LEARN TO BE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR

I was in the construction industry for over twenty years. These types are tools are of a great benefit for the REI, but........

When you are using these estimators please keep in mind the following:
1. Prices on materials are usually only good for 30 days.
2. If there is a major catastropy - hurricaine - in the states prices will skyrocket for building materials all over the US for a period of time afterwards. There were times like this that youmay not be able to even get the supplies as they are unavailable.
3. Add a buffer to the overall price - such as 10% for such occasions as above.

LOVE TO BUILD (as well)
Kat

good point kat materials can and do change if an updated book for the year is purchased i believe there is also a factor in their to add such as you are stating.also your point about 30 days can come into effect if you have a 30 or 60 day contingent upon financing contract things could change for you so right on . great to be on same team with another who loves to build !! good luck kat and thanks for your insight
jbtoggs

this may have been posted but i thought it may help someone further.when we say square foot costs it means you take the lenght* width=sq ft example:
your roof measures 40' long and is 12' from the eave or gutters to the peak or ridge line of roof 40*12=480sq ft now you multiply this * 2 which gives you the other side if their are only 2 sides. 480*2=960sq ft so you have 9.6 sq if you are dealing with shingles you would round up to 10 sq [note]....you would add 1-2 square for the peak and waste. now this is only for the shingles not the total roof project!!just a quick tip
jbtoggs

learn to be a gen contractor is a book that i thought may help out some rei,s .i meant to state this in my first post but couldnt find.sorry anyway it is from national plan services authored by carl heldmann.some of the info is saving $,where to start cost estimating,is the structure restorable??,dealing with subcontractors,mortgage application,just to name a few .i usedthis when i was first learning and would help beginners in rei im sure. i think dean should write or co write a book on rehabbing properties too !! take the experience of all the dgers in rehabbing and combine it into a book for beginners !!! any info or tips on rehabs or construction r welcomed !!

another book to add to REI library as I build it. With hurricane season especially in Florida you have to worry about the availability of supply which I believe you already mention and where (which country) home box stores are getting it. If you're going to be constantly rehabbing if you have a workshop it's probably best you stockpile those supplies e.g. 2x4's, 1/2" pile sheets so you have it on hand when ever you need it keep your costs low.

thanks kat !i believe any books on the rei subject will be of benefit.you are right about the availability of material incertain areas especially!i cant imagine trying to estimate jobs in florida that would be tough with all the hurricanes as you stated. thanks for the insight kat!
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Where does one find such books?

amazon.com,hardware store,building supply store"ask the people at the store to show u all they have in stock or can order for u",borrow from friend neighbor,relative,"means.com,home estimator.com,search google,etc.good luck and if u cannot find let me know i will find what u r looking for.

Not sure why you would want to 'learn' to be a GC, especially in this economy. I've been a contractor for over 27 years and I can tell you this has been the worst 2 years of my life. Even if you want to be a rehabber.

This isn't a skill you can easily learn just from reading a book or watching a video, despite what some may tell you, however if you are looking to get a handle on what things costs, price books are a great resource as a general guide. If you're bidding work, it's a much more involved process than pulling prices from a book and it's easy to get into trouble if you don't know what you're doing.

I'm not looking to discourage anyone if this is what you want to do, just a word of caution.

you r exactly right the cost books r only a reference to people new to rehab but it does give them a starting point and a ref to look at when they do get a contractor.alot of people want to have some kind of info to learn and go back to to be familiar with their rehabb.they r a great tool to have.CAUTION is the best avenue though you r right!! thanks for your comments rich and good luck on your rei you r at the right place to jumpstart your rei career !! the best to you
jay