O.K. a brief how it works for me.
I am self employed, and mostly hang drywall.
When Louisiana dries out the cost of building materials goes up cause they need them, in fact after Andrew in FL Toledo and Michigan supplyhouses had a 2 week delay 'cause they were out of sheetrock.
The cost of corner bead, nails and skrews has doubled, (presumably due to the growth in China and India I am told).
(they used Alot of steel)
We all Know what happened to gasoline.
So basically materials and transportation costs have doubled.
To further agravate the problem the construction unions in MI and OH have all been laying off workers, and to supplement their income the union guys have been bidding houses.
After talking to a few crews of union folk I found out they were bidding nasty monster houses at $.16(to hang usual price $.84 total house $.18-.20 per foot per process) a foot and complaining they weren't makin any money on the labor and not charging a contractors fee to get the job. So their inexperience had the job get bid way too low,and there are so many guys doin this we have had to drop our prices to get jobs now too.
It is kind of funny that I am a scab and union guys are stealing my jobs and killin my pay(not unoin bashing at all it is just funney)
Recap material costs are up labor costs are down and my income is hit
yes i am in college to get a new career out of all of this, the extra loan$ really helps out.
I am self employed, and mostly hang drywall.
When Louisiana dries out the cost of building materials goes up cause they need them, in fact after Andrew in FL Toledo and Michigan supplyhouses had a 2 week delay 'cause they were out of sheetrock.
The cost of corner bead, nails and skrews has doubled, (presumably due to the growth in China and India I am told).
(they used Alot of steel)
We all Know what happened to gasoline.
So basically materials and transportation costs have doubled.
To further agravate the problem the construction unions in MI and OH have all been laying off workers, and to supplement their income the union guys have been bidding houses.
After talking to a few crews of union folk I found out they were bidding nasty monster houses at $.16(to hang usual price $.84 total house $.18-.20 per foot per process) a foot and complaining they weren't makin any money on the labor and not charging a contractors fee to get the job. So their inexperience had the job get bid way too low,and there are so many guys doin this we have had to drop our prices to get jobs now too.
It is kind of funny that I am a scab and union guys are stealing my jobs and killin my pay(not unoin bashing at all it is just funney)
Recap material costs are up labor costs are down and my income is hit
yes i am in college to get a new career out of all of this, the extra loan$ really helps out.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
patient_zero:
Wow, never really put construction together with a natural disaster and raising cost...but it makes sense and sucks big time!! So whatcha going to school for??
Wow, never really put construction together with a natural disaster and raising cost...but it makes sense and sucks big time!! So whatcha going to school for??
gwenyfver:
So just curiouse as to why you requested to be my friend 