# Pay rates in your neck of the woods



## Rico1982 (Jun 28, 2015)

Hey everyone. Just wanted to know some pay rates around the country. If you don't mind me asking. I'll go first. I'm self employed. I do tract homes. No glue. Hand fed screws. 8 to 9ft ceilings. Not to cut up. 2.75$ an 8fter. Embarrassing. But that's the pay down here. Between 2.50-3.50....for more customed homes. I have work everyday and average 1000$ per week. Any and all input welcomed. I know I just work way too hard for such small pay. Then I see tapers knocking out houses twice ass fast then what it takes me. And making double, same pay but with all there fancy tools know. Taping has become a breeze. I'm really thinking of going into the taping and texture buisness. As to there is more profit and less tear and wear on the body.


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

Journeyman wage in the 9 San Francisco bay area counties is $46.40 with $31.87 benefit package.

http://cfao.org/PDF/Employers/Wage/Drywall_Current_Rates.pdf

And California's economy is the 6th largest in the world.


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## gopherstateguy (Apr 8, 2012)

It's amazing how much rates can differ so much from one region to the next. I understand local demand and cost of living figure into it, but still... I'm a taper, but I hang most of my side jobs. My base rate for hanging labor is &.20/sq.ft. or $9.60/12' sheet and up for higher ceilings, cut up jobs, etc. I have 2 upcoming basements locked in at this rate.


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

Drive over to SC and get paid at least double with similar cost of living. Bas pay for hangers here is generally $5.50 a board. Not uncommon to make $9 or $10 on harder customs with glue etc. $12 plus with 5/8 at times. Here the hangers are in and out quicker than the finishers and get paid similar if not more on customs.


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## Cletus (Jan 15, 2017)

Im in the south also, hangers are making 6-8 on track. 10-12 on custom. Yes they are hispanic. I had a hanger tell me a year ago he would hang for 4.00 per 4x12...I told him he was selling his self short!...if enough people stand up and to low wages...it would change. All of my guys are sub-contract labor, I pay them enough to cover their overhead and save for a rainy day, and when i call they are right there asking "whats next"


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

Dang Cletus that is good pricing. Definitely not that high here. Guys still making good money though.


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## Cletus (Jan 15, 2017)

thefinisher said:


> Dang Cletus that is good pricing. Definitely not that high here. Guys still making good money though.


Its gone up in the last 2 years! Not enough labor!..simple economics! This is not a racist statement, however i know some will read into it that way. Its kind of ironic, some 15 yrs ago most legal work force got out...because rates were so low. They could not compete with low wage, no tax paying, no insurance and 15 living in one room, work force. Now, they are all gone...and wadges are close to where they need to be for a man trying to make a house payment and raise some kids!


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

Yeah I haven't seen an American hanging or finishing crew in about a decade that was good. There are some hacks out there still but they can't put out the quality that I get from my Hispanic crews. Shoot my 3 man hanging crew can hang about 1000 sheets a week if it's easy enough. At $6-$7 a board that is good money!


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## mikon (Aug 10, 2017)

Down here in South Florida all hispanic guys charge avarage $11/ 5/8" board on high commercial Firewalls. Thats easy to hang. If I compare it to residential with cut outs etc. I don't get it how your guys can charge $6,7,8 a board.


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## Cletus (Jan 15, 2017)

mikon said:


> Down here in South Florida all hispanic guys charge avarage $11/ 5/8" board on high commercial Firewalls. Thats easy to hang. If I compare it to residential with cut outs etc. I don't get it how your guys can charge $6,7,8 a board.


Commercial is around double $ that of residential, and its not so much what they charge, but more so what the market will accept to be reasonable! I push the limits every week seeing what will be accepted or declined...not only for myself but also for the workers. Topping off firewall i normally put a flat price...my guys come out much more than 11.00


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

When I started hanging in shacks we got 6 cents a foot or $2.88 a board as you guys put it. However, we got our union benefits on top of that. Only 1 builder that I know of still builds a union home in California. That's why I went commercial in the early 80's. The last time I did shacks in the mid 90's we got 10 cents or $4.80 a board. Piecework is still legal in my union and I always made more than wages.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

MrWillys said:


> When I started hanging in shacks we got 6 cents a foot or $2.88 a board as you guys put it. However, we got our union benefits on top of that. Only 1 builder that I know of still builds a union home in California. That's why I went commercial in the early 80's. The last time I did shacks in the mid 90's we got 10 cents or $4.80 a board. Piecework is still legal in my union and I always made more than wages.


I've been in this trade since 84 ! I've never hung board for $5 a sheet !


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## krafty (Jun 30, 2016)

I hear ya that's like 1 and a half cent a foot. Wow!


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

moore said:


> I've been in this trade since 84 ! I've never hung board for $5 a sheet !


 As you know Rick I'll always support the working man, so if you've made moore then good for you. However, have you ever hung the same model so many times that you start in a different spot to break up the monotony?
We could typically make wages in 6 hours so after that was just a bonus. in 1984 I made $54,000 and bought my first home. My social security was paid in by September that year and i remember getting moore on my check. That was the only year i ever maxed it out.


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

krafty said:


> I hear ya that's like 1 and a half cent a foot. Wow!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's what my dad started at in the 50's.


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## krafty (Jun 30, 2016)

That's crazy, I think the least I've hung for was like 13 cents so yeah I believe it lol.


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

Lot of similar rates out there it seems. Rico, you should come on to my neck of the woods if you want to stay swamped and get paid more. Heck one of my guys just went to Texas for a week. Could have hitched a ride back lol.


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## endo_alley_revisited (Aug 9, 2016)

Here, lately it is about $12.00 per sheet hang, $12.0 per sheet to finish level 3.5. And $8.00 per sheet to put a very light skip trowel over the finish.


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

thefinisher said:


> Lot of similar rates out there it seems. Rico, you should come on to my neck of the woods if you want to stay swamped and get paid more. Heck one of my guys just went to Texas for a week. Could have hitched a ride back lol.


so did your boys ever make it back? Or did they get deported ?


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## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

moore said:


> thefinisher said:
> 
> 
> > Lot of similar rates out there it seems. Rico, you should come on to my neck of the woods if you want to stay swamped and get paid more. Heck one of my guys just went to Texas for a week. Could have hitched a ride back lol.
> ...


Lol he made it! He brought back another finisher with him.. one of his family members that was living in Texas as he is from there too. Good finishers. I keep them 100% swamped at all times so nobody can get their paws on him.


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