Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire question for carpenters

bubby has a 28x48 pier and beam home his daughter bought cheap, it had termite damage on the front, back and east side beams that I'm sure goes into the bottom plate and wall studs plus the 105 siding. he wants me to fix it and level it which I can do. I got the bottle jacks, will have to get some 4x6 beams to span the floor joist and shims to level it with once all the wood is replaced. what I need to know is what a fair price for doing it would be nowadays. Haven't done any of this stuff in about 12-13 yrs, and it's going to be f-cking hot.

Any squatting or bending? How high/low is the work, chest, head? Need a duct jack to raise beam into place?


The hassle and do I have to crawl around affect my price.


Are those beams and pilings that significantly eaten up? Do they still have enough integrity to “let it ride” if the infestation was eradicated now?


Just my little bit to add. Wish I could add more to your questions

I used to always rent a duct jack when had any LVLs or premade headers and jive to raise up. I added a couple hundred a day just bring that jack onsite.

I got a 1/2 dozen 20ton bottle house jacks. I think theyre 20s or maybe more. Heavy little SOBs to tote around

about 24 inches to work with under there, pier and beam over dirt. those three sides are eaten up bad the joist running north and south are good, I planned on using the 4x6s and jacks to lift the north and south side one at a time, replace the beams and any plate and studs then do the east side 28ft last then level everything. but it will all be on our belly or back.

i have five or six if they haven't grown legs.

I will be looking forward to some YouTube vids!

STX, Let me ask you: What do YOU think is a fair price? It's your "friend" How good of a friend?

Are you doing this on your time (as in retired and nothing better to do? On a schedule?

Yeah, it's HOT, so only work mornings and evenings, think of a daily rate, and can you do this yourself or are you going to have to get day laborers?

I am in SW MO, and I do work like that. I am in a low wage area, usual factory jobs pay 11-14 bucks an hour to start. I am billing at 45 an hour right now, per man hour. If they want a bid price, I figure how many hours I think it will take, add I 20 percent, and bid it. You should get more for that work where you are, it is highly technical work not just any framer can do. And work not very many contractors are willing to do. Probably why he asked you. He may have had a hard time finding anyone, or gotten a price he thought was crazy. For me, the reason you call me is because you either will not, or cannot do the work yourself. I charge what I charge. If it is worth that not to have to do it yourself, you will pay it.

Fixing to put a metal roof on for a good friend. He insists on paying my normal rate, says I do it for a living so I get paid. For him, I would do it for free if I had time to. That is a good friend. Friend asking for you to spend hours of your life doing a crappy job for less than you could make elsewhere is not a good friend. Would you rather tile a shower than do his job? If so, his job should pay enough to make you not mind doing it instead of that tile job. Whatever that looks like.

my contractor buddy said he'd want at least 10 grand, it's hard for me to figure a price till the siding is pulled off to see how many of the studs have to be replaced, so I'm just trying to come up with a fair price for labor and let them pay for material. I will have my son and one other helping, I pay them 15hr., i'm thinking it will take me maybe a week at most. it is 50 miles out of town so I got to figure that.

on flooring, I have set prices per sq yard or foot for everything.

Your back must be feeling alright to even consider doing something like this.

Did something similar recently for a friend. Guy who got me my first big jobs. I wouldn't give a firm price unless it was high. $10,000 doesn't sound off the wall.
Stuff like that I do $35/hr per man and 15%-20% markup on materials.

The one I did was a freebie out of gratitude

Seems like $10k is doing him a favor, walking into a project like that.

What does that type of work go for by the hour.

You could get a professional estimate and discount from there.

40/hr x 3 men=120 x 80 hrs= 9600. Round it up 10 seems a good start, considering youre not sure what youre getting into.

I'm sure you already know this, but it's definitely gonna be a lot worse than you think. Never seen one that wasn't.....
I hate renovation work, give me new construction everyday.

Amen!!!! Straightforward work, obvious and complete materials requirements.

I know that's why I stopped doing remodeling work years ago. more than once I under bid a job and ate it. I gave them a price and honored it.

Is this a friend discount job or a friend you know it will be done right and not rip me off job?

Over estimate and then at end of job back off whatever you believe is fair.

Take into account ALL your time even if you aren't gonna charge him for it.

10 grand is cheap....doubt a contractor would even look at it for that around here. Tell him 10 and tell him you’ll adjust it up if you need to.

he is a good friend who is trying to get his daughter into her first house, he was my manager when I worked for oil states energy services.