# Bid Help



## V.I.P. Painting (Apr 29, 2014)

I could use some help bidding out a job.  Only info I have is it is going to be a 2500 square foot ranch style with 9 foot ceilings (No vaults, just regular ceilings) 5/8 on the lid and 1/2 on the walls.<br><br>Any advice I can get to estimate the amount of sheets I will need. I can do everything from there.<br><br>I appreciate any guidance I can get.<br>


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

May not get too many answers around here on that. For we know you are our competitor and may low ball one of our jobs. Just saying.... hate it when painters try to take our work especially when they don't know the trade. I literally figured the board count based on that square footage in less than a minute lol. If you can't figure a count on a 9' ranch then you need to stick to painting.


----------



## Magic (Feb 20, 2014)

We are going to need more info than that to be able to help you out. Whats the address so we can send someone who can help you out of the job.


----------



## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

Without having a plan you can use the rule of 3 1/2. Therefore 2500 x 3.5 = 8750 sq ft of board. I don't know what board is going for, but a $1 a foot should cover it and labor? Anyone else jump in on cost?


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

I figured 53 4x12 5/8" and 140 pcs of 4.5x12 1/2"........ Now that will cost you $100. You can PM me for details on where to send payment.


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

thefinisher said:


> I figured 53 4x12 5/8" and 140 pcs of 4.5x12 1/2"........ Now that will cost you $100. You can PM me for details on where to send payment.


I thought it was free estimates lol


----------



## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Wow! Must be his first house.:whistling2:


----------



## Mountain Man (Oct 28, 2012)

MrWillys said:


> Without having a plan you can use the rule of 3 1/2. Therefore 2500 x 3.5 = 8750 sq ft of board. I don't know what board is going for, but a $1 a foot should cover it and labor? Anyone else jump in on cost?


I would have to be pretty hungry to touch something for a dollar a foot!! And second why the hell does anybody want to share trade "secrets" to help some damn painter bid a drywall job?!? I rather shoot myself in the foot!!


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

I think he meant 1 just for material. So 1 plus whatever you would charge for labor which sounds more realistic


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

Our area prices come in under $1 per foot for all labor and materials. :furious:


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

thefinisher said:


> Our area prices come in under $1 per foot for all labor and materials. :furious:


Is that hanging too or just finish that seems way to cheap to me


----------



## Philma Crevices (Jan 28, 2012)

Corey The Taper said:


> Is that hanging too or just finish that seems way to cheap to me


The souf does have a history with slavery :whistling2:

I kid I kid!!


----------



## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

This got interesting after I went to sleep!


----------



## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Painters charge by the sq ft ...RIGHT? Why would a painter/drywall contractor ask such a simple question?


This Is a H/O second guessing their D/Cs board count! [IMO]


----------



## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Corey The Taper said:


> Is that hanging too or just finish that seems way to cheap to me


He makes his money off the materials . That's how [Mexican] low ball labor works. The D/C cuts the labor cost to nothing and makes it up on the supplies.


----------



## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

Guys, I was just guessing at a buck a foot. I don't know how much boards going for or labor in each geographic region. Clearly Colorado has become a wealthy state. Others here have mentioned taping for 20 cents? I do know that California production residential was a buck or less in the last 10 years. However, work in NY will always be higher than rural Alabama.

As for trade secrets? We are a board dedicated to our industry, and I'm willing to share my extensive knowledge freely with others. There's enough work out there that we can still interact as professionals.


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

So you can figure out how many sheets just by using the 3.5 trick. Thats awesome and if that works will save me a bunch of time when I measure a house is that the same for 8 foot ceilings. Say its a 10x10 room thats 100 sqft so 100x3.5 is 350 if your using 10 footers you divide it by 40 sqft which is 8.75 so that dont sound right 4 comes out just right at 10 sheets or am I not calculating something right


----------



## Magic (Feb 20, 2014)

You need to see the job or at least have plans to bid a job.


