Help, I just paid way to much for laminate stairs in San Diego!

[Brian Nelson]

I just recently (for the first time) installed vinyl plank flooring throughout an entire 2 story rental unit.  I decided to use laminate on the stairs since I didn't care for the way the stair nose pieces looked on the vinyl (look cheap to me).  The deal was good as far as the square feet on the install goes, but then I looked at the labor costs for just the stairs.... Ouch!!  Close to $1200 on labor alone for one guy to spend a day installing.  I should become a stair installer for $1200 a day!!!  In any case, I've been left feeling like a sucker.  So... on to bigger pockets to see if there are any wise flippers/investors in the San Diego market that could refer me to a skilled finish carpenter who charges by the hour (hopefully in the realm of $15-$25/hr).  Thanks in advance, as I have another property I'm closing on in 1 week that also needs stairs!!!

Brian

[Rob Beland]

@Brian Nelsonundortunately for you finish carpentry is a skill that most carpenters dont have. It takes time and concentration. Its all about attention to details. Good luck finding a decent finish carpenter for less than $35-$50/hr. I would suggest carpeting the stairs or using stock stair treads and staining/urethaning them. 

[Richard C.]

$15 an hour is a construction laborer rate, not a finish carpentry rate, even in New Hampshire, never mind San Diego. I think you will need to adjust your expectations.

That said, $1200 is too high. I would have expected to pay half that.

[Kyle Penland]

Carpet! And yes way to much! Did you not get a quote ahead of time? Anyone will charge a crazy price if it isn't agreed on prior to work completed!

[Justin R.]

Your wage expectations are too low.  To do any finish carpentry where you care about how it looks, expect to be paying $25-$40 take home in San Diego.

Low end of that if you've got a week plus of work, higher if you don't.  At $25, don't expect an ability to scribe the trim or work independently for too long.  At $40, expect both and no need for play-by-play oversight.

That's my (current) experience.

[Brian Nelson]

Thanks for the replies guys. I had a tenant lined up and ready to move in, so I wanted this knocked out quickly. I obviously paid through the nose for it. I appreciate the comments on finish carpenter pricing. It sounds like I could get a decent one around $35/hr. The guy that put my stairs in took a day to do it (probably 6-8 hours), which should put the job around $250 total. THAT is what I'd like to see. Shoot, I'll go for $300! In any case, if I don't receive any good direct recommendations from anyone here in San Diego, how should I go about finding somebody good but cheap. I don't need anyone with a big fancy license, just someone good. Start frequenting local REIA's I suppose?

[Garrick Oconnell]

Do not do the stairs the labor is all in the cuts!

Laying floor is much easier and less labor intensive. So floor installers are not hard to find and I would usually combine a interior paint, restroom upgrades minor, 

You did get overcharged but if he did it all in 1 day including the stairs that is FAST

Always  get a number in advance and hold them to it. Most contractors will bid high to compensate for the unknown. (which means they are usually not qualified for all or part of the job)

These guys gave me decent pricing and good work on overall basic rehab paint interior, flooring, kitchen- flooring, cabinet upgrade, drywall, restroom upgrade. Last year 

http://sddesignandbuild.com/

but it is all relative to your negotiating, time frame, holding costs

Now i project manage my light rehabs a little and take less expensive workers but really stay on them making them agree that if they do sub-par work it will have to be redone at there expense. I wouldn't recommend any of those guys they don't know how to job cost or will take a job they are not fully capable of doing with people they don't know who don't know any better.

[Dan H.]

I have found out the best way to find someone good and cheap is through trial and error.  Most cheap handymen are cheap because they are not that good in some manner.  You can find many cheap handymen to choose from on Craigslist.  You try enough and you will find someone that you would trust to do stairs with high quality work (the diamond in the rough).

I had a great, reasonable price (started cheap but as he was in greater demand his price rose but he was so good he was still a bargain) handyman but unfortunately his mom had a stroke and therefore he is now typically unavailable.  The handyman I have doing most of my work now I would not trust to do a good job on stairs on his first try, but he is cheap and can do many of the simple tasks (sometimes requiring 2 trips).   He recently installed a garbage disposal and did not pull out the dishwasher plug requiring a second trip (still much cheaper than a plumber as labor cost was $45 and no markup on the garbage disposal).  He also recently tried to install a tenant supplied security screen door but did not start by determining if the tenant had purchased the correct size door (they had not).  A total waste of an hour of labor costs.

Therefore pay for a qualified installer or realize that there will be some set backs due to using cheaper labor.  If the handyman learns from his mistakes you will also eventually have a decent handyman that can do a wide range of tasks.

[Levi Gardner]

I've done alot of flooring projects and the stairs are always the killer. Even if we were just recarpeting them along with the rest of the house we charged a $200 premium to include them. If your stairs were carpeted and then switched to the planks thats what drove the price up. All staples, nails, tack strip and adhesives have to be removed. Then the subfloor has to be prepped and perfectly level or the planks wont line up. If they dont do it right the patch can crack down the line making the steps uneven or even make the planks lift. $1200 does sounds like alot but if it is quality work and it lasts then its just another investment in the property. Seeing the conditions I've seen on rental properties it wouldnt surprise me if I come across that price point in the future. 

P.S. try to establish some relationships with local flooring companies or carpet stores. If you exclusively use them they will usually keep your commonly used materials on hand, give better rates and a quick turn around time on installations and repairs. I have an awesome store in North Park that is going to get all my buisness.

[Tina Glover]

Hi Levi!  Do you mind sharing who your awesome floor store is in North Park? I'm fairly new to the business, yet to do my first flip, but want to get my ducks in a row as I'm hoping to get there shortly.  I've used Factory Direct Floor Store in Miramar for most of the flooring on my personal residence, and really like their services and products, but it never hurts to have someone a little closer.   Thanks Levi and good luck with your stair problem!