I don’t know if the outside world is following this or not: Sandra Bullock aka Miss Congenialty is trying to have a house built here in or around Austin. Actually
it is S.B. and father. A house got built (more or less depending
who’s side you are on). The GC and SB are suing one another. SB is suing
claiming it will require in excess of 4mega$ to make the house liveable and
the GC is suing for unpaid bills. SB claims (and appently correctly) that some
of the bills are for labor elsewhere. Also, she claims she is being overbilled
for labor on her house. The GC would take a paper copy of the itemized labor cost
to him, cover up the cost with a pastit with an inflated value, copy that and
send it to her. He would pay his labor $10.00/hr and charge her $30.00.
The contract was for cost + 15%. He claims that is his internal bookkeeping
and is none of her business.
The full story is more complicated , many of the crucial facts have not been
released including the contract or contracts. My question: is there any justification
for bumping up the $10 to $30? Would overhead (insurance, etc.) properly
be billed this way and this much?
Steve
Replies
It's a matter of supply and demand. You can mark up a "product" as much as you want. However, you have to balance that out with how much of the product you will sell at the marked up price.
If they agreed that it was GC's cost + 15%, then he should fork over originals.
Well, for starters, paying his labor $10 an hour doesn't mean his labor COST is $10 an hour. There's a lot of overhead associated with employees - Sick time, workman's comp, insurance, health insurance, office overhead, tools, etc.
The workman's comp for stuff like roofing can be as much as 40% of wages alone. It adds up quick.
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On the other hand - I'd sure like to go down and spend some time trying to console her and help straighten the whole thing out.
(-:
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house. [George Carlin]
bumping up the $10 to $30? Would overhead (insurance, etc.) properly be billed this way and this much?
The employer "cost" for paying $10/hr is around $12.50 - 14.50/hr, depending upon jurisdiction. In construction, state-mandated WC can add 50% to that figure. A "true" overhead cost of $22/hr might be billable as $30/hr (I'm not sure that would be high enough to cover the cost).
If that were the case, he should have been telling the client that was what the labor rate to the customer was. Pasting over stuff, and faxing that is just asking for trouble.
The thing that catches my eye is the other way 'round. If the quoted billing rate is $10/hr, that's a gross pay of only around $7.50 or so--not what you'd call quality labor even in South Austin . . .
Steve
Isn't that house over in Lakeway? I've heard so many stories about it since I got here, even talked to one carp who claimed to have worked on the project. According to his analysis SB was being unreasonable, having tile work done that she had approved, only to come in and see it and change her mind. then expect it to be changed on his dime, Don't know if any of this is real or just BS.
Sandra B. even made a comment on Dave Letterman regarding the crook she had for a GC.
lawyers should come out of it OK though!
Doug
There was a short note in the San Antonio paper about 2 weeks ago. Didn't go into details, but it gave some numbers and that's some expensive house.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Ed
I caught a picture of Sandra B. on the from page of the Statesman about a week ago, explaining about SB in town for the trial, I didnt read the story though.
I think her house is in the Lakeway area, very expensive neighborhood, Rose Parott(sp?)Jr. is a resident of the hood, I've heard Michael Jordan has a place there as well.
The same neighborhood that the plane crashed into that house about 2 weeks ago, killing the pilot, and the family of 4 that were in the plane.
I guess she loves the area but after this ordeal she may go to Florida!
Doug
That's Ross Perot ... I thought he had a house in Dallas ... on Strait Lane, near the Tollroad and Forest Ave ... not thatr I've ever been by the house or anything... Maybe you're thinking about Ross Jr?
I'm doing a little work in a neighborhood called The Dominion ... on I-10 NW of town. Maybe you've heard of two of the HO's ... David Robinson and George Strait. This 'hood proves that money can't buy good taste. There are some very nice houses there, but also some where it looks like the archy was in a futuristic design contest, or maybe he let his 3rd grade kid do the concept drawings.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
ED
you're thinking about Ross Jr?
Yea, that's it.
I've heard of the Dominion, I think that's where I heard that Tom Hanks is building a house, don't know if its rumor or not.
Doug
That's Ross Perot ... I thought he had a house in Dallas ... on Strait Lane,
That's true, I've been by the Straight Lane hacienda (it's not that far, physically, from my folk's place in Big D--but worlds away in pricetag), but that's H. Ross Perot, Sr.
H. Ross Perot, Jr. has a little place in Austin.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
She's right and he's wrong. Doesn't matter about what. She's a Goddess! Actually, I almost met her once, so dw thought I had a thing for her, which I didn't, and then dw was an extra in a movie of hers, so now I accuse dw of having a thing for her. All that means that she's right be/c each of us were 5' away from her at different times and places.
Dang... to think she hired a crook when she could have had me build the house. Some people make astonishingly bad choices.
Yeah, and she stayed single when I was only 5' away.....a lifetime of bad choices.....her loss is DW's gain.
Ha ha ha.