# Charge for picking up materials and delivering to jobsite?



## Waynel (Feb 12, 2014)

For years I have been picking up drywall, lumber and even fixtures such as bathtubs and toilets and bringing them to a home we were remodeling. I've done so without charging a delivery charge (which Home Depot and Lowes would do). I did that in the belief in might help me win the bid. However, after looking over my fuel bills, I am starting to rethink this. Should I be charging for pickup and delivery, and if so, do I match the big box stores' delivery charges? Looking for opinions.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

Waynel said:


> For years I have been picking up drywall, lumber and even fixtures such as bathtubs and toilets and bringing them to a home we were remodeling. I've done so without charging a delivery charge (which Home Depot and Lowes would do). I did that in the belief in might help me win the bid. However, after looking over my fuel bills, I am starting to rethink this. Should I be charging for pickup and delivery, and if so, do I match the big box stores' delivery charges? Looking for opinions.


You should charge for delivery and have your supplier deliver it. You pass this charge to the customer plus a profit margin...

You can then spend time working on the job and finishing the job while they are picking the materials and delivering... the only caveat is sticks and colors which you may need to be there for...


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## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

Of course you should get paid for it - whether to charge separately for it depends on how you bid and invoice your projects. I just add delivery costs into the bid for a general remodeling project, and a customer isn't aware of delivery costs separately. If you break out delivery costs separately on materials, customers will immediately want to start talking about buying materials themselves, which is not a good direction to go.


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

Silly question-----of course you should----

The true test of your pricing---could you hire someone to take over your job and still have money left for yourself????----

I pick things up for a customer---but I have that cost factored into my pricing--

A line at the bottom of your contract about this will help---

materials provided by the customer must be on site when needed, If you wish to have me pick up and deliver your materials a charge of $65. will be added to the next payout.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Build it all into your price.


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

Carpenter SFO typed faster----


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## Waynel (Feb 12, 2014)

Inner10 said:


> Build it all into your price.


I'm writing up two estimates this morning. I've got a house in town that needs complete demo and remodel downstairs, and a house 30 miles out of town that needs a complete demo and remodel upstairs (not working today, 30 degrees and pouring rain).

How do I work it into the estimate? Here's the kicker. I've had tons of discussions about line itemizing a bid and NOT itemizing a bid. However, we (contractors) live and work in a very conservative area. People expect to see what each item will cost. Do I list delivery charge for those 30 sheets or do I "build it into" the total cost for the 30 sheets (i.e. hiding the delivery charge? Same thing for picking up the tub, toilet and vanity I need to install.


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## Okiecontractor (Oct 15, 2012)

Personally I just add it to the cost of the material that is being delivered. If the items cost $100 and delivery is $20 charge them $120 plus whatever markup you have.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Waynel said:


> I'm writing up two estimates this morning. I've got a house in town that needs complete demo and remodel downstairs, and a house 30 miles out of town that needs a complete demo and remodel upstairs (not working today, 30 degrees and pouring rain).
> 
> How do I work it into the estimate? Here's the kicker. I've had tons of discussions about line itemizing a bid and NOT itemizing a bid. However, we (contractors) live and work in a very conservative area. People expect to see what each item will cost. Do I list delivery charge for those 30 sheets or do I "build it into" the total cost for the 30 sheets (i.e. hiding the delivery charge? Same thing for picking up the tub, toilet and vanity I need to install.


I don't itemize, I bulk price. So for one run a cat5e to one location I have a fixed price for wire, staples, labour, wallplate, jbox, insert etc. If I'm bidding a CCDC contract I separate the labour portion and put it hourly.

Itemizing can be tricky, there is a difference between looking through and looking cheap...so where you put it in your bid it doesn't matter, just make sure it's covered.


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## We Fix Houses (Aug 15, 2007)

Most customers understand even if its obvious a bit on a small job.

However when I do an estimate I have a line item "Load the job" which is 1/2 day....or 3 days whatever I believe is involved for me to go get or manage materials.


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## HARRY304E (Jan 18, 2011)

Waynel said:


> I'm writing up two estimates this morning. I've got a house in town that needs complete demo and remodel downstairs, and a house 30 miles out of town that needs a complete demo and remodel upstairs (not working today, 30 degrees and pouring rain).
> 
> How do I work it into the estimate? Here's the kicker. I've had tons of discussions about line itemizing a bid and NOT itemizing a bid. However, we (contractors) live and work in a very conservative area. People expect to see what each item will cost. Do I list delivery charge for those 30 sheets or do I "build it into" the total cost for the 30 sheets (i.e. hiding the delivery charge? Same thing for picking up the tub, toilet and vanity I need to install.



Just give a grand total price for your work,line itemizing,is the best way to cut your prices down to nothing worth doing.

Welcome to the forum.


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## Waynel (Feb 12, 2014)

HARRY304E said:


> Just give a grand total price for your work,line itemizing,is the best way to cut your prices down to nothing worth doing.
> 
> Welcome to the forum.


Good point. The only time I've really been asked for an itemized list is when doing insurance work. Thanks everyone for the opinions.


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

You need to read your customer and write the bid in a way they understand--

Most of my contracts are 'turn key' priced---However, I sometimes break the costs down if it is for a certain type of buyer---but still---add that line about picking up his purchases.