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Well I meant like those times when the homeowners or w.e are waiting for you to hurry ive been taping for 12 years but only recently started pricing. So it takes me some time unlike you guys whove been doing it for years. What I meant by that is just measure the floors and add up the sq ft then you can mark down 3 extra boards in the entrance and etc as you see it


----------



## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

Corey,
Your take off walking a house will always be more accurate, and have a plan to do a take off even better. Next estimate you do, double check it with 3 1/2 and see how close it is. If it is tight and cut up use 3 3/4.


----------



## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

Magic said:


> You need to see the job or at least have plans to bid a job.


 On a 9ft ranch with no vaulted ceilings i can give you a quote over the phone. :thumbsup:


----------



## super rocker (Jul 8, 2009)

MrWillys said:


> This got interesting after I went to sleep!





It isn't that interesting.:jester:


----------



## scottktmrider (Jun 24, 2012)

Don't forget to ad the garage and maybe basement wall if you use the 3.5 formula.


----------



## Magic (Feb 20, 2014)

boco said:


> On a 9ft ranch with no vaulted ceilings i can give you a quote over the phone. :thumbsup:


I dont doubt you boco but...
Like pumkinrider said above, dont forget the basement stairwell. That can eat up some extra sheets in a hurry. 
If its a contactor that I have a working relationship with its not a huge deal to give a phone bid but for anyone else I always take a closer look.


----------



## McCallum and Sons (Nov 3, 2013)

I would never give a hard bid on a job over the phone. I would figure up the ballpark price and then look at the project if they are serious. I have had people call and say its just a basic house with mostly 9' ceilings and a few round corners, and then when I look at it there will be 8 bullnose archways, soffits in multiple rooms, every window 4 way bullnose wrap, so it isn't what they really said and then I have to explain how much more work it is and they act like you're trying to get over on them. If you can't figure out a price on your own for an easy house then you should not be bidding the work. There are enough idiots out there giving away their lousy work, that they won't stand behind and with the cheap prices , they can't pay their bills or labor eventually, once it slows down and money faucet shuts off, they realize they were just spinning their wheels and then they're bankrupt. It always seems there is a new idiot to take their place. I started working for myself when I was 24 and I'm 44 now. I have made numerous mistakes, missed stuff on bids, lost money, etc but I have learned from them and moved on. Please educate yourself before you just start bidding work because it's not just about drywalling a house, its a business and business' have overhead, taxes, work comp, fuel, your time, accountants etc The Small Business Administration or Chamber of Commerce have a wealth of free resources from advice from successful business professionals, business plan assistance, market analysis etc In my area, it is a huge problem because there are no licensing requirements for drywall, so anyone with a pan and knife is a drywall contractor.


----------



## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

Magic said:


> I dont doubt you boco but...
> Like pumkinrider said above, dont forget the basement stairwell. That can eat up some extra sheets in a hurry.
> If its a contactor that I have a working relationship with its not a huge deal to give a phone bid but for anyone else I always take a closer look.


Actually i just did about 1 month ago. LOl for 9ft ceilings with NO Basement and no garage.. I use sqft and times that by 4. Add bead and no coat. Anyway just make sure to ask if theres a bonus room, stairways, and make sure there using 54" rock. My price was around $200.00 more then actual rock. My point being that 3.5 x for 9ft doesnt work unless its open floor plan but if so you would have vaulted ceilings. For 9ft go 4 times sqft. not sure about your areas but last few years plans always have small closets that you could fit a hockey stick in.

First time working for GC but I did know who framed and rocked it.


----------



## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

The formula works well for getting a general idea of what the job consist of. Between the formula and the walk through I can cut the count pretty close. I rarely see a set of plans...Around here they call the week before insulation!!!:furious:


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

Most of the houses here are 8 ft but the 3.5 isnt coming up right for me 4 is though


----------



## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

boco said:


> Actually i just did about 1 month ago. LOl for 9ft ceilings with NO Basement and no garage.. I use sqft and times that by 4. Add bead and no coat. Anyway just make sure to ask if theres a bonus room, stairways, and make sure there using 54" rock. My price was around $200.00 more then actual rock. My point being that 3.5 x for 9ft doesnt work unless its open floor plan but if so you would have vaulted ceilings. For 9ft go 4 times sqft. not sure about your areas but last few years plans always have small closets that you could fit a hockey stick in.
> 
> First time working for GC but I did know who framed and rocked it.


