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Gentlemen;
After taking a sabatical from new house framing, about five years, I seem to be out of touch with pricing on labor rates. The last house I framed was a single story ranch on slab with about a 6/12 pitch hip roof, It had one cathedral ceiling and the rest 8 foot flat with nothing out of the ordinary, and I got 1.75 per foot, every thing under the roof.
Not being one that wants to get work from being the lowest bidder, I am wondering what kind of rates framers are charging for first class straight,plumb and square framing jobs?
So my question would be, what is the range for framing costs and what area of the country are you in?
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"First class straight, plumb and square" framing job? Where? You ever see one?
Excuse my banter, but I get so ticked when the problems I deal with towards the end of the job were created at the very beginning.
And...when I have tried to get some cooperation from the frames, they give me the ole stink eye.
Actually, I have met a few good ones, but why are they so far apart? c:^)
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Rich;
It is definetly a unique or at least a rare thing to find a good straight frame job. I quit framing houses full time in 82 when the cutthroats brought the price down so low that it wasnt worth doing anymore. The guy that gave me the basics and procedure for a good frame job and never sacrificed quality or ethics reaped what he sowed,when the bottom fell out of the market in our area he had been working for Boone Pickens in Amarillo and when Boone left he took his carpenter-builder with him, and he is now building a 55000 square foot house in Dallas, his houses start at about 220 dollars a square foot.
As a young helper for this at that time framing contractor, I learned a lot about building, among the things that I learned is ; it is faster and easier to do it right the first time. We had a four man crew that framed faster and better than all of the larger crews in our area and got a premium for the work as long as there was a demand for the work.
Framing tract houses in the 70s on my own and doing as good of a job as was possible with materials that were available I found out that the guys thast were a good judge of quality on
frame jobs was the drywallers, and if you could please them you had done a good job.
Doing mostly finish work for the last few years I have just about got fed up with what passes for a framing job now and am ready to go back in it on a limited basis, to frame the ones I build or trim out. The ones that call it rough carpentry seem to have one of the descriptive words out of place, the term carpentry dosent apply to the garbage that I have been dealing with.
So we have both had a rant, but I am going to go back to it and try to teach a couple of young guys how to do a decent frame job, and to make some money why Im at it. Still wondering how much the market will bear?
brisketbean
*brisketbean ,in kcmo 4.50 -5.75 per foot residental homes
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Brisket, The last guys who bid for me (western Washington) had a reasonable method: $3.75/sf for the first floor (including the roof), $2.75/sf for the second floor (because there's no roof over the second floor which isn't also over the first) and about $100 extra for every dormer, hip, or what they considered a complex item.
*Brisket, walk into any super's office and offer your services for 6.00 per foot.If they take it too fast, tell them that it doesn't include, garages, porches, etc.If they are paying less, they'll tell you. Figure on them lying to gain at least 20%, and then make a counter offer.Walk out if it isn;t close to 6$, unless they are real easy!Blue
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I frame in Western Washington, Snohomish County to be exact. The figures on your note seem to be just the opposite of how I price jobs. I price the any floor with a roof over at 25% or more over any floor with a floor over it. For example, take a 2400 Sq ft two story home with a high ceiling in the entry and Living room. I would price the main floor less entry and liv. rm. at say 3.00 per ft. Then the upstairs with the footage of the entry and Living rm included at probably 3.75.I also will itemize any covered porch or deck areas ansd price them like the garage, most likely a little better than Half of the upstairs rate, say 2.00. I also have to make special note of hardware requirements or complicated blocking and shear framing details since they vary so widely from one plan to another. Some engineers will use simpler systems with more easily installed hardware. I am also charging 25 to 50 dollars a piece to hang ext. doors. many guys will not charge, but will not take the time to do it correctly or even shim the things. John Tremayne
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Gentlemen;
After taking a sabatical from new house framing, about five years, I seem to be out of touch with pricing on labor rates. The last house I framed was a single story ranch on slab with about a 6/12 pitch hip roof, It had one cathedral ceiling and the rest 8 foot flat with nothing out of the ordinary, and I got 1.75 per foot, every thing under the roof.
Not being one that wants to get work from being the lowest bidder, I am wondering what kind of rates framers are charging for first class straight,plumb and square framing jobs?
So my question would be, what is the range for framing costs and what area of the country are you in?
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John, if the door is pre-hung, all you have to do is nail the brickmolds. It takes 2.431 minutes. The trimmers will do the final shimming, after the warppage factor subsides.
your doing great if you are getting 25$ perdoor, but your getting screwed on the sq ft price.
5.75 here, plus features.
Blue