# All time bests.



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

We have threads of awesome projects but those dont come up everyday. This thread is just pure production and business #s. Probably shouldnt have dollar figures but you could post close rate for a week, footage of flooring laid, walls painted, record time to build a house or whatever. 

A place to have a record to refer to yourself and share insights with your brethren on how to reach their new personal best. We can all lie and bluff and bluster but in the end that would be a lie tk yourself. Ultimately its something tk motivate us througb the workday and add fun to the neverending stampede to earn a buck.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

By myself set and grout 450 sf of tile in a night. Office building. Hallways and bathroom. Lots of cutting. Was delirious by the end, slept all day in a spare office. Easy access to material and slop sink.

Me and 1 guy, 2 nights, installed 850 sy of glue down carpet in occupied retail space including carpet base.

By myself install and activate 6 DirecTV 4 set installs running all new wire in one day, all residential.

Me and 1 guy, 16x20 outbuilding with roll up door and 2 windows - materials loaded on trailer, brought to site, and building erected in 1 day.

My best dollar day of these: $1575
Lowest dollar day of these: $600

Sure could use more days like those!


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## littlefred811 (Dec 16, 2012)

Screen/Coat a commercial project. Nine at night until finished. Took just shy of three hours and cleared a smidge over $1200. Tuesday was a bit difficult, but that's life.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

I dont generally measure by speed anymore at all. 

When I was a commercial superintendent I trimmed tract style specs on the side, very low sq ft price. My partner and I trimmed a house a day on a regular basis, 1400-2000 ft. Sometimes the day was 9 or 10 hours and sometimes it was 16. Sometimes we had to go back on Sunday. No window casings, just sill and sash, crappy stationary shelves in the pantry and closets. We even set pre fab cabinets by the box. We usually had to cut back masonite on the stained concrete to run base, too. 

Made anywhere from 350-600 a house a peice. By no means the most ive ever made in a day as a GC, but 350 was nice little bump in pay as an employee. Insurance was less than 1200 a year. 

Completely different skill set from custom trim, but just another skill set in the tool box.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

Oh to be 25 again and able to work more than a half day. Now 12 hours is pushing it.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

smalpierre said:


> Oh to be 25 again and able to work more than a half day. Now 12 hours is pushing it.


:laughing:

My wife says Im going to hit a big wall one day soon. :laughing: I work more now than I did when I was 25. Turned 31 Monday


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

Jaws said:


> :laughing:
> 
> My wife says Im going to hit a big wall one day soon. :laughing: I work more now than I did when I was 25. Turned 31 Monday


My work is very different that it used to be. Back then I didn't know as much, but I could hump tile and carpet like a mad man! It was all about production. Back then I was a sub for flooring companies, paid off of a price sheet. It had to be up to par, but we weren't doing spectacular work. Carpet seams had to disappear. Tile had to be straight, flat, cut tight, and spaced right. Within those parameters it was all about how much can I get done in a given time. Anything outside my comfort zone it was call somebody that did it. I wouldn't even paint my own base and shoe. I wanted to pick up work orders, get in, and get them done - and let someone else deal with the customer. Sometimes I miss that, but talking to a customer is easier on the back :whistling

I turned 37 a couple of months ago. I'm not an old man yet, but things wear on me more now than they used to. After tearing off a roof I wake up the next day hurting all over.

Speaking of which, I've got to go meet the guys and go tear off a roof


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

11 apartment in 6 days. Patched 32 holes, painted 7 units white & 3 units two tone. Did a unit in 45 minutes (came to $550/hr on that one). Paid helper $1000, kept the other $7000 for me. Worked from 9 a.m to midnight all 6 days just me and my son. 

Funny part was, we did nothing but prep for the first 3 days. Everyone doubted that we could pull it off. But once we fired up that sprayer it was game on haha

Got paid just in time for christmas. Best christmas ever.


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## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

Jaws said:


> :laughing:
> 
> My wife says Im going to hit a big wall one day soon. :laughing: I work more now than I did when I was 25. Turned 31 Monday


Wait, your only 31... I had you pictured as at least 50...


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Dustincoc said:


> Wait, your only 31... I had you pictured as at least 50...


just old school, bro.


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## Stephen H (Feb 18, 2011)

Jaws said:


> just old school, bro.


 you are hardly old school if you are using the term "bro"

stephen


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Stephen H said:


> you are hardly old school if you are using the term "bro"
> 
> stephen


an old boy that works for me from time to time is 60 years old and uses the word bro in almost every sentence. I guess you ASSUME that everyone acts like they do where you're from. I can assure you that that is not the case.

