Anyone else getting quoted insane prices for work around your place?

[jjp8182]

I'm talking about really heavy equipment that I am not efficient at using... that would get hired out such as clearing wooded land. I admit when it comes to permits/inspections, I tend to plead ignorance if it is a mod to my existing structures.

That's the "fun" some have had when hiring a contractor around here the contractor rents the equipment and charges the full rental price, plus all overhead even if/when they will/can use the rented equipment on multiple jobs for the rental fee they passed onto the customer in full......

Of course on the flip side that also means the rental market in this area for heavy equipment tends to be very competitive with the large/heavy equipment rental prices including delivery & pickup. ....so depending on who's doing the quoting it could be just as effective to rent the equipment yourself and learn how to operate it, since otherwise you may just be paying for someone else to rent the exact same equipment and learn how to operate it themselves --- at least that's the way it could play out around here.

One exception/consideration might be if a (semi-)precision task is involved where the skill and GPS guidance is required; in which case it'll likely require doing some screening on who is doing the job beforehand - or (potentially) lawsuits after the job has been done wrong.

The second exception would be cranes - which I wouldn't want to rent because of the considerations of swinging/moving such loads and most tasks requiring a crane also tend to need multiple individuals working together for them to be efficient/safe.

 

[Dadnatron]

The very first 'big' piece of equipment I ever rented was a D-7 CAT dozer. The truck brought it out, the driver pulled it off the lowboy and took off. I was a bit overwhelmed, as I'd never even been IN one before. I kind of expected a little tutoring or something I guess. But... he was gone... I was in the middle of my field... and I had a monster machine to play with. It still floors me that no one ever even asked if I had a clue how to drive it. They just gave me a $200K machine and walked away. heh....

I knew the basics, simply because there really isn't that much going on in them. I began moving levers, and within about 10 minutes had learned enough to move some dirt around where I intended. I recognized over the course of that week, that the initial learning curve is small, but there is a never ending curve where experience really comes into play. I know I never even came close to a knowledgeable operator, but... I got to take something off my bucket list... and I worked on MANY things that week, which I would never have paid someone else to do. It was one of the best investments I have ever made.

Since then, I've rented many pieces of equipment. Perhaps the oddest was a vibratory roller, which was GIGANTIC, as the one I wanted broke down while loading it on the truck. They called and asked if I wanted a bigger one, and I said yes. THAT was fun, and I think my road base was compacted to about 100' by the time I was done.

 

[Diggin It]

I have found that in many cases my results are better than the results I get when I pay someone else to do it.

I can't say that. But it's suitable for my needs and budget.

In 68 years, the only thing I have paid someone else to do are front end alignments and brain surgery.

I need brakes on one car. Always used to do it myself. Fairly simple overall. But I'm at a point where I'm not sure I want to. Will be getting prices in the next few days to have it done.

I'm pretty sure I can't do the other myself.

 

[jonathco]

This day and age, I do pretty much everything myself, if I can. I've got 4 little ones and my wife stays home to homeschool them. Being a single income family, I either do it myself or hit up YouTube to figure out how to do it and then do it. :confused2:

For us, being one income is a choice we made so the Mrs. could be home with the kids rather than paying a stranger to raise them for us, but goodness, you learn to be handy when you have no choice and refuse to pay the prices people charge for work these days.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ The point is, you get to a place in life where you no longer trust your own judgement, attention to detail, eyesight or strength. As simple as they are, I'm not sure I can do a brake job any more.

 

[PILOON]

Covid has introduced new problems.

Daughter needs her roof re-shingled but her contractor keeps putting her off.

His problem is hiring the non skilled portion of his crews. (clean up crews, tear down guys etc)

Generally that crew component consists of students or casual workers.
With the covid subsidies that component refuses to work as they get same money to stay home to do nothing.

 

[Doofy]

Why work when you can get $900+ a week on unemployment?

My friend is a concrete worker. He is making more money by not working than he as ever earned in his life.

