're still functioning. Having people run around trying to snag free stuff under those circumstances would be ridiculous.
Habitat ReStore.