An Old Goat Ranch in Texas

[terry.dinerman]

Those numbers for labor are a lot more then I was expecting, even thinking high. I agree with you and follow the principle of having my clients hire me over and over again to get their money, rather then trying to get as much as possible from a single job. The bonus to my approach is their friends want to give me money to do things for them too!!!

I know what you are saying about the transition and you are plenty knowledgable to make sure it gets done right. My experience is in those areas that stay wet and over time, start to rust and decay what's there. Leaf build up is a huge concern here, and a common source of rot when left sitting for years at a time. Most importantly, you prefer the look of your design, and that's what really matters.

Eddie

You are a rare craftsman, Brother... a lot of the contractors I've seen lately all want to go for the quick buck, not repeat business...and several of the contractors I recieved bids from further failed to pass muster with me when I investigated their credit history... failure to pay for materials, failure to pay subs, multiple business closures and then reopening under a new name....all the usual tricks...

I wish you lived closer to Bedias...!

Not to worry about that transition...since Precious Bride wants to use the roof to harvest rainwater, it will get regular maintenence...and our fire suppression system will sport a pair of sprinkler heads up at the peaks to keep the leaves washed off....after all is said and done, I'll have so many layers of metal and sealant along that join, it'll last long enough...after that my kid can worry about it...nothing a little roofing tar wont fix...

Have a wee dram Sir...and celebrate a Joyous Christmas...

T

 

[terry.dinerman]

Terry,
I'm one quarter Irish, but I never had any Bushmills. I'll have to try some Bushmills!
Merry Christmas hugs, Brandi

OH MY PRECIOUS CHILD!!!!! Irish whiskey is the finest expression of the distillers craft...the less expensive blended brands like "Jamesons" are a joy to the tongue and the best brands like "Bushmills 21 Single Malt" are triple distilled in old fashioned copper pot stills in small batches, matured in three different types of casks, first in American bourbon barrels, then in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, and finally in Madeira drums, and is served on Mount Olympus when the cherubim run out of Nectar...

Get thee hence to your nearest Public House (with a Designated Driver in tow!!!) and seek some knowledge...

T

 

[terry.dinerman]

As a contractor, I've seen a lot of guys go broke, bank rupt and disapear. There isn't as many doing what I do as there was in 2005, which is when I came real close to getting into trouble with a spec house that I had to sell three times because of the new lending laws. As far as rates, mine have just kept going up. It costs more to do business and to maintain a level of income that makes it worth my time, I have to pass those expenses on to my clients. Fortunately I have a three to four month waiting list, so I know I'm not too rediculous, but it's still more then I would ever pay anybody else to do what I do.

I would never fault anybody what they charge, I just don't have to hire them. What is interesting is that the cheaper guy is always ready to start right away, and nobody is waiting for his services. I had a very high end shower job earlier this year because I was twice as much and they didn't want to wait four months. After the cheap guy was done, they hired me to tear it all out and do it over after agreeing to my bid and waiting their turn.

It is what it is.

Eddie

...yep...too bad you don't live closer to Bedias...

 

[terry.dinerman]

What a thread...I've laughed, sympathized, and even choked up ! Terry, you have a unique gift, dunno if it's the gift of gab or prose, however it is truly a gift...thoroughly enjoyed your chronicle of life's ups and downs...to echo what others have said, you really should consider writing a book ! It is Christmas eve day, and tonight, as I settle in with my girls I plan on having a "wee dram" in your honor...hope you, yours, and the " pasture posse" are well and that y'all have a very merry Christmas.

Rich

I toast your Health SIR...Thank You for your kind words...and I wish you all the joys of the Season...

T

 

[bindian]

OH MY PRECIOUS CHILD!!!!! Irish whiskey is the finest expression of the distillers craft...the less expensive blended brands like "Jamesons" are a joy to the tongue and the best brands like "Bushmills 21 Single Malt" are triple distilled in old fashioned copper pot stills in small batches, matured in three different types of casks, first in American bourbon barrels, then in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, and finally in Madeira drums, and is served on Mount Olympus when the cherubim run out of Nectar...

Get thee hence to your nearest Public House (with a Designated Driver in tow!!!) and seek some knowledge...

T

Terry,
I get some for this weekend.
Merry Christmas hugs, Brandi

 

[mojoinco]

For what it's worth (I don't minimize your experience or knowledge) I found the Metal Sales instructions (PDF) enlightening for all the bits & pieces and order of assembly. Most of it seemed pretty obvious, some of it was 'hunh -ahhh'. Glad to 'see' you back from Facebook. I had to kill my account over there. Way to easy to get sucked into it.

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

Anybody heard from Terry lately ?

Rich

 

[ThomasH]

Rich -

Terry travels overseas for extended periods of time (as I do) so hearing from him a few weeks ago is probably the next time for a while. Not to say that I wouldn't hope to hear from him soon as I really enjoy reading what his tractor poetry ...

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

Thanks Thomas...yep, he really has a unique way with words...I knew he sometimes wrote while "deployed" though...hope he's ok...

Thanks again,

Rich

 

[NativeSon]

There ain't NO SUCH THING as a wee dram too much fellows...I just got sidetracked by that **** FACEBOOK thingie...

Isn't there a TBNET app for that?

Anyway...progress, tho slow, has been continuous...and we are now at the housebuilding stage...and it looks like I will have to be the General Contractor...

The builders in my part of Texas have lost their minds...maybe all the rebuilding from the last years brushfires has made them indolent, but I sought bids from ten of them...and you would not believe what some of these folks think a pole barn should cost...

My estimate for the materials cost to build just the shell of a 1600 square foot tin on a wood frame barn ran about $20k including the slab...the lowest bid I got for turn-key construction was $60K...one twit figured I would jump at the chance to acquire his services for a mere $91,000....

...that ain't gonna cut it...when I first moved to Texas I worked as a pole barn builder, and I figured a shell should go for about $35k...so it was time to dust off the old skills...

I drew up a set of plans, did the materials take-offs and got down to finding the supplies...

...it took some time to source all the bits and pieces...businesses I dealt with 30 years ago had long closed their doors...one of them, in fact, "Conroe Creosote" is now a Super Fund Site...but things came together....

...after a bit of hunting I found a local steel supplier in Navasota, who rolls and folds the steel in their own small plant, a McCoys lumber yard in Bryan College Station cut me a contractors discount on all the lumber and fittings, with only a $12 delivery charge no less, and I found a small family operated concrete plant in the beautiful cosmopolitan town of Iola, literally just up the road from the Ranch who is only charging $75 a yard for mud...

I got this stuff handled....

So, now an entire pole barn is laying scattered around the pad at TOGR....some assembly required...stay tuned for updates at the job presses on...like a mouse eating an elephant, I am going to tackle this one bite at a time...

T

WOW. That's not a barn it's the ultimate man-cave.

Charlie