I would agree with this, but most of us can just walk through and count it off and come uncannyingly close. Take off of a set of plans too and nail it.


----------



## V.I.P. Painting (Apr 29, 2014)

Wow this post got fairly popular quickly. Sorry I haven't responded till now, I was at drill. To address some of the comments: 

Yes this is my first house bidding just a square foot with no other info. I usually bid off plans or look at the job. the G/C isn't going to be ready for 8 monthsish ...

I own a painting AND drywall business thank you very much. I have been doing BOTH painting AND drywall for years. I started my own business1 year ago. I started with painting because I know that best but soon added drywall because I enjoy it more and opens up the chance to get more work. (I have done everything from concrete work to framing to rock to insulation to trim to etc...)

I didn't know people in Canada (which it seems like A LOT of people on here are from) were worried about me taking the same jobs I am bidding in Colorado... If you are worried of me taking your work here please feel free to not respond. For the other people who know what this site is for (trading information such as tips and tricks, which some would call...TRADE SECRETS) please help a fellow hanger/taper/texturer out. I am still learning how to bid . You don't learn too much of that working for someone who doesn't want you to know that information and under cut them. 

It sounds like the rule of 4 i.e. 2500 x 4 = 10,000 square feet seems like it is the best option. I would rather bid high and not get the job than get the job and loss my shirt.

Thanks to all the people who helped. (please forgive the fact I am a new member. I have been looking at this site for a long time and finally joined. Didn't just join it on a whim and start asking dumb questions without thinking about it.)

-Kyle


----------



## JustMe (Apr 17, 2009)

V.I.P. Painting said:


> I didn't know people in Canada (which it seems like A LOT of people on here are from) were worried about me taking the same jobs I am bidding in Colorado... If you are worried of me taking your work here please feel free to not respond.


Which Canadians are you meaning? I looked twice for the Canadians replying to this thread and couldn't find any, till me.


----------



## Mountain Man (Oct 28, 2012)

I knew it you were bidding jobs here in colorado!!! Damn painters stealing my work!! And I knew why I didn't want to help lol!!


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

MrWillys said:


> I would agree with this, but most of us can just walk through and count it off and come uncannyingly close. Take off of a set of plans too and nail it.


I know my dad can count a 4-500 board house in less than 10 minutes l. He uses a wheel to measure the ceilings, but after that he just walks around and looks at the walls. I can do it too but I like to go back and double check my count with lineal footage as well. We get about the same count except he is in and out in no time.


----------



## Mountain Man (Oct 28, 2012)

Well if you're a contractor I sure hope you can figure out how to measure up a job...


----------



## scottktmrider (Jun 24, 2012)

And old timer told me if you want to figure it tight go 3.5 if you want sheets left over go 3.9 But that was back in the old days where everything was 8' flat. you could call the lumber yard and have it stocked with 12's without even looking at it. these days with rooms over 12' its impossible to do it


----------



## super rocker (Jul 8, 2009)

Mountain Man said:


> Well if you're a contractor I sure hope you can figure out how to measure up a job...


I am contractor and I still screw up measuring jobs. Guess I'm an idiot.:whistling2:


----------



## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

super rocker said:


> I am contractor and I still screw up measuring jobs. Guess I'm an idiot.:whistling2:


 You could if you were a legend in your own mind though!


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

I know people who dont even measure at all they do it in less then 10 min just by eye me I always have to double check kind of like an ocd


----------



## Mountain Man (Oct 28, 2012)

With everything you need to know posted on the inter web it should be a cinch to bid a job right?


