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

[Steppenwolfe]

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

Do yourself a favor. Go to the Owens Corning website and pick out a platinum rated contractor. Don't hire a one off guy.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

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.

Wow! I am gonna have to move to Michigan! A new younger couple moved in a couple lots over last year. They have 5 acres. He is a well off executive and travels for up to 3 weeks at a time.

She called me up one day and asked if I could mow the property because the grass was taller than her kids, and they wanted to be able to play outside. I said sure....it would take a few hours, and I wouldn't be able to do it for a couple days. Before I could even give her a price, she said "I can get you a couple of gallons of gas for your trouble" ...... WHAT? It's not like I was volunteering to do it....

I probably would have offered to do it for about $100, just to cover costs. Some people just want things for nothing.... their grass / fields still have not been cut.... its now almost a year....

 

[Whidbey]

Do yourself a favor. Go to the Owens Corning website and pick out a platinum rated contractor. Don't hire a one off guy.

Thanks, I will take your advice. I went to the website and have a number for another contractor. I plan to have about five estimates before making a decision. The 22,000 bid came from a company advertising heavily in the area. I suspected they were going to be quite high. Their proposal was outstanding but it seemed like I would be paying for two roofs.

All the best!

 

[Cat_Driver]

Wow! I am gonna have to move to Michigan! A new younger couple moved in a couple lots over last year. They have 5 acres. He is a well off executive and travels for up to 3 weeks at a time.

She called me up one day and asked if I could mow the property because the grass was taller than her kids, and they wanted to be able to play outside. I said sure....it would take a few hours, and I wouldn't be able to do it for a couple days. Before I could even give her a price, she said "I can get you a couple of gallons of gas for your trouble" ...... WHAT? It's not like I was volunteering to do it....

I probably would have offered to do it for about $100, just to cover costs. Some people just want things for nothing.... their grass / fields still have not been cut.... its now almost a year....

I experienced that also. My standard answer when they low, low, ball me is "I'm sorry I must respectfully decline your gracious offer".

On the other side, I've had people come out and do amazing work, and work like a dog without even a break and then charge me an insanely LOW price. In that case, I'll gladly pay what they are asking and then pay extra over what they are asking. Usually, they are stunned that someone will give them MORE money that they are asking.

I had two guys come out, cut down, a 60' trees, trim about 600 feet of bushes along the driveway. That took both men about 4 hours. They stuck with their original quote of $200.00 for the work at the end of the day. I really thought they were going to come at me after the job and say, well we didn't think it would take that long and we need to charge you more.

They didn't, and I paid them accordingly much more than they requested.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Thanks, I will take your advice. I went to the website and have a number for another contractor. I plan to have about five estimates before making a decision. The 22,000 bid came from a company advertising heavily in the area. I suspected they were going to be quite high. Their proposal was outstanding but it seemed like I would be paying for two roofs.

All the best!

Here is how to hire a roofer; pick out the best materials and warranty, then only interview their top installers. You will get what you pay for, and peace of mind.

 

[PILOON]

BTDT.
Did a lot of home repairs in the neighborhood and earned a very good reputation.
One neighbor always praised 'his man' and never even asked me for a quote but one day called saying he had a problem but did not wish to disturb 'his man'.
Well old softie went to see what his problem was.
Was simple thing but it did eat 1.5 hrs of my time.
It took everything for him to even thank me, never mind any compensation.

Just last week he asked for my recommendation for a roofer.
Well my ex employee was a very thorough experienced guy (and reasonable) so I suggested him.

No he said, I want a top experienced roofer.
Gee, good luck, try the yellow pages!

 

[dragoneggs]

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.

True enough... the way I figure it is pretty much free though if I would instead be sitting on my arse doing something less productive. I can learn alot from Youtube and even TBN, but can't learn better than doing. I will gladly use my 'free' time to learn. Just as long as I don't really screw it up and create more work!

 

[Fuddy1952]

It's an interesting topic on many levels and amazing to me how different people calculate how much they're worth.
Years ago I found this fellow who does lawn care. When I met him he drove an older truck, picture of his wife and kids taped to the dash.
For years now he cuts my Mom's place, picks up sticks, mows around the two houses and lake, weed eats, trims bushes, about 3 acres total. $65
$65 for hours of work, plus gas, maintenance, etc.
At Christmas he gives her a $20 gift. A great fellow and I've never figured out how he does it.
I've discovered a few similar people I've used here occasionally, plumbers, drain cleaners, etc.
The opposite are people who think they're time is worth $500/hour.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

It's an interesting topic on many levels and amazing to me how different people calculate how much they're worth.
Years ago I found this fellow who does lawn care. When I met him he drove an older truck, picture of his wife and kids taped to the dash.
For years now he cuts my Mom's place, picks up sticks, mows around the two houses and lake, weed eats, trims bushes, about 3 acres total. $65
$65 for hours of work, plus gas, maintenance, etc.
At Christmas he gives her a $20 gift. A great fellow and I've never figured out how he does it.
I've discovered a few similar people I've used here occasionally, plumbers, drain cleaners, etc.
The opposite are people who think they're time is worth $500/hour.

The "difference" can usually be found in a legitimate, licensed, insured business vs Joe blow. You want to put your homeowners insurance at risk, hire Joe blow.

 

[4570Man]

The "difference" can usually be found in a legitimate, licensed, insured business vs Joe blow. You want to put your homeowners insurance at risk, hire Joe blow.

Coming from another licensed and insured contractor here, people are way underestimating how much it cost us to work vs joe and bubba. We’ve got taxes, workers comp, unemployment ( which I don’t pay ) insurance cost, license cost, significant equipment cost, a lot of un billable hours worked and apparently people think we’re supposed to work for $20 an hour.