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Reasonable price for building a few steps? Lee 09-13-2008
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Posted by Lee on September 13, 2008, 2:49 pm



I know every place and situation is different, just trying to figure if
this is reasonable. (And someone's not pulling something over on a naive
home owner).

New to me house has a "sun room" built across the back of the house.
There are two separate sets of cement steps from the house to the room.
The steps are very awkward for me. I'm 5' tall, and the distance from
the door to the first step is like 9-1/2", and different on the other.
And since I have to step over a threshold just inside the door, it makes
the first step *really* big for me. I'm interested in having new "user
friendly" steps put in over the existing ones.

I had a contractor that I've used before look at them, just to build
plain wood steps over the existing steps, using Trex. He originally
quoted me $450 for the two, or $420 if I did it with plain wood. Then
the other day he came by and looked at them again and sent me an email
that he'd realized he couldn't do them as he'd originally planned with
stringers and needed to use a "box method" and that "there is more
material required with this method so the new price would be $750.00."

So questions - shouldn't he have realized what type of design he'd need
when he first measured the steps and quoted on it? And should the
difference really be $300 for additional material? And most importantly,
what would a reasonable price (range) be for two sets of steps (3 steps
each) in the Baltimore area? I was happy with the $450 although a male
relative told me he thought it was too much since it would "only need
$50 worth of material". I wouldn't be asking here about the original
price, but I'm confused by the $300 increase. (It's not the cost of
Trex, because the orig price specified a $30 reduction if he used
unfinished lumber).

Current steps -
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v704/lurkerlee/problem%20areas/?action=view&current=Sunroom-awkwardsteps.jpg

Electric Radiant Heat 468x60
Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on September 13, 2008, 3:56 pm




>
> So questions - shouldn't he have realized what type of design he'd need
> when he first measured the steps and quoted on it?

Maybe, but did you ever make a mistake or not plan something perfectly?
This is where the old saying "shit happens" comes from.


> And should the difference really be $300 for additional material?

Material and labor.

And most importantly,
> what would a reasonable price (range) be for two sets of steps (3 steps
> each) in the Baltimore area? I was happy with the $450 although a male
> relative told me he thought it was too much since it would "only need $50
> worth of material".


Give the male relative $50 for material and buy him a six-pack. Your guy
may not want the job and he is telling you that softly.






Posted by Colbyt on September 13, 2008, 3:58 pm



>
> So questions - shouldn't he have realized what type of design he'd need
> when he first measured the steps and quoted on it? And should the
> difference really be $300 for additional material? And most importantly,
> what would a reasonable price (range) be for two sets of steps (3 steps
> each) in the Baltimore area? I was happy with the $450 although a male
> relative told me he thought it was too much since it would "only need $50
> worth of material". I wouldn't be asking here about the original price,
> but I'm confused by the $300 increase. (It's not the cost of Trex, because
> the orig price specified a $30 reduction if he used unfinished lumber).
>
> Current steps -
>
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v704/lurkerlee/problem%20areas/?action=view&current=Sunroom-awkwardsteps.jpg

Frankly I am a little surprised that the initial quote was so high. Please
realize that it all depends on your locality but that does not look like a
$450 job to me. For a licensed insured contractor is some areas it might be
a fair price. For sure I would not pay the $750.

I suggest you get a few more quotes from someone who needs the work. Even
in the high cost NE there has to be some one who wants to work.


Colbyt



Posted by cshenk on September 13, 2008, 4:09 pm


"Lee" wrote

> I know every place and situation is different, just trying to figure if
> this is reasonable. (And someone's not pulling something over on a naive
> home owner).

Hi Lee!

> New to me house has a "sun room" built across the back of the house. There
> are two separate sets of cement steps from the house to the room. The
> steps are very awkward for me. I'm 5' tall, and the distance from the door
> to the first step is like 9-1/2", and different on the other. And since I
> have to step over a threshold just inside the door, it makes the first
> step *really* big for me. I'm interested in having new "user friendly"
> steps put in over the existing ones.