I'm talking more about values and work ethic than I am about lingo.


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## eastend (Jan 24, 2006)

I sprayed 250 chairs in a day, with a cup gun.


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## Bearded Wonder (Jan 21, 2011)

I had this house from bare lot to finished and landscaped in a little under 60 days.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Bearded Wonder said:


> I had this house from bare lot to finished and landscaped in a little under 60 days.


Tilson?


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## Bearded Wonder (Jan 21, 2011)

Jaws said:


> Tilson?


Don't make me laugh. Tilson was anything but efficient. This was just me. Spec house. 

Tilson was an impediment to fast or smart construction. Once back in 07 or so when we had the most rain ever one spring, I was trying to get a slab poured down in Brownwood. Literally was a month before we had a couple days with no rain and it dried out enough to set forms. Got it formed and ready to pour, but rain was forecast for that night, so we ordered two trucks to come in and pour all the beams that day so we wouldn't lose the pad and cave in beams and whatnot if it rained on it. 

Somehow the suit from corporate called me right about then, and I just mentioned what was going on. He got all panicky and called off the pour cause he was scared it would mess something up if we didn't pour it all together, and paid for the concrete company to waste two trucks. I was pissed, cause it did rain that night and made a mess. Then later I talked to the engineer and he said obviously we should have filled the beams, would have been no prob. The other super up here also showed me a set of prints later where the engineer actually called for the pour to be done that way. 

It was one after another with those guys. Don't get me started.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

You dont have to tell me. Lol


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## Stephen H (Feb 18, 2011)

Jaws said:


> an old boy that works for me from time to time is 60 years old and uses the word bro in almost every sentence. I guess you ASSUME that everyone acts like they do where you're from. I can assure you that that is not the case.
> 
> I'm talking more about values and work ethic than I am about lingo.


 I don't assume anything other than a 60 year old constantly using the term "bro"- is acting pretty silly and trying more than a little too hard to be , hip,cool, with it, up-to-date, mod, Etc.
In my circle "Bro"referrs to a popped collar frat boy who wouldn't know an honest days work if it bit him in the azz.

so- if some 60 year old who worked for me called me a "bro"-it would be meant as an insult and I would tell him to STFU, get back to work, and If I hear that word out of his mouth again he will be looking for another job. I can hire guys all day long who can act their age AND get the job done.
I wouldn't tolerate a "Bro" out of anyone older than about 17, LOL
Stephen


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Stephen H said:


> I don't assume anything other than a 60 year old constantly using the term "bro"- is acting pretty silly and trying more than a little too hard to be , hip,cool, with it, up-to-date, mod, Etc.
> In my circle "Bro"referrs to a popped collar frat boy who wouldn't know an honest days work if it bit him in the azz.
> 
> so- if some 60 year old who worked for me called me a "bro"-it would be meant as an insult and I would tell him to STFU, get back to work, and If I hear that word out of his mouth again he will be looking for another job. I can hire guys all day long who can act their age AND get the job done.
> ...


#1- you are describing how you view a single word in your part of the world, this is a world wide forum. Dont be so self centered. Case in point- I am literally about as far from a pop collared punk as you can get, I use the word bro from time to time. 

#2- you would be happy to have that guy working for you if he was a cross eyed midget who couldnt pick up a bundle of shingles if he was building cabinets for you. 

# 3- if you you told him to STFU up, the next words out of your mouth would be said without teeth, you old lefty. :laughing::clap:


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## NYgutterguy (Mar 3, 2014)

redoing the gutters on small condo complex..Gutters and leaders already removed with brand new fascia walkable with straight runs. Installed 900' gutter and 800' of leader in 13 hours..Every gutter guys wet dream buildings..Have two more days there..Prob be a long time till we come across something like this again..Would be a total homerun if we didn't miss 6 straight weeks this winter :sad:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Jaws said:


> an old boy that works for me from time to time is 60 years old and uses the word bro in almost every sentence. I guess you ASSUME that everyone acts like they do where you're from. I can assure you that that is not the case.
> 
> I'm talking more about values and work ethic than I am about lingo.


My father is older than that and often used the term bro.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Not my best money maker but sitting back and looking at it saying huh that's pretty good....just shy of 90sqft of manufactured stone by myself no helper and more than 1 section high plus I set up and loaded the scaffold in the morning. I started at 7 done at 5:30. But it was between 2 windows so no cuts. For reference, the union says 80 sqft is what 2 bricklayers with 1 helper should do in the course of a day


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

dom-mas said:


> Not my best money maker but sitting back and looking at it saying huh that's pretty good....just shy of 90sqft of manufactured stone by myself no helper and more than 1 section high plus I set up and loaded the scaffold in the morning. I started at 7 done at 5:30. But it was between 2 windows so no cuts. For reference, the union says 80 sqft is what 2 bricklayers with 1 helper should do in the course of a day


It's kinda satisfying to work by yourself and actually get something done so you can say to your self "yup, still got it".