----------



## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

I am like the rainman of drywall sheet estimating. LOl Time for wapner. Lowes sucks. LOL


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

boco said:


> I am like the rainman of drywall sheet estimating. LOl Time for wapner. Lowes sucks. LOL


Rainman did it and he was a ritard.... Reeetard. Pssh when builders send me plans I just look at square footage and times by 4.5 no matter what kind of house it is, then add board for garage and such. Then I estimate it at about .06 cents higher than what we are doing work for currently. I want it to be a high estimate if it is a preliminary bid. That way if they want us to do the job I know their budget so they cant beat down my price I give them when we count it physically. Builders always try to get one over on us so I get over on them back. Did a job for builder last year where he didn't pay $500 and when I emailed him about 5 times he never responded. Well we just did another house for him and when I bid it I put $500 on top of the actual numbers. Got my money back


----------



## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

2500 sqft ranch is a pretty big shack. At least for a ranch. To me that sounds like a nice gravy job with a high profit margin. For these jobs close to home i always try and do for a few cents less. If you can string and get bead coated on day 1 with 2 guys the rest of the job isnt even full days. Ill take 5 ranches over a monster no trim house anytime.


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

boco said:


> 2500 sqft ranch is a pretty big shack. At least for a ranch. To me that sounds like a nice gravy job with a high profit margin. For these jobs close to home i always try and do for a few cents less. If you can string and get bead coated on day 1 with 2 guys the rest of the job isnt even full days. Ill take 5 ranches over a monster no trim house anytime.


 2500 sqft here is a small house for new construction customs lol. We wish we could get some like that. Can roll in and roll out. My brother's house was 2500 sqft which came out to be 250 sheets including garage and FROG. His house was 9' walls with only the kitchen and living room being 10'. took me 3.5 hours to tape all the walls out which ended up being about 9 rolls. Most of our houses are 350 board jobs with high foyers with about 1000ft of bead and 300 feet of level line/ no coat.


----------



## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

I am working on some track houses right now. 8000 sqft of sheetrock with 9ft ceilings less then a dozen sticks of bead. I came in at 40 cents a foot. Good thing cause I wasnt the lowest bidder but for the extra couple hundred bucks per unit they went with me. 8 down, 8 more to go. No staging, Decent size closets and all 5/8s on metal high hat ceilings. Keep em comin.:thumbup:


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

boco said:


> I am working on some track houses right now. 8000 sqft of sheetrock with 9ft ceilings less then a dozen sticks of bead. I came in at 40 cents a foot. Good thing cause I wasnt the lowest bidder but for the extra couple hundred bucks per unit they went with me. 8 down, 8 more to go. No staging, Decent size closets and all 5/8s on metal high hat ceilings. Keep em comin.:thumbup:


Sweet, do you supply all labor and materials?


----------



## super rocker (Jul 8, 2009)

thefinisher said:


> Sweet, do you supply all labor and materials?


I hope not. I am guessing that is his taping price.:yes:


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

super rocker said:


> I hope not. I am guessing that is his taping price.:yes:


Could be hang to sand including finish materials for all I know.


----------



## boco (Oct 29, 2010)

No thats tape only. I stopped buying materials about 2 years ago.. Hanger gets around 25-30 cents a foot. Labor only.


----------



## Corey The Taper (Mar 18, 2014)

boco said:


> No thats tape only. I stopped buying materials about 2 years ago.. Hanger gets around 25-30 cents a foot. Labor only.


Thats really good I get about 33 to 35 also just labor


----------



## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

thefinisher said:


> Builders always try to get one over on us so I get over on them back. Did a job for builder last year where he didn't pay $500 and when I emailed him about 5 times he never responded. Well we just did another house for him and when I bid it I put $500 on top of the actual numbers. Got my money back


:thumbsup:


----------



## thefinisher (Sep 2, 2011)

moore said:


> :thumbsup:


Figured you would like that one. Builders always trying to screw us. Thats why the good ones get special treatment


----------



## imaginethat (Apr 16, 2014)

So I called someone that had an ad on craigslist yesterday and it was a drywall contractor looking for subs. He said he had someone to hang it for 10 cents and someone to finish it for 20 cents. This seems low to me. Is there anyone around east TN that has any input? He was supplying material. I was thinking 20 to hang and 35 to finish labor only and 93 to turnkey the whole job with knockdown on ceilings and prime. What do you guys think?


----------



## DiSantodrywall&paint (May 2, 2010)

i get more around 1.25 to 1.50 a sq ft turn key all labor and materials thats hang, tape,mud sand and prim one coat


----------

