Are You Being Served Sir?

**kando** · 30th January 2005, 03:01 AM

Are You Being Served Sir?
Or Did The Salesman Really Mean...Are You Being Screwed Sir?

G’day All,

This is a longish post but I would like to know what you think.
I have been checking around on the cost of building supplies…some of you may know that I plan to build a new shed/bird-room in timber with attached outside flights for my canaries.
The bird-room will be equivalent to a 12’ x 16’ timber shed with a gable roof of Aluminium colour-bond and I have purchased a set of plans that suit my needs from the USA.
One of the pages I received with the plans was a materials list and cost sheet where it gives the cost of all materials to build the shed as:
Material costs EBO-1216 12'x16' Organizer (Gable Roof) $845.00.
That $845 US equates to $1,090.68 AUD!

Now then, Americans and Canadians love a shingle roof building and in the construction of a shingle roof shed of 16’ long, the builder would install nine (9) roof trusses then sheet the roof with ¾ exterior ply then cover the ply with roofing felt and finally fit the shingles!

Here in Australia we would have something like four roof joists at 1.6 centers, six 4x2 roof battens and the colour-bond screwed to the battens.
So it is obviously that a lot more materials go into building the American shingle roof than what goes into building an Aussie colour-bond clad roof.

If that is the case, are we Aussies being daft to expect to pay less for the materials to build a shed of the same size as a yank builder? After all, the poor yank has to buy a fair bit more timber and other roofing materials than we do just to build a roof of the same size! Or…am I missing something?

Well…I went and got a prices from three different timber yards…these prices were for the timber only…forget about the colour-bond Aluminium roof…I already have the Aluminium to do that job stacked at my place.
The prices I got were for some treated pine, six sheets of yellow-tongue flooring, enough F7 pine for the frames and trusses and enough El-Cheepo Hardyplank cladding to cover a shed of 4.8m x 3.6m x 2.75m high!
Another thing! The yanks use a product that we Aussies know as Shadowclad. It’s supplied in Victoria by CarterHoltHarvey of Melbourne and by all accounts, it’s a pretty great product to clad any building with.
I know from my own experience of living and working all over the States and Canada that if Shadowclad stands up to the extreme weather conditions of those two countries, then it would stand up to our much milder climate…No Worries!
Anyway at over $85 per 8x4 sheet, Shadowclad was out of my price range so I got a price for the much cheaper Hardyplank cladding.

And now at last to the point of this post; the yanks pay around $845.00 US for all the materials to build the 12 x 16 shed using more expensive products for the cladding.
At today’s exchange rate, that $845 US equates to $1,090.68 AUD!

Okay so I get three prices for the same size shed using less materials (No roofing materials) and a much cheaper cladding…Did I get a similar price for my materials list to my American counterparts?
No Way Hozay!

The Yank builder in the States pays around $845 US, or about $1,090.68 AUD!
The cheapest price I could find, using my trade card from that supplier was…$1,667.08! And don’t forget! There was no roofing tin, ply, felt or shingles on my list!

Am I right in expecting to pay about the same price as my American counterparts for lesser materials and some of those materials being of a lesser price?
I imagine had I supplied the same list as my American chippie mates, including the more expensive Shadowclad siding/cladding, exterior ¾ ply, roof felt and shingles, my costs would have gone to over two thousand bucks…and I can’t for the life of me figure out why the same products in the States would cost around a thousand bucks “less” than what we Aussies have to pay!
After all…we grow lots of pine and hard woods here in Australia and we create our own treated pine!

Please explain if any of you can:
Should we put on a happy face and smile when the timberyard asks us…Are you being screwed Sir. I mean served Sir? :eek:

Bill from Geelong...kando...with a little help from my friends

**Grunt** · 30th January 2005, 12:14 PM

I can't explain why this is so but I can confirm that it is true. I've built a small 2.4 x 1.8 metre weatherboard shed with a high pitched roof and I there hasn't been any change from $1000. I could have bought a tin shed the same size for a little over half but Mrs. Grunt wouldn't like it any where near as much.

I'm going to finish it today.

**vsquizz** · 30th January 2005, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Grunt

but Mrs. Grunt wouldn't like it any where near as much.

Ho Ho Hehehehe

Originally Posted by Grunt

I'm going to finish it today.

HahahHAHA ...ROFL..

**Grunt** · 30th January 2005, 02:44 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Grunt
I'm going to finish it today.

HahahHAHA ...ROFL..
__________________

Yes, I'm lucky there is another today tomorrow.

**Sir Stinkalot** · 31st January 2005, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by kando

Another thing! The yanks use a product that we Aussies know as Shadowclad. It’s supplied in Victoria by CarterHoltHarvey of Melbourne and by all accounts, it’s a pretty great product to clad any building with.
I know from my own experience of living and working all over the States and Canada that if Shadowclad stands up to the extreme weather conditions of those two countries, then it would stand up to our much milder climate…No Worries!
Anyway at over $85 per 8x4 sheet, Shadowclad was out of my price range so I got a price for the much cheaper Hardyplank cladding.

