How Much To Insert 2 RSJ's in 2 Load Bearing Walls?

[jagillham]

Oh no, 10/11 of them were emailed directly (they on the Medway council 'Fair Trader' list).

Clearly most of them not fans of email contact

Anyway, the question remains... has anybody had something similiar (or are in the trade) got an idea on the 'going rate'?

Getting more and more tempted to go down the DIY route for about £600 of material/plant, some muscle power from mates & and a few beers/pizzas on top. I'll be getting it signed off by the council anyway, so should all be ok!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Again, to reiterate, receiving an email inviting to quote for a job smacks of someone sitting at their computer banging a load of emails off to all and sundry. They'll hazard that's what you've done and why should they bother when they have less than a 10% chance of getting the job? And how can they provide an accurate quote when, for the 3rd time, they've not seen it?

You're not listening.

 

[jagillham]

With all due respect, I'm not really after advise on how to contact builders, I am after ideas on price.

If somebody puts up an email address as their form of contact, you would expect this is how they wish to be contacted.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

With all due respect, if you did not want any comment on getting quotes you should not have mentioned anything about getting quotes in your post. Furthermore just because a builder advertises an email address as a form of contact does not mean that it is an efficient means of making contact in order to get a quote (clearly; as demonstrated by your experience).

The only way to get accurate prices for the work you require is to get quotes by builders who you have spoken to via a telephone who have then visited you at your house and seen the extent of the works with their own eyes.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Oh no, 10/11 of them were emailed directly (they on the Medway council 'Fair Trader' list).

Clearly most of them not fans of email contact

Anyway, the question remains... has anybody had something similiar (or are in the trade) got an idea on the 'going rate'?

Getting more and more tempted to go down the DIY route for about £600 of material/plant, some muscle power from mates & and a few beers/pizzas on top. I'll be getting it signed off by the council anyway, so should all be ok!

Yeah mate, that's what the DIY forum is all about. Do it yourself if you can. What's the worst that can happen?!

May be the builder's you've got quotes from are very busy and thus are pricing themselves out of the job. However, as said most will wish to inspect the job before quoting.

My mates a builder down your way (Broadstairs) and while he has a website/email address, it's more for his office admin than for obtaining work... he's far too busy to sit in front of a computer doing such things.

PS - Up the Gills!

 

[chapeau]

Getting more and more tempted to go down the DIY route for about £600 of material/plant, some muscle power from mates & and a few beers/pizzas on top. I'll be getting it signed off by the council anyway, so should all be ok!

If you are confident then just DIY. I'd rent a bit more kit (lift and maybe some tower scaffolds to hold it up there as you aren't experienced) but it's not rocket science. Even with extra kit you will save and you have the satisfaction of a job well done. If it all falls down then you only have yourself to blame, I hate it when I pay somebody to do a bodge job when I could do one myself for nothing.

 

[gissle]

You are paying for the expertise, and also the markup on materials. They will probably charge a 25% on materials.

If you think the quote is way out then get alternative quotes. If they are all coming in around the same figure then they have calculated correctly.

Where did you get your prices from for the calculation?

I would say £2K isn't a million miles from your estimate. Otherwise it might be regarded as quite a bit of hassle for not much profit.

 

[gissle]

I am sure you know what you are doing more than I do, but personally I wouldn't contemplate removing load bearing walls and installing RSJ's myself. Best to get a professional in - in my opinion.

I should look through the local directory and phone for some more quotes.

That's what I would do.

You could try a steelwork specialist - to just install the RSJ's .

 

[noseall]

Apart from your costing assumptions being way off the mark, particularly labour costs, how much of the quote would you attribute to 'risk'?

P.S. I could do the job in my sleep and will be glad to give advice, but you do need to ask the right questions....i.e. how do i recover from a failed needle!

 

[jagillham]

Can you point me in the direction of where I'm off, as I was fairly confident on most?

My local steel merchant can supply (and deliver) the two required beams for £345 total. HSS hire has the strongboys and heads, 4 of each totals £160 for a week. Where is the extra £1500 - £2500 going

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

There's £1000 fee for not knowing what's involved cos nobody's seen it!

 

[^woody^]

Where is the extra £1500 - £2500 going

That is the money you are being charged!

If that is the quote, then that is the quote. It does not matter if you think that builders are not entitled to charge more than £150 to put a beam in.

Personally, I think that Aston Martin should not charge £150k for a car which has the same number of parts as a Ford Mondeo, but there you go.

Just keep getting quotes until you find one cheap enough. But remember to keep the number of the more expensive ones so as you can ask them to come and correct any ccheap, dodgy work

 

[jagillham]

I assume the builder will be turning up in the mentioned Aston Martin, you are talking £500 day for the builder.... 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year.... £120k a year.

Clearly that is not the case...

 

[chapeau]

Yep, you are being quoted very high daily rates. You might find some odd job type of guy to do the work for less, as I said it isn't rocket science.

You aren't going to make friends on here by asking about rates, they don't like that, and you will get a frosty reception, newbies get beat up all the time on here when they talk money. Builders have two rates; one they charge each other, one they charge homeowners, you need to realise that. Builders like to charge homeowners 'what its worth' which translates to how much you can afford to pay. That's why you always park the missus Porsche down the road and never tell them what you really do for a living, as that is one of the first questions they ask.

If you came in asking how to do it yourself then you would still get told by some to pay a starving builder £3k (but only if he spoke the Queen's English), but you would also get some friendly folk turn up who would help you do it.

 

[chapeau]

duplicate...