Iowa Guy Posted February 15, 2012 Share #1 Posted February 15, 2012 I hired a friend to do some dry wall for me this winter in his spare time. He is a rascal and will only give me his hours and not his hourly rate. He is an engineer who normally does large project management of hospitals colleges etc. but is between jobs right now. Its a little bit like hiring a doctor to give first aid. I'd like to pay him a fair amount but not engineer rates. What would a fair amount per hour be in a small town in Midwest Iowa? Tim Lantz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted February 15, 2012 Share #2 Posted February 15, 2012 I'm not an expert on this but I would think in the $10 to $15 range depending on how efficient he was on the job. I've forgotten what minimum wage is these days but that's around $7 to $8. If he was a professional contractor you would pay more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Haywood Posted February 15, 2012 Share #3 Posted February 15, 2012 Remember a couple of things, Is he collect unemployement and als if paying cash $13.00 per hour is really liike $16.00 per hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterGuns Posted February 15, 2012 Share #4 Posted February 15, 2012 No matter what you pay him, you should not take advantage of his friendship and pay him fair market wages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreezyRider Posted February 15, 2012 Share #5 Posted February 15, 2012 No matter what you pay him, you should not take advantage of his friendship and pay him fair market wages. As bad as I hate drywall work....and as long as it takes me to finally get it right....I'd pay him pretty well. Live generously, you will never go wrong, and you will sleep well. Bless others while you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted February 15, 2012 Share #6 Posted February 15, 2012 My son-in-law is in drywall. Drywall is a little different from an hourly wage employee. They get paid by the square foot. About .10-.20 cents depending on the size of the job. So each sheet is worth about $3.20 to $6.40 installed. He's good, and with my two grandson's can put up 50-100 sheets a day. That said, never pay an hourly wage to someone who is not experienced in construction. Pay them by the job and only when it's completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brake Pad Posted February 15, 2012 Share #7 Posted February 15, 2012 all states have a living wage rule. I'd base it on that scale, somewhere in the area of 12 to 14 an hour to hang, when it comes to textures, Knockdown or flat finishes, go for price & materials included. NOT Price plus materials. Residential Builder Here...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary N. Posted February 15, 2012 Share #8 Posted February 15, 2012 It's been a long time since I've had dry wall work done but as I recall the guys that do it for a living charge by the square foot. Maybe you could find out what the going rate is in your area and take it from there. Last time for me was 1995. Had a 1900 sq. ft. garage done. They installed the dry wall and finished it for $1000.00. I bought the material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIC Posted February 15, 2012 Share #9 Posted February 15, 2012 I hate drywall work. Spent a whole Saturday one day trying to put up ceiling drywall. Broke 4 pieces and got one partial sheet done. Hired a drywall crew "off-duty". They came over and did the whole ceiling, walls and taped on their lunch hour...don't remember what I paid them but it was worth every $$ ! I agree with find out what it would have cost you to have a professional do it. Figure out the quality of the work done. And pay your friend a decent amount. The friendship is worth more than a few $$$ saved. You can also throw in a $40 - $50.00 dinner gift card to a nice/favorite restaurant so he can take his wife out. If he is unemployed, having a specific gift card eases his conscience on spending $$ that he normally wouldn't spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted February 15, 2012 Share #10 Posted February 15, 2012 It's been a long time since I've had dry wall work done but as I recall the guys that do it for a living charge by the square foot. . It's still done that way. The SIL owns a drywall company in Idaho. They are considered a sub-contractor and usually bid the job by the sqft. No contractor pays a sub by the hour. They've done a lot of those huge celibrity estates in Sun Valley. Right now they are over in Pocatello rocking new schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa Guy Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share #11 Posted February 15, 2012 Thanks All Lots of good ideas. I didn't know that it was charged by the foot. I will look into it. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvester Posted February 16, 2012 Share #12 Posted February 16, 2012 I have a small contracting business in NC. It is easier for me to pay the drywall man by the hour since most jobs are small. I pay $15.00/hr and he works for that and is good with great joints and corners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLCRIDER Posted February 16, 2012 Share #13 Posted February 16, 2012 Thanks All Lots of good ideas. I didn't know that it was charged by the foot. I will look into it. Tim I had the same problem a couple of years ago, a friend who is an architect said oh we will figure it out afterwards I didn't like that idea as others on here have said he deserves the going rate, so I went and got a couple of quotes showed them to him and asked if he was game he said he was more than ok with it and would not charge me that much, when finished I paid him the higher quote cause it is very nicely done Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamue Posted February 16, 2012 Share #14 Posted February 16, 2012 I used to do dry wall work years ago but i don't think much has changed. Dry wall work is usually bid by the sq. ft. in the 70' it was around 18 cents a sq. ft. and 25 cents a sq ft if you also bed and textured. Today i would call a dry wall company and see what they charge to do the amount of sq. feet you had done. give you a guide to make an offer to your friend that would be reasonable. remember it cost more for small areas over doing a complete house. sure you will do fine if he is a friend. I hired a friend to do some dry wall for me this winter in his spare time. He is a rascal and will only give me his hours and not his hourly rate. He is an engineer who normally does large project management of hospitals colleges etc. but is between jobs right now. Its a little bit like hiring a doctor to give first aid. I'd like to pay him a fair amount but not engineer rates. What would a fair amount per hour be in a small town in Midwest Iowa? Tim Lantz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dacheedah Posted February 16, 2012 Share #15 Posted February 16, 2012 If you are supplying the materials 4 x 12' sheet hung and taped between 5.90 per sheet and 10.00 per sheet. The 10.00 is for high work ( over 9') boxed ceilings, scissor trusses, knock down add about 2.00 more for those prices. Everything should be glued and screwed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Venturous Posted February 16, 2012 Share #16 Posted February 16, 2012 I uswed to pay $10 a board hung and finished. That is 12 foot boards. If hourly,good, and effiecent I would pay $20 to a friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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