A friend of mine bid a deck rebuild job at $11,000.

He will remove and replace the wearing surface (deck that you walk on) and handrails and pickets (1,016 SF).

Materials will cost about $2,800. This leaves $8,200 for his labor. He will do the job in three days. This comes out to $2,733 per day.

Do you consider $2,733 a day to be a fair wage for skilled blue collar worker?

Your opinion please... Thanks

It’s a really crazy time. Local BEGINNING wages at McDonald’s START at $22/hr.

With that said the amount you quote for 2 or 3 guys for 3 days seems really steep! It looks like he simply used a rough 3x materials for his “labor” costs. He’s refinishing a deck not building cabinets or wiring a panel. It’s not what I would consider “artisan level” type craftsmanship involved in the job above. Not at all belittling the work or him as I’ve been paid to work on many decks through the years, if I was making $2700 a day you can be damn sure I’d be working 7 days a week for as long as that insanity was viable.

For comparison I recently got $2.5k to completely remove a 20x16 ground level main deck and 8x8 side deck, railings and 2-2 stair steps. Was going to take a skid loader with grapple bucket to do it but on further inspection it was so rotted most of the boards actually easily pulled up from the joists with a pry bar. Able to back a dump trailer within 15 feet of the decks. Using hand tools, a Stihl 025 chainsaw, cordless circular and reciprocating saws, myself and a helper had it demo'd, loaded and site cleaned up in around 4 hours. Paid the helper $25/hr, $75 to dump the debris, around 20 miles total on the truck.

Good info Mark. $2500 just for demo. Nothing comes cheap nowadays.

A friend of mine bid a deck rebuild job at $11,000.

He will remove and replace the wearing surface (deck that you walk on) and handrails and pickets (1,016 SF).

Materials will cost about $2,800. This leaves $8,200 for his labor. He will do the job in three days. This comes out to $2,733 per day.

Do you consider $2,733 a day to be a fair wage for skilled blue collar worker?

Your opinion please... Thanks

Nobody bids a job by labor, it's usually by the sq ft. 10+ bucks a sq ft for demo and rebuild is reasonable. Material costs seem low and don't include loader, dump truck and dump costs.

Business costs are 10 to 15% of gross.

Concrete costs less than decks, if I have to demo an existing slab and replace it starts at 7 bucks a sq, depending on variables.

Kent

Paid a contractor renovating my bathroom $40 per hour per person. Every Friday he showed me his numbers and I paid him. This was 2018 before the pandemic and I’m sure his hourly rate has increased. Had no issues with his numbers or the work he did.

It’s a really crazy time. Local BEGINNING wages at McDonald’s START at $22/hr.

With that said the amount you quote for 2 or 3 guys for 3 days seems really steep! It looks like he simply used a rough 3x materials for his “labor” costs. He’s refinishing a deck not building cabinets or wiring a panel. It’s not what I would consider “artisan level” type craftsmanship involved in the job above. Not at all belittling the work or him as I’ve been paid to work on many decks through the years, if I was making $2700 a day you can be damn sure I’d be working 7 days a week for as long as that insanity was viable.

What about his tools? Truck and gas to/from the site? Disposal of old deck?

You’re figuring labor rate wrong.

A friend of mine bid a deck rebuild job at $11,000.

He will remove and replace the wearing surface (deck that you walk on) and handrails and pickets (1,016 SF).

Materials will cost about $2,800. This leaves $8,200 for his labor. He will do the job in three days. This comes out to $2,733 per day.

Do you consider $2,733 a day to be a fair wage for skilled blue collar worker?

Your opinion please... Thanks

People get paid what they get paid. People charge what they think they deserve and, in some cases, what they think their client can pay. The ones that get me are the guys who are pulling in a half million a year for producing nothing, who then complain about what another makes with his hands. GD

Holeeee FUGG! McD’s starting at 22.$? That can’t be accurate. Even here in the Northeast, a dishwasher still gets hired at under 20.$ an hour. Dunkin’ Donuts I believe paying same or a dollar or two less to start. Then McD’s behind that at around 16. Maybe.

That was a hell of a lot, did you get other bids???

I just had a sewage pump replaced. Pump was 1200, labor was 2100, two hour job including pumping out the holding tank. Stung.

I'll do it next time, I really didnt know what was all involved. I understand the overhead, but 1050 an hour?

Tree guys who pull up with 500k in equipment only get 350-400 an hour depending on the crew the send around here.

I apologize for not being more clear in the previous posts...

A friend was asked to bid on a resurfacing job (the wearing surface... i.e. the wood that you actually walk on on a deck) by a Realtor selling a house.

Buyer and seller agree a new deck wearing surface is appropriate for the sale of the house. It is a short 3 day turn around job accordingly.

The framing is good to go, but the wearing surface (5/4 board) is poor/failing.