And CatDriver, I tried your idea on a driveway I wanted done. I offered the concrete guys I know $35/hr cash and they wanted $75/hr for a side job. Told them I could get a licensed and insured contractor for $75/hr and they would not budge. These are not well-to-do people. They drive beaters and live in run down homes. They normally earn $16/hr and pay taxes but would not work for $35/hr tax free. Some poor people are poor for a reason. Either lazy or stupid or both.

Well stated and probably true.

 

[KennyG]

The very first 'big' piece of equipment I ever rented was a D-7 CAT dozer. The truck brought it out, the driver pulled it off the lowboy and took off. I was a bit overwhelmed, as I'd never even been IN one before. I kind of expected a little tutoring or something I guess. But... he was gone... I was in the middle of my field... and I had a monster machine to play with. It still floors me that no one ever even asked if I had a clue how to drive it. They just gave me a $200K machine and walked away. heh....

I little off topic but I remember my first time on a CAT. I was a teenager working construction and we were clearing a roadside slope. The boss got mad at the CAT operator for some reason, ordered him off the machine and told me to get on (I guess because I was a farm kid and good on tractors.) I went at it, having a good time and after about 10 minutes the boss looked at me and said "You've never run a CAT before, have you?" Then he took over and finished the job in no time.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Being in the building trades I can tell you NOTHING is cheap. Not materials, not labor, and certainly not insurance. If you put the whole package together you are looking at $80 to $140 dollars an hour for a man and a truck. We only do high end commercial work so our labor pool is better than run of the mill residential. Anyway... don't expect this to get any better anytime soon; young people rarely go into the building trades.

 

[not2old]

I'm in the middle of buiding a shop, 30x44. I've been quoted $1.00 per square foot for the labour for the concrete floor, $1300. I can't do it myself and think the cost is very reasonable. I was also quoted $1800 for installing a 14x16 roll up door. I can do that myself and can't believe the cost.

 

[newbury]

What irritates me is when the guy that's supposed to do the job asks to use my tools.<snip>

That is a big sore point with me.
I had some expensive concrete block foundation repair to be done by a "qualified" crew recommended by the architect/inspector. The doofus borrowed my 50 year old contractor grade wheelbarrow WITHOUT ASKING, used chairs I had and got concrete all over them, tried to use lumber I had, all while charging top dollar. Towards the end of the job they had 2 piles of sand and stone left over and the blasted guy wanted to charge me about what one would pay for the same quantity bought by the small bag at a high priced hardware store. He got fairly agitated when I told him to clean it up and it took his 2 man crew about an hour, plus a long trip to do it. It must have cost him 4 times what the materials cost to clean it up versus giving it to me.

I had another contractor try and borrow my tools because he "forgot" his. Since it was near the end of the job I let him drive the 15 miles one way to get his tools so he could finish the job, and I never expect to use him again.

<snip>

But don't discount the amount of time it takes you to perform the task. Even though you are working for yourself, it isn't 'free'. But, in essence, I agree. Prices for everything has reached a point that DIY is more and more reasonable.

But for those of us who are retired and enjoy getting the job done our time is already paid for.

Being in the building trades I can tell you NOTHING is cheap. Not materials, not labor, and certainly not insurance. If you put the whole package together you are looking at $80 to $140 dollars an hour for a man and a truck. We only do high end commercial work so our labor pool is better than run of the mill residential. Anyway... don't expect this to get any better anytime soon; young people rarely go into the building trades.

Yes, but we can look forward to robots doing the work.

 

[jonathco]

I'm in the middle of buiding a shop, 30x44. I've been quoted $1.00 per square foot for the labour for the concrete floor, $1300. I can't do it myself and think the cost is very reasonable. I was also quoted $1800 for installing a 14x16 roll up door. I can do that myself and can't believe the cost.

Yikes, $1800 for the install only or does that include the door?

