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Reply To: | B-P on ICORS: The Orange Blaze/Texas Funeral Home Commission |
Date: | Mon, 20 Mar 2006 04:19:59 -0800 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
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Michael,
My rule-of-thumb for a quick & dirty job estimate is materials at 20% of
labor cost before overhead & profit. This comes from two decades of cost
analysis in the NYC market. It is accurate to the tune of, "We won't get
hurt too badly if we don't pay close attention on this." That said,
though cost analysis uses simple math (add, subtract, divide, multiply)
we are always dealing with complex systems with many variables.
In NYC in particular there is a heavy logistics burden. It can cost more
than the materials in labor, many times over, to get them from the
supply point to the work. If we are talking 'optimal' return on
investment I am always in favor of using the best available materials
with an appropriate mix of labor skills. Though as Deb Bledsoe rightly
points out the selection of materials can have a significant impact on
the 'means' of the work and on the mix of the labor skills required to
use the materials in a manner that does not screw them up... it does not
help to have a 2-part epoxy system with mechanics that can't spell past
the letter A. And if you have contractors/mechanics that can read (with
various levels of comprehension) you might actually find that they worry
about carcinogens and lead poisoning and all the labor and health issues
that go with it. So what I consider costs more than materials is not
labor, what costs more is intelligence. The commodity I look at in
putting a project together is not labor, it is mental capacity. Right
now we are working zero tolerance on dumb people and that makes us
appear to be expensive... but then again I also believe in attempting to
deliver value on the dollar.
That said, having recently stopped by the 26 townhouse facades on St.
Felix Street in Brooklyn I have to say that your materials have held up
incredibly well -- but I will also credit the mechanics who applied
them. On the other hand, the folks that fabricated the precast
'brownstone' stairs should be quartered and shot on sight. Talk about
barf index!
I am incredibly sorry that I will not be able to make the Natural Cement
conference in DC this month. Cash flow is tight and there is too much
going on in business right now for me to break free.
We purchase our unprinted t-shirts off the shelf at a dollar discount
shop. I also get in trouble because I profess to enjoy shopping at
Wal-Mart -- it keeps me honest with my roots. Lunch is important... we
spend money on food... we also spend money on tools. An unhappy mechanic
is way too expensive.
][<en
edison wrote:
>Bravo, Eric. I am always amazed that the typical 2-5% of total project cost
>represented by materials is always the subject of "value engineering" when
>there is probably more to be saved by dropping donut money and company T-
>shirts.
>
--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>
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