He bid the job at $11,000... and the buyer/seller/Realtor accepted his bid of $11,000.

He will be using 2x6 lumber as an upgrade.

If he pulls the job off in 3 days he will make $2,733 a day after materials, but not including chainsaw gas, fuel, dump fees (if any), CCCP permits etc.

Basically $250 per hour plus/minus...

That was the nature of my question.

Is $250 per hour a reasonable rate for a blue collar laborer?

Again... my apologies for any confusion in not being more clear previously.

your not suggesting that flapping your lips and punching computer keys isnt highly skilled labor , are ya Dog?


people with opioid addictions get to work at a discount because they move slower?

One of my coworkers was recently quoted 21k for a garage slab.

Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for the Regions – March 2022


Private industry employer costs for employee compensation among the four regions of the country ranged from $34.45 per hour in the South to $42.83 in the Northeast in March 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In the other two regions, hourly employer costs for employee compensation stood at $37.46 in the Midwest and $42.35 in the West. (See chart 1.) In addition to regional estimates, employer costs for nine smaller geographic divisions are also available. Within divisions, total compensation costs ranged from $31.70 per hour in the East South Central division to $45.21 in the Pacific region. (See table 1.) Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC) are based on the National Compensation Survey, which measures employer costs for wages, salaries, and employee benefits. (Geographic definitions of the regions and divisions follow in the Technical Note.)



In the Northeast, hourly total compensation costs in March 2022 were comprised of the following: wages and salaries ($29.54) made up 69.0 percent, while total benefits ($13.29) accounted for the remaining 31.0 percent of compensation costs. Insurance costs, which include life, health, and short- and long-term disability, averaged $3.41 per hour worked, or 8.0 percent of all compensation costs. Costs for paid leave, which includes vacation, holiday, sick, and personal leave, averaged $3.35 per hour worked, accounting for 7.8 percent of total compensation costs. Legally required benefits, which include Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance (both state and federal), and workers' compensation, averaged $3.29 per hour and represented 7.7 percent of total compensation costs.

In the West, hourly wages and salaries averaged $29.86 and accounted for 70.5 percent of all compensation costs. Total benefits averaged $12.49, or 29.5 percent of compensation costs. Legally required benefits averaged $3.31, or 7.8 percent of compensation costs. Paid leave costs were $3.22 per hour, or 7.6 percent of regional compensation costs. Insurance costs averaged $3.15 per hour, accounting for 7.4 percent of total compensation in the West.

The Midwest region recorded an hourly wage and salary average of $25.87 in March 2022, representing 69.1 percent of all compensation costs. Total benefits averaged $11.59 and accounted for the remaining 30.9 percent of total compensation costs. The three highest major categories for employer benefits were: insurance costs ($3.23 per hour worked), legally required benefits ($2.76), and paid leave ($2.70). These categories represented 8.6 percent, 7.4 percent, and 7.2 percent, respectively, of total employer compensation costs in the Midwest.

In the South, wages and salaries averaged $24.95 per hour and comprised 72.4 percent of total employer compensation costs, while benefits, at $9.51 per hour, accounted for the remaining 27.6 percent. Legally required benefits averaged $2.54 per hour worked, followed by paid leave at $2.50 per hour; these categories accounted for 7.4 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively, of total compensation costs in the South. Insurance costs were the third-highest benefit cost and averaged $2.28 per hour, accounting for 6.6 percent of employer compensation for the region.

Overall, compensation costs among private industry employers in the United States averaged $38.61 per hour worked in March 2022. Wages and salaries, at $27.19 per hour, accounted for 70.4 percent of these costs, while benefits, at $11.42, made up the remaining 29.6 percent.

The June 2022 national release on Employer Costs for Employee Compensation is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC) provides the average employer cost for wages and salaries as well as benefits per employee hour worked.

Employer Costs for Employee Compensation data in this release cover private industry. Excluded from private industry are the self-employed, agricultural workers, and private household workers. Data for this reference period were collected from a probability sample of approximately 23,400 occupational observations selected from a sample of about 5,900 private industry establishments. The private industry sample is rotated over approximately three years, which makes the sample more representative of the economy and reduces respondent burden. Data are collected for the pay period including the 12th day of the survey months of March, June, September, and December.

Employer Costs for Employee Compensation data on total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefits in private industry are produced annually in the March reference period for 15 combined and metropolitan statistical areas (CSA and MSA). Further information about metropolitan area ECEC estimates is available at www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/cwc/bls-introd...ry-workers-in-15-metropolitan-areas.pdf.