You need to figure out what will sell that customer---on a broken down contract--you need to be firm----this is a package deal---You can't just pick and choose---

I seldom break down a contracts pricing---most people don't want to know the details---


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## fast fred (Sep 26, 2008)

just added $450.00 line to an estimate for materials and tool handling charges

6th floor condo in a huge complex hard to access, pain in the butt hoa, full of rules and regs, prolly won't get the job, but I know I won't lose money unloading my truck, carting materials through the lobby, up the elevator, unloading, constantly moving my truck back into the parking garage add up the time moving crap around and it gets expensive quick, let someone else lose money doing that


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

fast fred said:


> just added $450.00 line to an estimate for materials and tool handling charges
> 
> 6th floor condo in a huge complex hard to access, pain in the butt hoa, full of rules and regs, prolly won't get the job, but I know I won't lose money unloading my truck, carting materials through the lobby, up the elevator, unloading, constantly moving my truck back into the parking garage add up the time moving crap around and it gets expensive quick, let someone else lose money doing that


I'd rather just throw a couple extra hours of labor on the quote or up the hourly rate by a couple bucks. That line item seems unnecessary.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

If someone complains about the delivery charges, just tell them it helps you save them on labor charges and time. I pick up a lot of my materials, mainly because the lumberyard chicks are cute, and I do a lot of small repairs. 

However, when it gets into lumber packages, window packages, or a larger load of just about anything, I'll have it delivered. I can be on the job tearing out and the stuff arrives and I install it, or I can be chillin' at home, order it and it is there the next day. Lots of time and aggravation saved.


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## Waynel (Feb 12, 2014)

HARRY304E said:


> Just give a grand total price for your work,line itemizing,is the best way to cut your prices down to nothing worth doing.
> 
> Welcome to the forum.


Thank you brother. The weather here cleared and we got back to work and I got a little behind on one the aformentioned bids (the complete downstairs remodel). I previously stated on this thread that a lot of customers down here in southwest Lousiana want itemized bids. Anyway, the "downstairs" guy called me up asking me where was my bid? Even though he already had 4 bids, 3 of them were'nt itemized and he asked me for an itemized bid. I told him I would give him a bid separating labor from materials but not for every nail. I fully understand why you shouldn't itemize. Too many potential customers want us to tell them what every little thing will cost, blow us off and try to contract the job themselves. Little do they know that when they do that some of the "subs" smell "blood in the water" if you know what I mean. They also don't realize that contracting a large job isn't a "part time" job. BTW, I don't know why I didn't join this site years ago. Thanks everyone.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

If I itemized bids then customers would get to see my markup percentage in the "bat-chit crazy" column. Most customers don't have an entry in that column, but some do.

I give a lump price but am very detailed and specific about the work and materials provided. When you order a steak at a nice restaurant they don't tell you how much they charge for the seasoning and gas, you either want a steak, or you don't.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Waynel said:


> Thank you brother. The weather here cleared and we got back to work and I got a little behind on one the aformentioned bids (the complete downstairs remodel). I previously stated on this thread that a lot of customers down here in southwest Lousiana want itemized bids. Anyway, the "downstairs" guy called me up asking me where was my bid? Even though he already had 4 bids, 3 of them were'nt itemized and he asked me for an itemized bid. I told him I would give him a bid separating labor from materials but not for every nail. I fully understand why you shouldn't itemize. Too many potential customers want us to tell them what every little thing will cost, blow us off and try to contract the job themselves. Little do they know that when they do that some of the "subs" smell "blood in the water" if you know what I mean. They also don't realize that contracting a large job isn't a "part time" job. BTW, I don't know why I didn't join this site years ago. Thanks everyone.


Don't even break out labor and materials. It's irrelevant on a $10,000 project if it's $1 material and $9,999 labor or $9,999 material and $1 labor they still total $10,000. Quit breaking out material and labor it's completely pointless.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

RobertCDF said:


> Don't even break out labor and materials. It's irrelevant on a $10,000 project if it's $1 material and $9,999 labor or $9,999 material and $1 labor they still total $10,000. Quit breaking out material and labor it's completely pointless.


Some contracts require it.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Inner10 said:


> Some contracts require it.


Pretty certain this guy is not bidding on those kind of jobs... Read his original question again and I think you'll agree.


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

I think it important to include a very detailed scope of work detailing the (meaningful) materials being used. That is, if installing flooring, the brand/model of flooring so as there is no ambiguity over the important aspects. 

Otherwise, as many of the others have said, I don't break out my numbers, but do include allowances where necessary, which leave the opening for upgrading certain items (fixtures).


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

I have delivery charges built into my bid. 
When I am laying out my prices for a bid, I have a line item for delievery charges. I also add in time for ordering and coordinating deliveries.
When I type up my bid, the customer doesn't get any line items. That is when they will start picking and choosing materials. For example they want you to buy 2" x 4" 25 miles away because they are on sale for .35 cheaper. This does happen occasionally. I tell the customer they can go buy the studs themselves and have them on the job. I contiunue with, "If you want me to send a guy to get them, I will have to charge $75." It must work because I don't get an argument after that. Maybe once every couple years a customer is retired and has plenty of time for that and they will get some of their own materials.
It never works out. They are always short or buy something wrong.


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