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## rex (Jul 2, 2007)

I'm awesome at what I did and knocked it out daily. Every day was a win. 

Me being great at what I did allowed me to retire at an extremely young age.


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

Jaws said:


> :laughing:
> 
> My wife says Im going to hit a big wall one day soon. :laughing: I work more now than I did when I was 25. Turned 31 Monday


I have worked 132 hours in the last two weeks. All new construction framing. Everything hurts a little, but overall not too bad for being 47.


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## Robinson1 (Mar 14, 2014)

Local HVAC company called me about 9PM one night and asked if I would take $500 and come hang a door for them RIGHT NOW. 

I got there about 30 minutes later expecting some god awful cluster . Turns out the door in question was a 2'0 prehung closet door. They had tore the other out to change a gas furnace and were trying to do damage control before the landlord found out.

I walked in with a level, a few shims and a 16 ga cordless Paslode.

15 minutes later I was walking back out the door.


There you go, give me my $500. :thumbup:


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

Warren said:


> I have worked 132 hours in the last two weeks. All new construction framing. Everything hurts a little, but overall not too bad for being 47.


Sounds like our schedule lately. Been doing 7 days a week trying to get all the work my pitbull mouth got my hummingbird ass into.:laughing:

We did have a $7K week (profit), so it ain't all bad.:thumbup:


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## Robinson1 (Mar 14, 2014)

pinwheel said:


> Sounds like our schedule lately. Been doing 7 days a week trying to get all the work my pitbull mouth got my hummingbird ass into.:laughing:
> 
> We did have a $7K week (profit), so it ain't all bad.:thumbup:


Yeah, its getting pretty busy here too. Actually its been busy all winter, December, January, & February are usually famine months for me, but I must say I've been eating pretty well this winter. :thumbsup:


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## marcsmith (Feb 7, 2014)

This past summer when I was a framing labourer, 4000 sq ft horse barn on footings, walls stood, trusses set and strapped ready for tin in 14 hours. Not bad for a five man crew. There was a lot of running that day!


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

Robinson1 said:


> Local HVAC company called me about 9PM one night and asked if I would take $500 and come hang a door for them RIGHT NOW.
> 
> I got there about 30 minutes later expecting some god awful cluster . Turns out the door in question was a 2'0 prehung closet door. They had tore the other out to change a gas furnace and were trying to do damage control before the landlord found out.
> 
> ...


just one of those / week + one 500sf tile job + 850yd of commercial carpet ... Thats all I ask


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

pinwheel said:


> ... Been doing 7 days a week trying to get all the work my pitbull mouth got my hummingbird ass into.:laughing :


guilty of that! Sell the work, figure out the schedule later, haha. A buddy of mine told me once: you got some big ballz taking on these projects... Hey those are the jobs you brag about the rest of your life


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## spazman (Feb 16, 2012)

Me and 3 other guys installed 38,000 square feet of vct in 7 days. I was never so tired of looking at something in my life.


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## kiteman (Apr 18, 2012)

It would be those 22 duplexes I posted on in 2012/13. $304k, 60X40', SOG, wall panels sheeted at the yard, straight gable trusses. I hired my buddy as my helper. He's generally a sider/roofer but a pretty good jack of all trades. We did all of them in 11 months, 1 week. I paid him 20% above prevailing wage, myself 50% above pv (needed to do that for record-keeping), paid myself some monthly salary besides, maxed out a SEP, and still had a 20% profit above that. 

Best job framing ever! That's why I like working for non-profits.:thumbup:

" I see you turned in an invoice and you'll finish Friday. The office will be closed on Friday, can we give you your check Thursday?"

"Um, sure!"


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## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

Great thread.

All-time bests.......

Fortune...
Last summer......6 weeks...4 people......gut reno......250k (over 2.5k a day for me (and the other 3 did very well also)).

Fame...
Dawn of the new millenium.....9,000 sq.ft. triplex in Tribeca...3 years.....I custom built EVERYTHING. From the secret bookcase door to the wine cellar vaults, to the curved Shoji screen pocket door, to the carved backlit alabaster step into the limestone tub, to the 15x6 center-pivot windows, to the 25x60 steel and Lexan skylight/deck........and everything in-between.
Met Lenny Kravitz, J-Lo, John Leguizamo, etc. at the unveiling. Loft featured in a Leguizamo movie "Empire" (you don't see any of the good chit, unless Denise Richard's tits count).
I think I made $35 an hour............love not profit.