For detailed information on ECEC, see “National Compensation Measures,” of the BLS Handbook of Methods at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/ncs/home.htm. Current and historical BLS data are also available online at www.bls.gov/ect.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Regional definitions

Northeast region

New England division: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Middle Atlantic division: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania

Midwest region

East North Central division: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin
West North Central division: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

South region

South Atlantic division: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
East South Central division: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee
West South Central division: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

West region

Mountain division: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
Pacific division: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington


Table 1. Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for private industry workers by census region and division [Mar. 2022] Area (1) Total
compensation (2) Wages and salaries Total benefits Paid leave Supplemental pay Insurance Retirement and savings Legally required benefits
Cost ($) Percent Cost ($) Percent Cost ($) Percent Cost ($) Percent Cost ($) Percent Cost ($) Percent Cost ($) Percent Cost ($) Percent

Northeast
42.83 100.0 29.54 69.0 13.29 31.0 3.35 7.8 1.60 3.7 3.41 8.0 1.63 3.8 3.29 7.7

New England
42.27 100.0 29.19 69.0 13.08 31.0 3.28 7.8 1.87 4.4 3.24 7.7 1.51 3.6 3.19 7.5

Middle Atlantic
43.04 100.0 29.68 69.0 13.36 31.0 3.38 7.9 1.50 3.5 3.48 8.1 1.67 3.9 3.33 7.7

South
34.45 100.0 24.95 72.4 9.51 27.6 2.50 7.3 1.16 3.4 2.28 6.6 1.02 3.0 2.54 7.4

South Atlantic
35.26 100.0 25.50 72.3 9.76 27.7 2.63 7.5 1.10 3.1 2.34 6.6 1.05 3.0 2.64 7.5

East South Central
31.70 100.0 22.80 71.9 8.90 28.1 2.22 7.0 1.04 3.3 2.35 7.4 0.97 3.1 2.31 7.3

West South Central
34.38 100.0 25.02 72.8 9.36 27.2 2.40 7.0 1.32 3.9 2.16 6.3 1.01 2.9 2.47 7.2

Midwest
37.46 100.0 25.87 69.1 11.59 30.9 2.70 7.2 1.47 3.9 3.23 8.6 1.43 3.8 2.76 7.4

East North Central
38.64 100.0 26.72 69.1 11.93 30.9 2.79 7.2 1.51 3.9 3.23 8.4 1.58 4.1 2.82 7.3

West North Central
34.86 100.0 24.00 68.8 10.86 31.2 2.51 7.2 1.38 4.0 3.23 9.3 1.11 3.2 2.63 7.6

West
42.35 100.0 29.86 70.5 12.49 29.5 3.22 7.6 1.37 3.2 3.15 7.4 1.45 3.4 3.31 7.8

Mountain
35.85 100.0 25.37 70.8 10.48 29.2 2.53 7.0 1.24 3.5 2.84 7.9 1.16 3.2 2.72 7.6

Pacific
45.21 100.0 31.83 70.4 13.38 29.6 3.53 7.8 1.42 3.1 3.29 7.3 1.57 3.5 3.57 7.9

(1) The census divisions are defined as follows: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
(2) Includes costs for wages and salaries and benefits.


Last Modified Date: Friday, June 17, 2022

Factory work.

Our health insurance package is around $25k/yr.
I pay $4k of that.

Our lowest starting wage is (way too low currently) $14/hr

So a family guy is going to earn $28k, and cost $21k just in insurance.
Match his SS, his pension is around $2.50/hr, he gets $50k life insurance,
short term disability, vision and dental at no cost. Throw in the cost
of Workmans Comp, pretty soon that guy at $14/hr is actually costing
upwards of $30/hr. Due to so many costs being fixed, our $27/hr rate
actually looks somewhat better. In the pay to cost ratio.

Did ours 3 years ago.

Lowes pumps are $150 pieces of crap.

Did some finagling and bought a Goulds from a trade supply place
through my wife's companies hardware store name.
$700 for a commercial, constant duty rated pump.
(One and done for awhile.)

After I was done, was talking to a friend that owns a water business
and does some septic. He told me the cheapest permit he can get to
even start such a job is $3-400. Before the pump and labor.

Charles is pretty fast... and skilled

7AM today





10:30 update... he has a 12:30 deadline (Bank loan Underwriting Inspection @ 12:30).





2 1/2 day job at $11,500 (price went up yesterday).

I'll post the final $$$ after the job... +/- $250 per hour.

I consider that a fair wage on fast skill.

I'll post the final $$$ after the job... +/- $250 per hour.

I consider that a fair wage on fast skill.

What's the old adage?

There's good, fast & cheap. You can only pick two. You got good and fast.

That rotten skirt lattice is really special 🤣

Is howard or moe gonna leave that or is it gettin a do over too?

What's the old adage?

There's good, fast & cheap. You can only pick two. You got good and fast.

Why did he switch it to 2X's?
Are they less $ than 5/4?

I miss overtime pay!


Paychecks take a jump for sure.



How many hours per year(roughly) did you average?

I woulda ripped that nasty schidt out and poured a patio.

I’d rather have a concrete deck.