 

[Doofy]

That is a big sore point with me.
I had some expensive concrete block foundation repair to be done by a "qualified" crew recommended by the architect/inspector. The doofus borrowed my 50 year old contractor grade wheelbarrow WITHOUT ASKING, used chairs I had and got concrete all over them, tried to use lumber I had, all while charging top dollar. Towards the end of the job they had 2 piles of sand and stone left over and the blasted guy wanted to charge me about what one would pay for the same quantity bought by the small bag at a high priced hardware store. He got fairly agitated when I told him to clean it up and it took his 2 man crew about an hour, plus a long trip to do it. It must have cost him 4 times what the materials cost to clean it up versus giving it to me.

I had another contractor try and borrow my tools because he "forgot" his. Since it was near the end of the job I let him drive the 15 miles one way to get his tools so he could finish the job, and I never expect to use him again.



But for those of us who are retired and enjoy getting the job done our time is already paid for.



Yes, but we can look forward to robots doing the work.

Just as long as they don't have "Attitude"! If they can complete the job correctly and on budget then why not?

 

[Captain Dirty]

^^ The point is, you get to a place in life where you no longer trust your own judgement, attention to detail, eyesight or strength. As simple as they are, I'm not sure I can do a brake job any more.

One of the perils of retirement is what I call "Lifestyle Creep". One begins to hire out the things one used to do for oneself. At some point it may have budgetary repercussions, and then one takes a different view of what "needs" to be done.

 

[RickB]

One of the perils of retirement is what I call "Lifestyle Creep". One begins to hire out the things one used to do for oneself.

That is the reward for making it that far.
The DIY crowd isn’t burdened with finding and keeping help, paying insurance, workmans comp, licensing and other costs.
If you prefer not to pay the price, figure out how to get it done yourself (as many have). Comparing your own costs to a quote from a local business is apples and oranges. And whining about it accomplishes nothing productive.

 

[riptides]

It's not just cost for me, it is time and effort. How much time is it going to save me, how much effort (both physical and mental).

Time mostly rules my day, there is only so much of that.

 

[Whidbey]

I am getting bids on having my house reroofed. The first estimate was 8900, the second 22000. Quite a difference

 

[zzvyb6]

Where I live (SE Michigan), much of the "inflation" is caused by rich, inept, ignorant, careless, stupid, reckless, divorced, and overly educated morons. They ask (in Facebook or Nextdoor.com) for help turning on their sprinkler systems, cleaning gutters, patch and tar sealing their driveways, fixing any one of 3 or 4 non-running lawnmowers, replacing the roof on a bird house, searching for a lost dog or cat, trimming a tree branch broken by the wind, hooking up a generator, opening a garage door when the power is out and starting a washing machine (the maids and house cleaners are forbidden from working because of wuhan).

The hilarious part is the friends and families of service providers writing in about how great somebody or some company (their father's or brother) did painting some rocks and how fair the price was. The only trouble is that the home owners only have a credit or debit card to pay for their foibles, not cash or doubloons.

Best one this week was a woman wanting someone with an aerial drone to come by and find her blind cat. They found it (at least some of it that the coyotes didn't care for). $125.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Something as simple and low priced equipment like a lawnmower is going for big $$$ here. MY brother in law pays $250 each mowing for 2.5 acres. He has a new JD 535 that just needs a battery and I told his wife if she bought a battery, I would mow it for her. She said her husband just love the guy doing the mowing.
My neighbor bought a rider after the same guy was charging her $300 per mow. I had mowed the place for my neighbor (previous owner) and it took about 1/2 hour to mow minus any weed eating. Might be an acre all total.
I am very tempted to advertise lawnmowing to compete with at least 2 guys doing it. I could mow just a couple of yards like that and earn a couple thousand a month. Some of them I could just road the mower and not even have to put it on a trailer. Another neighbor said the guy wanted 160 bucks to mow her yard. The whole lot is only 1/2 acre and has house and 3 outbuildings on it. I mowed it a few times for her for free, it took 15 minutes and much of that was because I had to go so slow because of the rough ground.

 

[riptides]

I am getting bids on having my house reroofed. The first estimate was 8900, the second 22000. Quite a difference

Welcome to TBN. Your in a up and coming area. Development and Rural pricing is now the norm.