As a framing subcontractor, you’re responsible for erecting the skeleton of the structure; creating its core support and shape.
To keep your framing business moving, you need to make and keep your takeoff and bidding process faster and more accurate.
Sophisticated software such as Square Takeoff, enables framing contractors to upload digital blueprints and complete online takeoff three times faster than doing it manually therefore saving a substantial amount of time and money.
When it comes to framing projects, the square foot is the preferred unit of bidding. The bid may go up/down, depending on the complexity of the project (vaulted ceilings, cut up roofs, steep roofs). Any structure that drifts away from standard rectangles will carry more costs.
Your bid for a framing contract may depend on the type of job. Generally, framing subcontractors work for a general contractor on specific projects. Their services may be limited to labor, with the general contractor/owner-builder arranging for the materials separately. A contract may include just basic framing, while another may include installation of doors, windows, roof shingles and house wrap.
The way framers quote when bidding also changes depending on the company and types of cases. Some subcontractors quote for each square foot under a roof, while others may charge only for the actual living spaces. Subcontractors may have different rates for living spaces compared to something like a garage or maybe a covered porch.
As for the labor costs, it may be $2-$12 or a more a square foot, or $3,500-$36,000 for a 1,600- to 3,000-square-foot home. Of course, the quote is proportional to the project location and what is included in the contract. Across the US, an average house framing labor rate is about $6-$8 a square foot, or $10,000-$25,000 for 1,600-3,000 square feet. Some contractors may opt for steel framing, while others may prefer wood framing. Cost of framing materials is generally more than labor. Materials may cost $3-$12 or more a square foot, depending on the current price of lumber (or steel) as well as the size and design of the structure.
Square Takeoff is cloud-based software that enables you calculate all this framing in half the time. Rather than printing on a blueprint on paper from the initial to start to every time there is a change , you can simply upload it and go forth bidding. There are enough tools available thru Square that enable you to do the bidding with clinical efficiency and within the least amount of time possible. The figures are accurate, bringing in better profits.
This online software may just be the difference between big success and an average performance.