Fun.....
Me and two buddies (plus one helper) framed and sheathed a small two story house (for one of the buddies) in a weekend. His father (a retired architect and building inspector) sat in a lawn chair and just beamed over the way we moved in concert with one another. Barely speaking, music blasting, totally in the zone. Great time.
I made $0.........still one of my all-time favs.

DId I mention that I loved the thread concept?

Great to reminisce on the goodness, especially after this chit winter I had. 
Thanks for .....letting me.........:whistling


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

pinwheel said:


> Sounds like our schedule lately. Been doing 7 days a week trying to get all the work my pitbull mouth got my hummingbird ass into.:laughing:
> 
> We did have a $7K week (profit), so it ain't all bad.:thumbup:


I love those weeks, they help make up for the weeks that you get your ass handed to you.


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> I love those weeks, they help make up for the weeks that you get your ass handed to you.



Just in time to give a large portion of it to the IRS.


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## 66 Shelby (Jan 11, 2009)

One that sticks in my mind was a flooring job. 2 1/4 Maple. 650 ft tear out, 35 ft lace in, 650 ft re-install in one day. Me and my helper, plus a grunt laborer. $3k plus a $1k bonus for repair completion same day so finishers could get started that afternoon. Start to finish (repair, sand, 3 coats) was just under 36 hours on 5000 ft (basketball court).


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

pinwheel said:


> Just in time to give a large portion of it to the IRS.


Guess that means you had a good year!


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## Pearce Services (Nov 21, 2005)

My best ever was a $980 sale that netted $320 in profit.

I have been working on systemizing my process. Last summer while on vacation a call came in, someone in my office handled the call, completed it and billed it. I did not even know about it until a check came in from a company I have never heard of.

It was the first time that something happened from start to finish with out me needing to be involved in some part of the process. This proved the system could work. 

We have had a good number of jobs that I did not need to "touch" since then. This was a huge step for me to getting to my end-game, and meant more to me than the big dollar jobs we have done.


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## A&E Exteriors (Aug 14, 2009)

18sq of shingles in 5 hours....section was papered the day before but we had to drip it and load it....me and 1 passer


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## Dave in Pa (Oct 10, 2009)

Hay Big Shoe, dawn to dusk, correct? was that in the summer, or winter when the days are shorter? LOL GOOD job! 

I feel everyone's pain on this, my shoulders/back/knees just not like they were 20 years ago!


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Big Shoe said:


> Probably why I needed both shoulders and knees replaced, But in the early 80's when in my prime, I'd hang an entire condo 75-85 boards by myself. All pre-cut.......no routers. Dawn to dusk.
> I'd have 2-3 man crews watching me and trying to figure out how I did it. :blink: One of then turned out to be my best friend to this day.
> 
> I was in my zone.:thumbsup:


I hung 45 boards [54 x12] in a store front a few years ago..In a long 10 hours..with a lift.. It was all walls gravy!!! But I did walk a little funny the next day.. I'm 46 now...Me and a D/C friend [he's 50]hung 75 4x12s in 7 hours last week...all walls ,,but we paid for It!!!:laughing:


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

blacktop said:


> I hung 45 boards [54 x12] in a store front a few years ago..In a long 10 hours..with a lift.. It was all walls gravy!!! But I did walk a little funny the next day.. I'm 46 now...Me and a D/C friend [he's 50]hung 75 4x12s in 7 hours last week...all walls ,,but we paid for It!!!:laughing:


I had twenty five sheets hung in one day by two guys in 2009. 350 bucks. Money well spent I say.


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

hmm i must be over priced...i charge $100/sheet finished up to five then i switch over to t & m


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Driftweed said:


> hmm i must be over priced...i charge $100/sheet finished up to five then i switch over to t & m



Sounds fair ! Get more If ya can!!!


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Dave in Pa said:


> Hay Big Shoe, dawn to dusk, correct? was that in the summer, or winter when the days are shorter? LOL GOOD job! I feel everyone's pain on this, my shoulders/back/knees just not like they were 20 years ago!


That was Febuary of 82. Prob sunrise about 7:00 and sunset bout 6:00....Give or take. 

Condos, slab to slab. 8' with some 7' drops No bead or scrapping.


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## Gus Dering (Oct 14, 2008)

I broke into the business in New York State in the summer of 81. Hired on to a crew building a small sub division. We did all the concrete and framing. I started at $4.00 an hour. 

