ok, how much for 1' deep trench.. fairly rocky with fines. digging and installing 2" sch 40 irrigation line with heads every 75 feet. then cleanup and hook onto valve. i am wanting $4.00 per linear foot, they want to pay $2.00 plf- no joke. no material, just digging and labor. there is 5000 linear feet to do plus or minus a few thousand feet. i used to get$6-7 per linear foot with material for shallows not irrigation. what do you guys think? thanks, cd :usa:usa.
CD, not knowing your overhead, pay scale, etc but basing it on my local numbers, $2 per LF for digging, installing and backfilling/cleanup would be hard to make any money at. That's over a mile of trench for $10K. That's a tough one with rocky material, heads every 75' and a tie in. There again, if you need to keep your guys busy or keep a good customer, that's another issue. Tough times brings out the best in us..
I've had good success pulling schedule 40 pipe with a maxi sneaker. Goes much faster that trenching & backfilling. We've pre drilled head holes with a 12" auger then pulled to the holes as well as dug after the fact with equal success. I would do it for $2.00 per foot in a heartbeat.
most of my iron is paid for. i pay my guys well. $12.00 labor. $20.00 super or operater. i have high insurance because i have high limits and a major policy. diesel is $3.50 a gallon. yes this is a valuable customer but it is 3 weeks of work after the dust settles and the cleanup is finished. my operater can get 1000' no problem per day. backfilling and bedding takes more time. i really don't need to where out my newer miniie in this fashion. my other one is up to 6200 hours. do i need the work?? heck ya!! do i have high payroll? yes.. insurance and a house payment.. yes. plus the cost of living here is absurd. for a hundred bucks you get about 4 bags of groceries at the king super. p.s- i am talking about minnie work not pipe pulling. this is the rockies and unless you plan on using hdpe.. s.o.l. not to sound ignorant but i don't even know what a maxie sneaker is. this is on a side hill, with alot of s...ty fill underneath. rock and rock.
$2 a foot is way to cheap. $4 seems about right to me, what does your local parts house get for 2" sch 40? I think the big factor here is the rock, you've seen the job so you know best what your dealing with. Around here $4 per foot would be a little high if it was easy digging, but it doesn't sound like it is. When people complain about a price on a job like this I like to tell them to go rent a walk behind trencher, then call me back if they cant make it happen. PS. What is a maxi sneaker?
no material, just machine time and labor. not great digging but not the worst either.
I would still try the sneaker (vibratory plow) if you use a 3" bullet the pipe should pull nicely. Can't speak for CO, but have done this in rocky clay in VA and heavy shale in NJ. I've pulled as much as 500 feet at a time of 20' sections of 2". Take your time and prep and glue your connections with care. Be sure to use bell end pipe and pull from the non bell end so the connection doesn't snag. If it works, it will save you a ton of time.
whats the mob. fee? can you start first thing thurs? we don't pull pipe out here, some guys do, but not in pit run.
Here in Missouri 5.00 would be cheap to me, but that is the going rate for decent digging here also. I agree with you CD 6-7.00 is what it should be to truly make a little money and replace & repair iron as it should be.
no word back from my client on this. i flat refused the $2.00 offer and am holding to my guns. if i can't get $4.00 per linear foot he can go find his guy for $2.00. who wants to show up on a job where someone else is already working. not for me! i don't do it to others. i am close to going on a rant so i will stfu. and see what what everbody thinks
so my client offered $3.00 plf. there is 4000 + linear feet. this will be over my reclaimed construction yard. i have all sort of junk buried underneath and cleanup is gonna be a big deal. so do i take the 3 or wait and see if i can 4. they said they will make a few calls if i don't want it for 3. what do you guys think? it has been a great job and i want to accomodate the client but....... thanks, cd:usa:usa
Same old story, they'll find someone else who will do it cheaper, well then let him, set your price and stick to it, if he's a good customer maybe he should also know what quality work you do and this is the price you need or you'll find other work as well, it works both ways, as for doing a job to loose money, I'd opt for letting my machines and guys sit, if you get into the doing it cheaper to stay busy game you might as well hang it up now, but then again, I've never run out of work or had to worry about my next paycheck either, we always seem to stay busy and do jobs that I can make money on. I've never gone broke yet doing work that's profitable, if you figure you need that much to make it pay, then as far as I'm concerned the decision's been made, when the price is four bucks a foot and they agree to it, then do it until then wait it out. If this is a good customer then what's a poor one? Most of my good customers never even ask what it'll cost, they just direct me to the job and tell me when its done send them the bill and they pay on time, no hassles or haggling, thats a good customer and one to keep happy not one who's going to jerk you around like this. Just my opinion though
Well I remember some great advice passed down to me from a successful businessman in the 60's and 70's - "You won't go broke if you make a profit". But there are different situations that may skirt that rule to keep a good customer, one example - a customer that has a lot of work that you already have lined up and you have to go and do some "rat killing". Meaning those little projects that they need done that don't have any profit in them but helps keep everything rolling. It's a tough one CD and without knowing your situation, that's a tough decision you will need to make. Good Luck!
Maybe you can counter the $3.00 offer by saying to your customer "Since you are offering me 25% less, I'll do the job but I'll dig the trench at 9" instead of 12", or 25% less". Sounds fair.
thanks guys, this is why i love this forum. randy, what great insight! so true if this a great customer then what is a bad one? i do need to make an accomodation and this may be it. i am real tired of dealing with this b.s. i am also hearing that the job is 6 weeks behind schedule and it is my fault. i could go on and on but it is not worth it. from when i mob'd in last year it took the owners rep 4 months to get the friggin permit. so schedule.....my a... i did have alot of good months on the job and these guy's won't break me over a dollar. they have withheld about 6k from last months draw. i think i will tell them if they pay up free and clear they can have their 3 bucks a ... foot. there is a ton of more work to do on this jobsite, just not right now. i always finish a job even if it takes some of this b.s. i want to be the first call they make on the next round. but looking at the other side of the coin from randy's view is very good for me. thanks, cd :usa:usa
I would do the job for the 3.00 , it will be somewhat painful, but with the circumstances you have stated, you most likely will be able to make some of it up with more work to come. What goes around always comes back around in time.
Withheld 6k already? Thats half of what they are offering to pay you to dig the irrigation trenches in? or basically you end up working for half, 6k that they already owe you and the other 6k for the job of digging the trenches or you'd work for 1.50 a foot? I'd opt for being paid in full and then get signatures for any work done there after to make sure I'd be paid in full later on as well or walk away being out only 6k and move on to better paying work, but again take it with a grain of salt, I don't know all the details.