No doubt. I looked at the picture. In my area, thats a code violation.
The problem is they didnt make them far enough out to add that missing top
step (probably wanted to preserve room-space) and created a true safety
issue. Possibly they were the origional ones from the back door of the
house to the yard?

First in dreaming of this, I would literally have the cement taken out then
make proper wood steps with a rail. 3 steps for us short folks (I'm a whole
inch taller than you so neener neener!). Maybe nice black filligree wrought
iron ones?

Measure your foot. Have the steps about 1.5 to 2 inches longer than your
foot. You wont lose much room space and it will work. If you accomodate
for bigger feet, you'll need about a 3 ft out stretch.

> I had a contractor that I've used before look at them, just to build plain
> wood steps over the existing steps, using Trex. He originally quoted me
> $450 for the two, or $420 if I did it with plain wood. Then the other day
> he came by and looked at them again and sent me an email that he'd
> realized he couldn't do them as he'd originally planned with stringers and
> needed to use a "box method" and that "there is more material required
> with this method so the new price would be $750.00."

It's not just the material, it's the labor. My guess is he wanted to build
up both steps to make it a more even shift. Essentially the new design
would be one that pretty much ignores the cement totally and makes a new
structure over it.

What might be more functional and look better from the little I can see of
the room, is to have a brick mason put a layer on each step, raising them
both, then some fax thinner brick on the sides and perhaps the riser between
the steps if you wont loose too much depth. If you just raise the top step
without the bottom one, you just shift the problem to a different level.

> So questions - shouldn't he have realized what type of design he'd need
> when he first measured the steps and quoted on it? And should the

In honesty, the fellow called back to show it wouldnt work and he'd need to
do more. You can get a second opinion (and should) but this is one of thse
pesky 'small projects' that can cost a fair amount.

> difference really be $300 for additional material? And most importantly,

Labor, not material I bet.


> Current steps -
>
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v704/lurkerlee/problem%20areas/?action=view&current=Sunroom-awkwardsteps.jpg



Posted by John Grabowski on September 13, 2008, 6:07 pm



>
> I know every place and situation is different, just trying to figure if
> this is reasonable. (And someone's not pulling something over on a naive
> home owner).
>
> New to me house has a "sun room" built across the back of the house. There
> are two separate sets of cement steps from the house to the room. The
> steps are very awkward for me. I'm 5' tall, and the distance from the door
> to the first step is like 9-1/2", and different on the other. And since I
> have to step over a threshold just inside the door, it makes the first
> step *really* big for me. I'm interested in having new "user friendly"
> steps put in over the existing ones.
>
> I had a contractor that I've used before look at them, just to build plain
> wood steps over the existing steps, using Trex. He originally quoted me
> $450 for the two, or $420 if I did it with plain wood. Then the other day
> he came by and looked at them again and sent me an email that he'd
> realized he couldn't do them as he'd originally planned with stringers and
> needed to use a "box method" and that "there is more material required
> with this method so the new price would be $750.00."
>
> So questions - shouldn't he have realized what type of design he'd need
> when he first measured the steps and quoted on it? And should the
> difference really be $300 for additional material? And most importantly,
> what would a reasonable price (range) be for two sets of steps (3 steps
> each) in the Baltimore area? I was happy with the $450 although a male
> relative told me he thought it was too much since it would "only need $50
> worth of material". I wouldn't be asking here about the original price,
> but I'm confused by the $300 increase. (It's not the cost of Trex, because
> the orig price specified a $30 reduction if he used unfinished lumber).
>
> Current steps -
>
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v704/lurkerlee/problem%20areas/?action=view&current=Sunroom-awkwardsteps.jpg


It looks to me as though those steps were there before the sunroom. That
may have been an outside doorway at one time. It would be best to get
several quotes and opinions as to what can be done.


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