Demolition costs way up??

[branimal]

I got a few quotes to demo a 950 sq-ft apartment in brooklyn nyc. The 4 quotes ranged from $14,000- $20,000.

The job is as follows:

• Rip plaster and lathe off all walls
• Remove all non-loading bearing walls
• Rip the floor down to the subfloor. About 66% of the apartment is tile flooring. The floor is built up in area
• Clean demo - no nails.
• Haul all debris down one flight of stairs and bring to dump site.
• Pay dumping fees.

I hired some random guys to do the same job a couple of years ago. I paid about $4000 for the job including dumping fees. That included the workers pay and I calculated my pay into the $4000. And these guys had a van.

I really don't want to do the demo myself, but these prices are crazy. Am I missing something?

 

[larry4406]

Prices are insane. You notice it at the pump.

3 years ago I paid $85 for 40’ of 2/0 SER wire. This morning I paid $250 for 35’ of the same from same electrical supply house. So 3x in 3 years.

 

[73fxe]

Is the bid including things like lead remediation? That alone costs Thousands.

 

[LXCam]

Not long ago I started a thread about having to pay a “helper” $50k a year just to start. So to answer your question, ya everyone is batshit crazy on pricing as they have no choice with everyone’s hard costs going thru the roof.

 

[nadogail]

Keep in mind that the Purchasing Power of today's Dollars is not what it was , even a year ago. Two years ago many willing workers were displaced by COVID. They would take any wage they could get.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Everyone is charging like they are a doctor these days.... because they can....for now.

 

[branimal]

Dump fees when I did the demo a few years ago were 110/ton. They are now 130/ton. So that's up only 18%. I think the bulk of the price increase can be attributed to demand.

Some guys don't want to do demo only. They want larger pieces of the job. Right now I'm set on giving away the sheetrock and taping. But those jobs are way down the line.

Got a couple more guys coming by to give me quotes this morning.

I do have one outlier that I didn't mention in my original post. Guy didn't speak great English, he didn't want to take the garbage, he just wanted to do the demo job. I think he said $1500. Maybe I heard wrong. Maybe I'll have him start doing some work, while I look for a trash hauler.

Is the bid including things like lead remediation? That alone costs Thousands.

No, the bids are just for what I included in my OP. I did check for asbestos when I did the demo on the floor above. Everything came up negative.

 

[finn]

Maybe you just got a bargain the last time you did something like this project.

Frankly, the quotes don’t seem that far out of line for the work described.

At least not the quotes at the lower end of the spectrum, and consider the location.

 

[larry4406]

Two weeks ago I spent $3200 just to have all the attic insulation removed from my house. Three guys were up there from 8 am till 4:45 pm. They hauled off the insulation, I made 3 truck loads of trash runs to the dump.

My house is 28x90’

 

[branimal]

Got two more quotes this morning.

1. $13,000, one week of labor, one week lead time
2. $10,500 3-4 days of labor, two weeks lead time

I'd hire the second guy but his lead time is minimum 2 weeks. He also quoted me $85 a cubic yard to haul my trash if I want to do the work myself. Lumber in one pile, plaster on the floor, sheetrock pieces in another pile. His guys pick up the trash and dump it. Maybe I'll hire a laborer and see how much demo we can accomplish in a few days.

Maybe you just got a bargain the last time you did something like this project.

Yeah I got a good deal last time around.

 

[branimal]

Found a guy willing to do the demo job for $9800. He has 5/5 reviews on Google for whatever that's worth. He can start this week and can be finished 3 days maximum.

He wants 40% before the job starts, 30% at the 1/2 way mark, and 30% during the final walk thru. Does that payment plan sound about right?

Thanks.

 

[rancherbill]

They are just pricing so they get a piece of your Property Flipping Profit.

 

[Jarwop]

I think he either does not trust you to pay, or he is hiring a bunch of day labors that he has to pay with cash every day and has no funds of his own. A three day job: 40% before starting today, 30% tomorrow, and then 30% the next day. My biggest concern would be someone getting hurt and finding out he has no insurance. The 5/5 reviews, maybe he did himself.

 

[Golden_Era_Enthusiast]

Found a guy willing to do the demo job for $9800. He has 5/5 reviews on Google for whatever that's worth. He can start this week and can be finished 3 days maximum.

