• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

And I wonder why I do everything myself!

Not sure what the prices are now, but I had a metal roof installed back in March for 12,300. That is on a 1600sqft Cape Cod with dormers. Yes...the first quote I got was for 30k. I just kept shopping around. I am very happy with the quality of material (heavier gauge that the more expensive quotes) and quality of installation + 15 worksmanship guarantee.
 
Some idea of the cost 6 months ago Pole barn 42x96 4000 sq 127.000 bare bones no concrete no electrical NOTHING with labor % windows 3 role up doors
 
Honestly for me it isn't even taking on the big jobs that bothers me, it's the jobs left unfinished. I've always been eager to jump into just about anything but in the last several years I have unfinished jobs piling up all around me and it drives me mad.

A few years ago I started a restoration for my dad (his truck) then because of him retiring and my brother getting a divorce they started occupying the garage making it impossible for me to work so I started building my own garage and eventually moved the truck project into it. Before I could finish either we decided to install an outdoor boiler, then with a growing family we finish the basement adding a bedroom, laundry room, bathroom and a rec room pushing the garage even farther to the side. Wasn't long before the wife wanted hardwood in the living room (carpet was getting old) which snowballed into a radiant heat floor which led to raising doors, stairs, etc and it just keeps going. We recently added another little guy to the mix so talks of adding on yet again with an attached garage with living space above has begun..:BangHead:


It's all good, I'm extremely blessed just need to finish a bunch of stuff before biting off even more.

And one more thing, the daughter just turned 15 and we haven't even touched her 72 Satty.. tic toc, time is running out!
You will find out that clock never slows down or stops it keeps going and going as you run down its hard to catch up on projects as you get older enjoy your life while you can
 
Most of the companies use the internet sky views for estimating and measuring watch the guy do it
 
2 years ago we put a roof (FL hurricane code) on a 1200 sf house for $5500.

Today my BIL is having a roof put on a 1200 sf house and the estimate is $7700.

30 plus% increase in 2 years.
 
I'm 45 and still very much capable, my problem is it hasn't stopped in the last 20 years. I'm burned out on working 48-50 a week then coming home to more of it.
Your good for another 10 years. Burn out is a state of mind. Just wait until the body gives out on count of the burn out.
 
I'm 45 and still very much capable, my problem is it hasn't stopped in the last 20 years. I'm burned out on working 48-50 a week then coming home to more of it.

Who isn't at 45?? You won't be at 62 or so on up.... Just wait and see how fun it is getting old..
 
Last edited:
Have you been living under a rock ?!?! Steel has more than doubled in price since December. Metal roofing has long been way more expensive than shingles. In my experience, labor on construction projects is usually twice the cost of materials.
Labor use to be figured at 125% of materials. With the price of materials these days that figure can look ridicules.
We had a friend wanting to put a new roof on their 25x25 lake house this summer. $5000 first-year impression was ridicules untill I started figuring materials.
 
When I build my garage thought about doing my roof in bronze. The company I made it, would need 500' 25" wide .020 at 2 lbs per foot. Pro could gotten it for scrap price 2 to 3 k. Laying and soldering was what thought to do. Decided it wasn't practical. Now it's reroof time. They'll have to remove decking, roof then new decking.
 
2 years ago we put a roof (FL hurricane code) on a 1200 sf house for $5500.

Today my BIL is having a roof put on a 1200 sf house and the estimate is $7700.

30 plus% increase in 2 years.
That would figure up to roughly $14,000 for my non hurricane home which is close to what I was guessing.
 
Your good for another 10 years. Burn out is a state of mind. Just wait until the body gives out on count of the burn out.
I hear that, years of motorcross racing and lifting more than I should have had sped it up a bit for me.
 
Who isn't at 45?? You won't be at 62 or so on up.... Just wait and see how fun it is getting old..
I regret not taking the old folks more seriously as a kid, I'm feeling a lot of my stupidity already.
 
Last year we got a bid for $30k to do a 600 sq ft deck on top of the new garage. Even the contractor that was helping us get through the garage build nightmare was surprised. He said that he and I could do it for less than 15. Wood/constuction skills are not my bag. He got me started on it then I took over. It was $10k for me to do with the Redwood to match the other areas. I used up as much as possible of what was taken down to do the garage build, at that point it was only 2 years old because the previous home owner had to replace the decking and under structure to sell the house. The deck came out nice for a novice but for those who are pro's, I'm sure they could pick it apart. But we saved $20k. The inside of the old garage has to get drywalled for the final inspection write off. It has to get done because the new garage is fitted with sprinklers which meant that the house and old garage had to be retro fitted with them. We got bids from the two who insulated and drywalled the new garage. Their bids were half of what they charged us for the new unit. WTF! The old one is way less square footage for materials. So I get to learn some more skills. They'll come in handy inside the house when I tackle redoing one of the bathrooms.
 
S E Tx. And I thought stuff is high here!!!
We had to have a new roof. 2400 sq ft ranch style with 2 dormers.
No way NOT to go metal roof. Price of metal is like lumber, up 300%. But I did not go thru the usual "metal co.s". Still $2.80 a linear ft, $5200 total materials and got it done with 2 guys 6, 8 hr days for $2100, thats $7300 but nuts!
Would have cost me more like $5000-5500 back in Missouri. Good thing we don't live near either left or right coasts!!
 
Last year we got a bid for $30k to do a 600 sq ft deck on top of the new garage. Even the contractor that was helping us get through the garage build nightmare was surprised. He said that he and I could do it for less than 15. Wood/constuction skills are not my bag. He got me started on it then I took over. It was $10k for me to do with the Redwood to match the other areas. I used up as much as possible of what was taken down to do the garage build, at that point it was only 2 years old because the previous home owner had to replace the decking and under structure to sell the house. The deck came out nice for a novice but for those who are pro's, I'm sure they could pick it apart. But we saved $20k. The inside of the old garage has to get drywalled for the final inspection write off. It has to get done because the new garage is fitted with sprinklers which meant that the house and old garage had to be retro fitted with them. We got bids from the two who insulated and drywalled the new garage. Their bids were half of what they charged us for the new unit. WTF! The old one is way less square footage for materials. So I get to learn some more skills. They'll come in handy inside the house when I tackle redoing one of the bathrooms.
In many cases we learn out of necessity, that's how I learned. The great thing is the feeling of knowing you did it yourself.
 
Here's my last metal siding job, from the ground up, footer, block, walls and all. The addition is sided as well now, the whole thing didn't cost much more than their quote!

20180505_134809.jpg
Screenshot_20190901-203910_WhatsApp.jpg
20171125_161006.jpg


And the house.

20170923_124959.jpg
 
Getting old sucks. And it is NOT mearly a "state of mind", it's a state of body. Your brain wants to do all kinds of ****, but the body says "piss off, you had time to do this before!"...snap, crackle, pop, ow! My D300 was supposed to be road-ready by me, two weeks after it got delivered. Well, four months later...It runs, drives, doesn't stop for ****, and I still need to install the new seat, hook up the fuel tank and the inlet spout, and install the windshield within a few days, in order to get it to my buddy's shop for the brake job.

Twenty years ago, this would've all been done in two weeks or less.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top