All the houses got 2 1/4 random length oak flooring. This was subbed out and the owner would let us framers do it at night or weekends. My foreman and I did one or two together and I quickly got the hang of it and took them on myself for a while afterward. 

My best day I did 600 sq ft @ $.30. A whopping $180 in one day. My day job left me with $120 a week. I don't think I have ever felt so rich in my life. 

Framing and concrete by day and banging on oak flooring at night and weekends is clearly a young man's game. I was young and loved it. Midnight flooring could have been my company name. I really did enjoy those days.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

Driftweed said:


> hmm i must be over priced...i charge $100/sheet finished up to five then i switch over to t & m


It's less than what I charge by a good bit. I don't do a lot of large areas with a lot of field though. Few sheets here, few sheets there. Bathroom, turning attic into heated space ... I'm not hanging 80 sheets on a job, much less in a day like big shoe.

Guys that do just that day in day out would probably be pained watching me do it :laughing:

In my defense, I helped out my roofing guy at his house he's working on - it was incredibly painful and difficult for me not to push him and his guy out of the way and install the entry door myself - and the same with the drywall work. It was torturous, particularly the door. Me by myself - done well in 1 hour. Those two - two hours of shimming it wrong, fastening it wrong, not using the level ... he's lucky it operates and looks halfway ok for now :laughing::laughing::laughing:.


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

This was the most satisfying job I've done in a while.

start to finish, including demo, 3 men - 12 weeks.

click the link & watch news report

http://www.newimage-construction.com/new-home-wales.php

I'm a miracle worker. :whistling


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Nicely done


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

That was a great job,

Made a bad situation, better.

thanks for watching.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Just wondering...how tough was it to find the ring? I'm guessing real tough


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

Actually it was my son who found it, in less than 10 minutes

We knew the location in the room. But it was destroyed, ceiling down clothes , insulation etc. etc. We all looked for about 5 minutes, I gave up and he found it in the jewelry box under some sheetrock & insulation.

HO was thrilled, AND yes I let Chad, my son, give it to her.

The news report didn't say that part.
It's been good advertising for sure.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

i trimed a window today then went fishing:thumbup:..can't get no better than that


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

did you catch a fish or a nap.
:boat: OR :sleep1:


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

both are nice..


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## Roofcheck (Dec 27, 2011)

dom-mas said:


> Just wondering...how tough was it to find the ring? I'm guessing real tough


How long have you been green Dom-mas?


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Last week I laid 440 glue down and 460 nail down in four days. So 900 feet two locations. Nothing super amazing but I was home on time and ready for more all week long. Who needs a helper?


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## CarrPainting (Jun 29, 2010)

i think mine was the psycho wife before xmas...

i was just stating out, and 3 days before xmas, the hubby calls said they need thier dining room ceiling fixed... the whole family is coming in...

so i go over, the hubby was cool.. get this, he says, he had a glass of wine, then fell asleep in the bath tub and it over flowed... uh huh... right...

well i didnt really want the job... so i bid it high. like way high...
their like 'when can you start?'

so now, 2 days before xmas we do it, turns out great, but i totally forgot to drape the plastic over the main doorway leading into the hall... OOPS!

so I send D out to the hall to clean up the dust... before wifey finds out (I was warned) she catches D, and completely FLIPS THE  OUT!

we are talking, a damp rag that was almost dry! shes screaming that now all the furniture is ruined, and i better be insured (I wasnt) and on and on... so we abandon the hall clean up... hubby comes home... there were choice words between hubby and wife, hubby pays me...

2 days repair a 1x1' hole, prime paint the ceiling (the mud just would not dry)

$1285.

after xmas, I get a letter in the mail... registered letter... from an attorneys office....

hubby is an attorney...

another check, for $500 for doing such a great job and an apology for his wacky wife! :clap::thumbup:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Roofcheck said:


> How long have you been green Dom-mas?


I've been green for about 2 weeks. I think maybe that's why the mods have moderator under their names now. I just bought the colour with my points. look it's ****** too...ohhhhh. I actually tried to buy a different colour a couple days ago and couldn't do it


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

I have two "all time best days" that I refer to when these conversations come up. One was 1100sf laminate laid and and shoe molded in four hours. Myself and three helpers. They all made a buck fifty each and I pocketed right at $2200. I was home by lunch. I also had a poker game that night and won another $350. I doubt I'll see another day in the trades as financially fortuitous for the effort as that one lol. The other one was 6500sf of glue down bamboo in 18hrs over two days. Two mechanics and three helpers. Grossed a touch over 6 grand a day... Both jobs were wide open rooms with literally no prep other than sweeping.


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