# Estimate On Ceramic Tile



## Buca1025 (Aug 4, 2008)

What does everyone charge for labor costs installing ceramic Tile per Sq Ft. in Philadelphia


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## detroitMi (Sep 10, 2008)

Usually the prices are let's say a couple of dollars less than Home Depot and Lowes,so you can get the job from customers


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## Buca1025 (Aug 4, 2008)

*Tile*

Well what do you usually Charge?


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

Buca1025 said:


> Well what do you usually Charge?


1.25 sqft installed


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## detroitMi (Sep 10, 2008)

jobs under 150 sqft I charge by job


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

detroitMi said:


> I usually charge 7.50 with mud on Ceramic tile(floor) 9.50 Marble Granite,Travertine and Limeston here in Michigan



That is too much how do you compete with homedepot or lowe's with those prices??


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## detroitMi (Sep 10, 2008)

Home Depot ,Lowes dont do mud at all , they use backerboards


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## detroitMi (Sep 10, 2008)

none of my customers wants backerboards in their house, plus I supply the mud(here's the catch) LOWES charges over 8.50 labour only


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## Buca1025 (Aug 4, 2008)

Well i am using ceramic tile with backerboard and grouted. Its only a bathroom so 25Sq Ft. Just trying to figure out what to charge per sq Ft for labor so i can figure this out.


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## DavidC (Feb 16, 2008)

Buca1025 said:


> Well i am using ceramic tile with backerboard and grouted. Its only a bathroom so 25Sq Ft. Just trying to figure out what to charge per sq Ft for labor so i can figure this out.


My quote runs about $450/sq. ft. It's the commute.

Seriously, you're not trying to figure this out, you're trying to get us to tell you. Michael Stone's Markup & Profit, A Contractors Guide if you really want to figure it out. If you start there I'll be happy to pitch in where I can.

Good Luck
Dave


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

DavidC said:


> My quote runs about $450/sq. ft. It's the commute.
> 
> Seriously, you're not trying to figure this out, you're trying to get us to tell you. Michael Stone's Markup & Profit, A Contractors Guide if you really want to figure it out. If you start there I'll be happy to pitch in where I can.
> 
> ...



I missed this one David:laughing:. But to repeat* BUY MICHAEL STONES MARKUP AND PROFIT* book and CD


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## Buca1025 (Aug 4, 2008)

Well i am trying to figure it out so i can figure out how to estimate jobs better for myself.







DavidC said:


> My quote runs about $450/sq. ft. It's the commute.
> 
> Seriously, you're not trying to figure this out, you're trying to get us to tell you. Michael Stone's Markup & Profit, A Contractors Guide if you really want to figure it out. If you start there I'll be happy to pitch in where I can.
> 
> ...


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## DavidC (Feb 16, 2008)

Buca1025 said:


> Well i am trying to figure it out so i can figure out how to estimate jobs better for myself.


To start with you will be ill advised to take any sq. ft. number that anyone would post here, or any number from any source that is supposed to be the going rate for that matter. If you are still on board and serious then, let's begin. 

New construction or remodel?

Good Luck
Dave


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## Buca1025 (Aug 4, 2008)

Its a Remodel for a bathroom








DavidC said:


> To start with you will be ill advised to take any sq. ft. number that anyone would post here, or any number from any source that is supposed to be the going rate for that matter. If you are still on board and serious then, let's begin.
> 
> New construction or remodel?
> 
> ...


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

detroitMi said:


> Usually the prices are let's say a couple of dollars less than Home Depot and Lowes,so you can get the job from customers


GAWD, how many ways is this just so wrong? :blink:

Let's name just one -

Home Depot and Lowes are now considered the standard of the industry? They now set the bar as the best there is and everyone else should be lower because why???

Last time I checked both of them have about 10,000 consumer complaints of homeowners crying over the sh*tty jobs their 'contractors' deliver. 

So that means the freak'n worst now sets the bar for the most you can charge??

What the hell?

Why aren't you *doubling* what Home Depot and Lowes charge as a starting point?

Just another example of contractors great at racing to the bottom. Somehow a lot of us seem to believe the prizes are only awarded to whomever can do it the cheapest.


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## DavidC (Feb 16, 2008)

With remodeling no two jobs are alike. Variations will skew your sq. ft. figures and most likely bite you.

Can you reasonably calculate how many hours this will take to complete? Start with a fresh peice of paper and list each portion of the job in the order you will perform them. (Unload and setup, demo work, repairs, etc.) Visualize your way through the job from start to finish and assign a time for each task.

After the job is done you can go down this same list and record how long each step really took. This will help improve accuracy with future estimates.

Will you be working alone or with help?

Good Luck
Dave


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## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

detroitMi said:


> Usually the prices are let's say a couple of dollars less than Home Depot and Lowes,so you can get the job from customers


*Please tell me this is sarcasm...*:blink:




rbsremodeling said:


> 1.25 sqft installed


*As this obviously is...* :laughing:



detroitMi said:


> none of my customers wants backerboards in their house, plus I supply the mud(here's the catch) LOWES charges over 8.50 labour only


*Why don't they want backerboards? Because you tell them they suck I'd imagine... *


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## Cole (Aug 27, 2004)

I am going to stay out of this one.

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


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## Buca1025 (Aug 4, 2008)

To complete properly 5 days with one guy. So after i know the amount of days to do the job now how do i go about quoting it.





DavidC said:


> With remodeling no two jobs are alike. Variations will skew your sq. ft. figures and most likely bite you.
> 
> Can you reasonably calculate how many hours this will take to complete? Start with a fresh peice of paper and list each portion of the job in the order you will perform them. (Unload and setup, demo work, repairs, etc.) Visualize your way through the job from start to finish and assign a time for each task.
> 
> ...


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## DavidC (Feb 16, 2008)

Broken down into days or hours you can now apply your daily or hourly rate. To find that you need to know how much you require to get paid after all expenses, hourly or daily. Now add the state & federal taxes. Add up all of the holidays and vacation time, any other bennies you deserve. This is your labor cost. (assuming you work alone for now)

You also need to know your overhead costs so you can break that down to daily or hourly. Include your insurance, truck, office, phone, etc. (any expense that you cannot tie directly to a job)

Add your daily labor cost to your daily overhead and there is your daily labor rate.

I really really really recommend Michael Stone's Markup & Profit, A Contractors Guide. It's only $32 and comes with a CD. Read it through once then start again and apply it 1 chapter at a time to your business. 

That way you won't forget the profit.

Hope that helps.

Good Luck
Dave


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