At the risk of getting yelled at, I will simply put this out there and you can answer or ignore. I’m having a front porch rebuilt. It will measure 13’ x 15’ (not including front steps). It will have two columns holding up a gable roof tied to the house. The porch will be screened in.
Job requires demolishing and hauling off old porch and pouring of new footings. I want a porch that lasts and am asking for stainless steel fasteners above the frame and a Tendura T&G floor and Azek trim and ready-made, paintable synthetic columns. I live in a New England a metro area.
I have three quotes, $29K, $31K and $34K. That’s $150/sq. ft. to $175 /sq. ft. Has the market spoken? Or should I keep looking?
Thanks.
Replies
Assuming that theres no collusion; the market has spoken.
jim
fka (formerly known as) blue
Keep looking
mike
does this include a new roof structure over the porch?
With out more specifics, My gut says that with three numbers in relative proximity to each other your probably in the proper ball-park. Are all three companies coming to you recommended by someone else, have you seen any of their work, are they all about the same company?
Do you have a picture of your existing front porch?
Really going to be hard to get a decent answer without more specifics on the porch itself and the work involved.
As for SQFT pricing, it's bunk in this case from what I've read so far, sounds like there are more variables then just building a "porch".
Edited 10/12/2007 1:02 pm ET by CAGIV
Give us more info - too many variables for meaningful sq. ft. costs. This porch was about 9x13' + the balcony, and was around $50K.
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Forrest
It sounds pretty close. I din't check out your locale or such, but, I bid a dormer skin (4 of them) and was told it was high. way high, but when the #'s came to pay up, after a T&M contract was in place, I came out ahead.
If I'd contracted, I'd a broke even, barely.
Do YOU expect the guy to be back? Ever? No matter the price, YOU are the belt and pulley that keeps the something turning that keeps something else turning, so he'll still be turning, to keep you turning so you can pay him, or not, to fix what ain't turning no mo.
6K diff in $, go witn the gut, who sold the job? One guy gopnna be slick and sell it to his subs? One guy wanna be the hand holder? What are ya buying? What is he selling? Serviche'? ( that was joke).
Bottom line, eat it..commit and don't twist the options in your favor, to screw him)her(. Ask for what ya want, if it can't be had, be ready to dicker or bail.
"There is a long line in front of the potty, I'll bet I need to be there first, and you don't wanna follow."
Pick your subs,if they are "hungry" in a hurry to work, you don't need them ( most times).
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
Locally, MD side of DC -- guy had a 2 column affair build over his existing stoop (nice job but nothing very, very fancy) Roughly 7x9 cover area; and a smaller cover over the side stoop 7x6 and not as fancy as the front --- he paid $34,000. Your price seems in the ball park -- seems like you are going with the best materials so the future will not mean maintenance. Just curious about the roof -- copper?
Thanks.
Actually, we are re-shingling entire roof at same time (separate estimate), so the porch estimates don't even include that.
Nothing in your profile - how old are you, over 85?, disabled?, no skills? make over $80 at your day job? Lazy? Scarred of heights? got a big inheritance?
If NO to all the above, DIY for a LOT less.
Just my opinion.
You keep pushing this DIY stuff, you're gonna put us full time carps out of business
<G>
Didn't sound to me that he was pushing DIY; He was merely asking for some stats and then if all of them passed (unlikely) then fly at 'er.......
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
Edited 10/15/2007 12:26 am by Scott
Yep, if I keep working my day job a few more years I'll have to answer yes to a couple of the queries...
....oh well, will still DIY <G>
There was a <G> at the end of my post- that means it was a joke.
I know junkhound does a LOT of different skilled jobs around his place, and I admire him for it.
Sorry I missed that. Must have been a <g>less moment.
Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
"You keep pushing this DIY stuff, you're gonna put us full time carps out of business"
No, he just wants you to make MORE money fixing our DIY screwups.
I've done plenty of that.
But I think that if I had to repair the work of most of the people here, I'd be going hungry pretty quick.
It seems even the non-pros here do very good work.
"Nothing in your profile - how old are you, over 85?, disabled?, no skills? make over $80 at your day job? Lazy? Scarred of heights? got a big inheritance?If NO to all the above, DIY for a LOT less."Did you mean $800/day at your day job? $80/day is pretty cheap for most areas.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Iread it as 80/hr. I'm not quite there yet:(
<Scarred of heights?>
I am definitely "scarred" of heights. Not too scared, though.
Forrest
Find the old post "surviving falls". Scarred was what was meant<G>. Have not seen ProDek post for awhile, find the thread titled "surviving falls" (pre-prospero, can those be accessed?) and read his story.
Tom: yep I meant $80/hour.
Is this the one?http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=9670.1Edited 10/16/2007 7:27 am ET by FatRoman (Link fixed)
Edited 10/16/2007 7:27 am ET by FatRoman
That link is this post.
I looked for it myself, could not find it, circa 1999 or 2000 or so.
Prodeck described falling of a roof onto a brick wall, pretty knarly scar.
A friend also described falling off a grain elevator in Deer Lodge MT as he switched his harness, bouncing off each shed roof on the way down and ending up (happily) in the middle of a nice soft grain truck!!!
I'm on a bus. trip out of town in a hotel with company laptop, think I have the link under favorites on home computer.
Ah sorry, I copied the wrong link. This should be the one...http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=9670.1
It is not hard at all to spend thirty five grand on a nice porch and you are specing some of the best stuff"the porch estimates don't even include that."
The estimates include the hard part of framing the addon roof structure tho, right?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
It's tough to say from here (SE Conn.), not having seen the site nor aware of the details, but I did a 7x30' free-standing porch last year, minus the roof, for a college, for considerably less. The project included composite decking, vinyl rails, and azek trim, so it was similar in material specs.
I'd keep looking, were I in your shoes. Or I really need to raise my rates, lol.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
With all three of them so close together you have it made. The hard ones are where they come in all over the place.
At this point I'd want to talk to them again with a different priority in mind. Which one do you want to work with? Which one do you feel more comfortable with.
As was mentioned, follow up on the references they gave also.
That sounds like 3 pretty tight-grouped bids, which is a good indication that your numbers are on track. Typical wisdom says go with the middle number of $31k, but you also might consider the "feel" you get from the different crews at this point, and ask for references.
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
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What I'm on? I’m on my bike, busting my ### 6 hours a day…
...What are you on?"
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