im going into buisness for my self and have a few ?'s

[TROWLER]

ok look im planning on starting a concrete buisness , flat work, garages steps , etc etc

im a bit confused as to how to calculate the square yardage for concrete, you take the lenghth multipled by the width dived by the depth right?

another thing

how do you go about bidding and pricing jobs....

of corse i add the cost of the concrete, the cost of materials used(lumber, expansion , nails screws etc etc.)

how do i charge for tool usuage,and labor amount , i guess most guess chagre 25$ an hour , what elese do i add , i wnat to chagre fairly , but i dont wanna end up scarping the garbage can for my dinner

anything elese you guys can offer up would be apperciated
thanks
-trowler

[Rich]

I think you mean cubic yardage.
Length x width x depth = cubic feet
Divide that by 27 and then add in a waste factor. I typically go 12% more when in contact with ground (slabs & footers) and 8% more when in contact with forms (foundation walls).
Don't forget rebar, bracing, reuse of form stakes, overhead (phone, gas, insurance).
For tool useage I figure every year or 2 I will replace my tools. Let's say every year I need to replace a trowel and it costs me $40 to replace. I figure it's 2000 hours typically in a year. Divide $40 by 2000 and you get .02 / hour. Do that for all your tools and you'll get an hourly rate to add to your wage.
I'll be doing an estimating series of articles in the near future - it'll probably be 3 weeks before the concrete article is releatsed but the main portions (aside from what I just stated) will be in the first 2 articles. Bidding labor, materials, overhead, and profit..

[TROWLER]

thanks rich

and if anyone else can offer any advice on staring a new buisness my ears are open

[kdavis]

The best advise I would have for you is work closely with a small residential contractor and watch him very closely for about 2 years. Go with him/her when they perform estimates and get your hands dirty. I wouldn't advise on jumping into the construction industry without the proper knowledge of insurance, conctracts, and techincal know - how to say the least. All it takes is one thing to fail or someone get hurt and you will never see the light of day financially.