Concrete work way down

[SD Realtor]

We had dinner with an old family friend on Friday night. He is retired (about 7 years ago) but his profession was in concrete and asphalt. After retirement he kept getting calls from the company he used to work for because they were simply swamped. He was up pretty high in the command chain and his specialty is getting new projects on line. The projects were mostly new subdivision infrastructure development.

He said that over the past 6 months things have slowed down but right now it is as slow as he can ever remember. If they were not still chewing up stuff on the I15 expansion they would pretty much have nothing.

[meadandale]

Good!

Maybe now would be a good time to get some concrete work done in my backyard. The quotes I’ve gotten so far have been way too high.

On another note, I notice that alot of the remodel contractors are still holding out for high prices. One guy quoted me over $200 in labor to install a prehung door and casing. A general contractor friend of mine says that when he did estimating, hanging a door was 2 hrs max, including the case molding.

It will be nice to see prices return to earth for those of us who are paying with ‘cash’ and not money from the HELOC ATM.

[meadandale]

Good!

Maybe now would be a good time to get some concrete work done in my backyard. The quotes I’ve gotten so far have been way too high.

On another note, I notice that alot of the remodel contractors are still holding out for high prices. One guy quoted me over $200 in labor to install a prehung door and casing. A general contractor friend of mine says that when he did estimating, hanging a door was 2 hrs max, including the case molding.

It will be nice to see prices return to earth for those of us who are paying with ‘cash’ and not money from the HELOC ATM.

[meadandale]

Good!

Maybe now would be a good time to get some concrete work done in my backyard. The quotes I’ve gotten so far have been way too high.

On another note, I notice that alot of the remodel contractors are still holding out for high prices. One guy quoted me over $200 in labor to install a prehung door and casing. A general contractor friend of mine says that when he did estimating, hanging a door was 2 hrs max, including the case molding.

It will be nice to see prices return to earth for those of us who are paying with ‘cash’ and not money from the HELOC ATM.

[SD Realtor]

For small jobs like that, the best thing to do if you have several yards you need, is to get a guy that has a bunch of other work and will come over if he has extra soup in the truck…kind of on an ad hoc sort of thing.

SD Realtor

[SD Realtor]

For small jobs like that, the best thing to do if you have several yards you need, is to get a guy that has a bunch of other work and will come over if he has extra soup in the truck…kind of on an ad hoc sort of thing.

SD Realtor

[NotCranky]

This is one way to get a good price on cement work.
Call the Concrete co. Sales Rep. I speak with Dennis at Superior. They have two or three plant offices listed in the yellow pages and all the dispatchers can hook you up with Dennis. Tell him you want the concrete from his company and that you would like him to look at the job and give you the best priced most appropriate guy for your project with regards to type work quality expectations etc. Tell him whether or not you are comfortable with unlicensed people. I don’t know if he gets involved with small jobs. With things slow he might. Can’t hurt to try.

As a far as the door goes. It might be that the estimator is looking at a per door price for an entire house or even a tract of them. One door in a private house is a different situation. If your neighbor is a contractor or handyman and you have the door and casing on site that might be reasonable hassle to undertake for $200 or less. Besides the hassles of little jobs if you goof it up,say crack one of the mouldings when nailing you have fix it, whatever hassles are involved,at which means working for free or at a loss and facing looking stupid for little reward potential. Imo there is a price that needs to be charged for that. I’d be glad to pay $200 for a door install if I knew someone who I could trust in my house, about whom I was absolutely certain would do what was right no matter what. Nobody else would not get the job.

Some contractors and handymen got greedy, no doubt, during the National home obsession craze that put them in so much demand.It wasn’t because it was HELOC or cash money .It was because people were willing to pay. Just because it is over doesn’t mean the good ones are going to grovel. Not that I am saying that you particularly are looking to make someone do that. Just words to the wise. Be careful not to get an overly desperate person… he will make you pay dearly.

[NotCranky]

This is one way to get a good price on cement work.
Call the Concrete co. Sales Rep. I speak with Dennis at Superior. They have two or three plant offices listed in the yellow pages and all the dispatchers can hook you up with Dennis. Tell him you want the concrete from his company and that you would like him to look at the job and give you the best priced most appropriate guy for your project with regards to type work quality expectations etc. Tell him whether or not you are comfortable with unlicensed people. I don’t know if he gets involved with small jobs. With things slow he might. Can’t hurt to try.

As a far as the door goes. It might be that the estimator is looking at a per door price for an entire house or even a tract of them. One door in a private house is a different situation. If your neighbor is a contractor or handyman and you have the door and casing on site that might be reasonable hassle to undertake for $200 or less. Besides the hassles of little jobs if you goof it up,say crack one of the mouldings when nailing you have fix it, whatever hassles are involved,at which means working for free or at a loss and facing looking stupid for little reward potential. Imo there is a price that needs to be charged for that. I’d be glad to pay $200 for a door install if I knew someone who I could trust in my house, about whom I was absolutely certain would do what was right no matter what. Nobody else would not get the job.

Some contractors and handymen got greedy, no doubt, during the National home obsession craze that put them in so much demand.It wasn’t because it was HELOC or cash money .It was because people were willing to pay. Just because it is over doesn’t mean the good ones are going to grovel. Not that I am saying that you particularly are looking to make someone do that. Just words to the wise. Be careful not to get an overly desperate person… he will make you pay dearly.

[meadandale]

@Rustico

My friend wasn’t quoting the price on new construction or whole house work. He was giving me the estimate that he would use for a single door replacement in an existing house.

I work for myself writing software. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. Even with a masters degree and years of experience, I have a hell of a time getting $100/hr. Yet, that’s essentially what this guy was quoting me.

In fact, I don’t want just one door done, I want all the bedroom doors as well as the bathroom door rehung. I also want all the baseboards in the bedrooms and hallway done.

I talked to another guy (with good references) who was willing to send down a 2 man crew for around $600/day. He said that they would likely be able to get ALL the work I need done in a single day. Hell, if they got all the work done in one shot, I’d happily pay $1000/day. However, the first quote I got for doors and baseboards ($3.50/ft) would have cost me more than double that for the work I need done without even considering materials cost.

[meadandale]

@Rustico

My friend wasn’t quoting the price on new construction or whole house work. He was giving me the estimate that he would use for a single door replacement in an existing house.

I work for myself writing software. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. Even with a masters degree and years of experience, I have a hell of a time getting $100/hr. Yet, that’s essentially what this guy was quoting me.

In fact, I don’t want just one door done, I want all the bedroom doors as well as the bathroom door rehung. I also want all the baseboards in the bedrooms and hallway done.

I talked to another guy (with good references) who was willing to send down a 2 man crew for around $600/day. He said that they would likely be able to get ALL the work I need done in a single day. Hell, if they got all the work done in one shot, I’d happily pay $1000/day. However, the first quote I got for doors and baseboards ($3.50/ft) would have cost me more than double that for the work I need done without even considering materials cost.

[NotCranky]

meadandale

Sounds like you are in good shape.The post above made me feel like you were having problems.

Best wishes

[NotCranky]

meadandale

Sounds like you are in good shape.The post above made me feel like you were having problems.

Best wishes

[JWM in SD]

I can confirm indirectly that the concrete business has slowed down as result of the RE downturn. I work for a startup that sells product to concrete transport companies and they have backed off their original committments from a year ago resulting in some working capital issues for my company.

[JWM in SD]

I can confirm indirectly that the concrete business has slowed down as result of the RE downturn. I work for a startup that sells product to concrete transport companies and they have backed off their original committments from a year ago resulting in some working capital issues for my company.

[Author]

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