Working days needed to roof a house

J

johnl

Registered User
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8
Hi all
I am currently getting quotes from roofers/carpenters (labour only) to roof a new build. Would anyone be able to tell me approximately how many days/weeks work is involved and for how many people. Just to give me an idea how much they are charging for their labour.

Work involved:
Joicing and plywood on floor
Roof on 2.900 sq. ft. 1 3/4 storey house with 4 dormer windows and including a conservatory.
Roof and loft on 450 sq ft. garage
Stud partitions, door frames, window boards. (slabbing not included)

Thanks.
 
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Have you considered getting a surveyor to project manage your build? If you need to ask the above, the chances are you have a tough time ahead of you.

Just a thought. Good luck with your project.
 
New house near my own had roof done, 3000 sq feet house, two velux type windows. Prices started at around €13,000 and eventually got it done for just over €7,000 inclusive of timber, slates and labour. It is a matter of pricing around. Labour costs alone have declined dramatically. Anyone in the trade will give you a price on this regardless of how long it takes them to do the job.
 
Declan, i find it very hard to believe the €7,000 includes all material and labour! Two veluxs windows will set you back at least 550, a 3,000 sqft house based on 64ft long 22ft deep would take 3,800 slates a €1 a slate is the cheapest slate you will get. My roof 4,500 sqft took 8,000 slates and €12,000 worth of timber. Labour was €11,000 and took a fortnight.

www.selfbuildardmore.blogspot.com
 
johnl said:
Just to give me an idea how much they are charging for their labour.
Click to expand...

I really can't see the advantage for you of knowing the labour rate. I'm sure if you ask them to do the job on an hourly rate they'll tell you. As it is , you seem to be getting quotes from a few chippies. It won't follow true that the most expensive will take the longest, nor that the cheapest will be the fastest. They should price competitively and you should take their prices hand in hand with their refs when choosing which one to appoint. Ask for a price and how long it will take them. Simple as that.
 
have to agree with the above who recommend you go with the experienced, well respected, insured tradesman rather than the cheapest who may not necessarily be the best.
We've been watching a 5000 sq ft house be roofed near fathers land and from next field could tell you all the problems the house owners will experience in years to come.
lots of minor issues but the major one we can see is a round turret type roof that the ""carpenter"" ended up lining with 1/4 " ply and then torching on felt before they battened/slated - very non-breathable !!
 
Thanks for your comments.

I agree that the first priority must be to get a reputable roofer and that is my main concern.
However given the way that my wages and most other peoples wages are going at the moment, value for money has become vital and I think it just might be useful to have an idea how much a carpenter thinks he should earn per day.
 
Just to give me an idea how much they are charging for their labour.


2 chippys with right setup 6 days on price. 3 men with Lidl equipment 3 weeks on daywork.

Hipped roof can be stacked in a day by 2 men on price.
 
Johnl,
If you get a good roof put up by competent roofers and you are happy with the price then you are getting value for money it doesnt matter if it takes them 2 days or 2 weeks once the job is done correctly and you are happy.
If you ask you will get an indication of the duration but remember when working out any trademan's daily rate you have to include, insurance, tools, diesel, transport, tax, vat, prsi, training, advertising and all those other items that a paye worker doesn't have consider. It's often not what he should earn, more what he has to earn, to stay in business.
 

+1 on that.

Buying timber for a living, I cannot see how Declan P got that price for everything. Seeing is believing, I suppose, but 7k is shockingly cheap.

I've seen a quote lately for a 250m2 roof lately, and just for slating labour alone was 2.5k........excluding any roofing carpentry work at all!
 
I think the best people to tell you are the people you're getting the quotes from.
 
I think it just might be useful to have an idea how much a carpenter thinks he should earn per day.

Put it that way. To do your job, carpenter will need: Handsaw (<10 EUR), hammer (<10 EUR), rafter square (<20 EUR), measuring tape (<10 EUR), spirit level (<20 EUR), pencil (0.5 EUR). Total: 70.5 EUR

To do the same job quick, the same carpenter need to INVEST min 6000 EUR in power tools, buy a van to be able to carry them.

To do the same job very quick, that carpenter needs to know production framing techniques ( which are one of the best kept chipys secrets) and to do some alterations to the power tools.

Question: what incentive for that carpenter to invest money, if he would be payed the same day rate as before?

Sugestion: get the quote and if you happy with the quality of workmanship, go with that. Count your own money.
 

Well put.
 


Yeah right!!
 

Well put!!!
 
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