Herman Cain Wins Florida Straw Poll By A Big Margin

[TAB]

Building materials, payroll, truck(s) tools and other BS. 


a good general contractor will make between 5-15% of the gross.  So the more money you bring in the more goes in your pocket.

 It cost alot of money to stay in biz.   When it was just me, I didn't make a dime until about 5k in profit a month.  when I had 7 guys, I had to bring in 45k a month before I saw a dime.


You can only charge so much, I was always on the high end of pricing, you got top end work for it, but you had to pay.  Its why I never had to look for work and why People are still calling me now.  I've had several home owners tell me they will pay for me to reactivate my lic+ all the BS just to come remodel thier " fill in the blank".   If it was not for all the BS that goes along with being a contractor( not just state,but federal, the new lead BS comes to mind) I'd do it in a heart beat, but no way in hell now.

[Solus]

Building materials, payroll, truck(s) tools and other BS. 


a good general contractor will make between 5-15% of the gross.  So the more money you bring in the more goes in your pocket.

 It cost alot of money to stay in biz.   When it was just me, I didn't make a dime until about 5k in profit a month.  when I had 7 guys, I had to bring in 45k a month before I saw a dime.


You can only charge so much, I was always on the high end of pricing, you got top end work for it, but you had to pay.  Its why I never had to look for work and why People are still calling me now.  I've had several home owners tell me they will pay for me to reactivate my lic+ all the BS just to come remodel thier " fill in the blank".   If it was not for all the BS that goes along with being a contractor( not just state,but federal, the new lead BS comes to mind) I'd do it in a heart beat, but no way in hell now.

$5K profit or $5k gross?   Or maybe I don't know how to calculate profit correctly?  I'd have thought it was Gross - cost and expenses = profit?

[TAB]

In this case I mean money left over after costs.  Example a contract ofr $1000, there is $800 in building materials profit= $200.

I was not counting things like gas, insurance, truck..etc  just costs of the actual job. 

[Timothy]

I'm not a contractor and I don't play one on TV but I've been estimating manufacturing jobs for the better part of 25 years as well as actually making the parts in one form or another.  If your gross margins are only 20% you're not going to survive very long.

Now, if you're competing with folks who'll use illegal or immigrant labor on there jobs, your pretty much screwed!  We get that here too, just not as much as in the west.

[tombogan03884]

In this case I mean money left over after costs.  Example a contract ofr $1000, there is $800 in building materials profit= $200.

I was not counting things like gas, insurance, truck..etc  just costs of the actual job. 

Since gas, insurance, truck, etc are part of the job then your estimating sucks.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

I'm not a contractor and I don't play one on TV but I've been estimating manufacturing jobs for the better part of 25 years as well as actually making the parts in one form or another.  If your gross margins are only 20% you're not going to survive very long.

Now, if you're competing with folks who'll use illegal or immigrant labor on there jobs, your pretty much screwed!  We get that here too, just not as much as in the west.

thats pretty much it right there.  I can't tell you the number of times I've been underbid for less then my costs its not even funny.


Now remember as a general, your not doing all of the work, your subs take a chunk of it as well.  sub mark up is anywhere between 25% and 100%( I have seen 300% but those guys either have some locked in job, that they bought or don't stay around long)

contracting is diffrent, its either all parts or all labor.  you make the money on the labor, not the parts( atleast not enough for it to matter that much)  I've done ktichens that were 100k+ and were done in 2 days,  charging 20k for 2 days worth of work is a hard sale, if you can do it, more power too you.  hell I've done 300k jobs where my time on site was litterly, bid, sign the contract then collect the check. 100% subs, those are the jobs I like, but are always a head ache.

[Solus]

I'm not a contractor and I don't play one on TV but I've been estimating manufacturing jobs for the better part of 25 years as well as actually making the parts in one form or another.  If your gross margins are only 20% you're not going to survive very long.

Now, if you're competing with folks who'll use illegal or immigrant labor on there jobs, your pretty much screwed!  We get that here too, just not as much as in the west.

The % of margin is not the only significant number.

The food produce industry runs at a 1% margin and does very well.

This is because, for example, you spend $100 to get produce sold at your shop and you make $1.00 profit after all costs.

Not much, but if you do it every day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year you make $250.  A 250% annual return on your investment.   Really bust your butt and work 7 day weeks all year and you make 365% annual return.

Turn around time makes the difference.

[Timothy]

The % of margin is not the only significant number.

The food produce industry runs at a 1% margin and does very well.

This is because, for example, you spend $100 to get produce sold at your shop and you make $1.00 profit after all costs.

Not much, but if you do it every day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year you make $250.  A 250% annual return on your investment.   Really bust your butt and work 7 day weeks all year and you make 365% annual return.

Turn around time makes the difference.

I'll take your word on that and marketing in the food business is about appearance, not freshness for the most part. 

My goods don't rot for the most part.  Sheet metal is a cutthroat business as well but I've found that if you make a good widgit, deliver in a timely manner with an honest rapport with the customer, you should do fine!

Unfortunately, my previous employer saw it differently!  Ship the stuff before the end of the month even if it wasn't finished or correct!  He's failing miserably at his way but his narcissistic attitude and ego make it difficult for him to avoid stepping on his own dick!

[mauler]

Neo-conservative (Trotzky-ite)

[Hazcat]

No, a conservative that gave what I think are true and cogent answers to questions that were ill-defined.