He wants 40% before the job starts, 30% at the 1/2 way mark, and 30% during the final walk thru. Does that payment plan sound about right?

Thanks.

How old are his reviews? If they’re all recent I’d be wary, especially with 40% upfront.

 

[loganb]

For demo only work without supplying materials and no upfront costs he's on the line for I'd offer maybe 15% up front so he shows up then pay 15% at end of day 1, 30% at end of day 2 and balance at end of the job which should be day 3. You're basically hiring day labor, I would pay as such if I had a choice.

 

[rancherbill]

You're basically hiring day labor, I would pay as such if I had a choice.

He doesn't have a choice. Labor is tight, business is booming. He's lucky to have somebody to do the job when he wants.

 

[LXCam]

I do 30/30/40, plus I’d show him the cash for day one and when he’s ready to leave then give it to him. Good google reviews or not don’t ever pay up front before you have something tangible out of it.

I noticed you did say he was hauling off. But if for some reason that turns into him having a roll-off delivered. I suggest you pay them directly and attain a receipt.

 

[branimal]

I like the idea of paying him 15% when his guys show up. 15% at the end of the day one. 30% day 2. 40% day 3. I'll see how he responds.

Website / Instagram
The company has a pretty elaborate website and an instagram page with 250 followers. You can see guys working in clothing branded with the company logo. If this is a scam, that is a pretty elaborate undertaking.

Google reviews
The company has 17 glowing reviews spanning 1-3 years old

Never sent an estimator
One potential red flag is he never sent an estimator. He asked me to send him videos of the demo job, describing what needs to happen in detail. He said he does jobs in my area all the time and they are for the most part the same. There is some truth to that. All these buildings are more or less the same.

 

[duneslider]

I had a landscape guy lined up to do some rock walls for me and he wanted half before he started. He had done work for a family member so I somewhat trusted him but he was giving me a "cash" deal so I was a little skeptical. I told him I would meet him at the site on the first morning with cash. He was there on time with tractors and ready to go so I felt good paying him.

I would be hesitant to pay someone like you mention before they show up.

I have a friend that has rentals and he uses some crackhead to do repainting and he has to pay that guy everyday.

 

[tunerwithkids]

No one needs work right now. Every industry is busy and many people are willing to spend money. Which is a good thing for economy.

Lots of pent up demand from past 2 years of uncertainty. Lots of people didn't spend their disposable income for 18 months, so they are doing it now.

 

[gmcgeo]

I ask 2/3rds upfront and rest on completion

 

[branimal]

After some back and forth we agreed to 20% when the guys show up. 20% at the end of day 1. 30% at the end of day 2. 30% at the end of day 3.

 

[gmcgeo]

interesting

 

[d.mcfarland]

1. NYC so already double. 2. Time is money and you're asking a lot in a little time. 3. They probably didn't want the job so overbid.

That's realistically what I'm seeing.

 

[branimal]

The demo job started yesterday. The crew (5 guys) made some good progress. 95% of non-load bearing walls are down. Most of the plaster and sheetrock has been removed. Turns out a prior owner put 1/2" sheetrock right on top of the plaster. Halfway thru the day they got a packer (garbage truck) to load the debris.

Today is going to be a light day. They couldn't get a packer today, so they're only going to pull down the ceiling.

Turns out this demo crew is one of many the company hires out.

 

[LXCam]

That's great news branimal. It's always good to see someone come thru as agreed.

 

[branimal]

Do you guys tip demo crews? These guys are doing a pretty good job. They should be finished today. Just the flooring is left.

There's a head guy and 5 crew members. If I give the tip to the head guy, he could keep it for himself.

 

[loganb]

Never hired demo crews like this, but when I've hired movers I always tried to tip at beginning of the day and if I was happy with the work again at the end. I would normally tip the boss(often the driver) more.

 

[MerlinsBeard]

I typically tip the crews a little bit depending on the job. I usually give 20 per person to pay for food if they're day laborers, and typically provide cooler of water/gatorage and some kind of fruit or granola bars.

If I'm satisfied with the overall job, I'll add a couple hundred to the job total when I write the check to round it to a nice even number. Labor is crazy expensive, but I still try to reward those who work hard on my stuff and get it right. I don't reward those who take shortcuts, e.g. like dumping all of my landscaping waste in the high weeds behind my neighbors fence instead of hauling it off to the dump.