Kando ..... if you havent tried yet I would suggest a trip out to Bernie Leen and Sons. 3-12 Victor Street North Geelong.

They have a product very similar to (if not) shadowclad and I am sure it is much cheaper than you were quoted. I remember writing down the price once as I was planning to use it in a project and it certainly wasn't $85 a sheet.

I saved quite alot of money by buying timber for my deck from Bernie. Ask for either Jack or Damien.

Stinky.

**kando** · 1st February 2005, 02:05 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

Kando ..... if you havent tried yet I would suggest a trip out to Bernie Leen and Sons. 3-12 Victor Street North Geelong.

They have a product very similar to (if not) shadowclad and I am sure it is much cheaper than you were quoted. I remember writing down the price once as I was planning to use it in a project and it certainly wasn't $85 a sheet.

I saved quite alot of money by buying timber for my deck from Bernie. Ask for either Jack or Damien.

Stinky.

Thanks Stinky, I know Jack and I know the gear you're refering to.
I will buy my supplies from Jack but I'll still have to reduce the size of the shed to avoid too much waste. I would have bought the gear today but my car is in having a bit of work done and the wifes little car could not manage one of Jacks large trailers.
Thanks again mate

Bill...from Geelong...kando...with a little help from my friends

**Sir Stinkalot** · 1st February 2005, 07:48 PM

I am a little worried that as Jacks new sheds go up so will his prices .... hope not but only time will tell.

**soundman** · 1st February 2005, 11:16 PM

One thing that may be going against you is specific timber selection.
In different parts of the world or even in different states the materials of choice differ depending on what is most economical localy.
for example Jarrah is probably an auful lit cheaper in WA than in the east.

One othe matter is that at the moment timber is a sellers market. One fussy builder mate was in my ear about the quality of materials at the moment due to demand.
He's so upset, steel is looking more attractive.

I know some metals are cheaper than timber alternatives. Check the prices of dowel compared to similar sized aluminuim tube.

Oh & you probably arent a member of some secret brotherhood that entitles you to proper priceing.

cheers

**bsrlee** · 2nd February 2005, 01:46 AM

I suspect that the Norte Americanos may also pay quite a bit more than you have calculated - somewhere I read you can add about $200US per year increase in materials for a shed from what is quoted in a set of plans - find the copyright date & add 200 for every year since - and possibly a bit more as any calculation would have been done well before the plans were printed.

And of course we all know that 'service' is what a stallion does to a mare

**Trent The Thief** · 2nd February 2005, 05:57 AM

Hmm... I don't know about those prices. It seems a bit low. Lumber prices here vary quite a bit according to type and the region you live in. The vendor has a lot to do with it, too.

If you send me the materials list I'll price it from sources here in New Jersey. I've found that many lists have prices widely different from reality.

**kando** · 3rd February 2005, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

I am a little worried that as Jacks new sheds go up so will his prices .... hope not but only time will tell.

G'day Stinky,

You have to check around for best price when buying timber, Jacks price for 90 x 45 F7 Pine is about 45 cents per metre higher than Faggs Mitre 10 and I don't think his prices have anything to do with his new shed

.

Cheers mate,

kando...Geelong

**kando** · 3rd February 2005, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by Trent The Thief

Hmm... I don't know about those prices. It seems a bit low. Lumber prices here vary quite a bit according to type and the region you live in. The vendor has a lot to do with it, too.

If you send me the materials list I'll price it from sources here in New Jersey. I've found that many lists have prices widely different from reality.

Thanks for the offer Trent but as you have selected not to receive emails from other members on the forum, how do I get a list to you?
BTW...Give my regards to Hoboken, spent a month there back in the early 70s and had a great time.

Cheers mate,

kando from Geelong.

**Sir Stinkalot** · 3rd February 2005, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by kando

G'day Stinky,

You have to check around for best price when buying timber, Jacks price for 90 x 45 F7 Pine is about 45 cents per metre higher than Faggs Mitre 10 and I don't think his prices have anything to do with his new shed

.

Cheers mate,

kando...Geelong

Kando .... I don't get much pine from Jack ... generally the sheet products which are way way cheeper than anything else around. I found that the larger TP sizes were much cheaper than others around. The extra bit such as stirups were up to $2.00 cheaper than the big B and about $0.50 than another builders hardware store in Belmont (Not M10). This adds up when you are buying a few. I also look at buying smaller offcuts where possible and dirty looking timber as they give a good discount on that. I have noticed in the past few years that the prices are becoming more by the book .... previously they looked at you and offered a price. Still my prefered first stop in Geelong.

**Trent The Thief** · 4th February 2005, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by kando

Thanks for the offer Trent but as you have selected not to receive emails from other members on the forum, how do I get a list to you?
BTW...Give my regards to Hoboken, spent a month there back in the early 70s and had a great time.

Cheers mate,

kando from Geelong.

Well aren't I the silly one. I've changed that setting ;-)

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