Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[SDIrishFan]

For $700 the lights better play and dance for the fight song everytime someone passes by

From the little bit of looking I've done, the commercial grade light strings that can be cut to length anywhere and last several years, run $200-$300 for 100 feet of string. Plus you figure plugs, clips, jump lines, misc materials, tools, etc. You can get over $1000 pretty quickly.

It sounds like you "lease" the lights (don't install homeowners own lights), and ideally, you put them up several years in a row and after the first year, they are all cut to length and paid for, so your profit is much greater after the first year.

 

[SDIrishFan]

Based on my experience watching my BIL do something similar getting paid was as much a chore as doing the work. People can very easily just falt out not pay you after the work is done and it ends up not even being worth it to get a lawyer or small claims court involved for a $200 install of a ceiling fan.

Maybe since its elders you might have better recovery of fees but he eventually gave up on it because he just couldn't get people to pay.

That's a big fear. I'd imagine you have to get half up front and ideally that at least covers your hard costs.

Absolutely everything in writing.

But yeah, if you spend all your time chasing down debt, you aren't making any money.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Is that the labor alone or does it include light rental?

That price is labor and storage. Most charge you a lease agreement or have you flat out buy the lights up front, which that cost will vary depending on size of the house and customization requested.

For $700 the lights better play and dance for the fight song everytime someone passes by

You'd be shocked at the demand for this sort of custom setup in certain areas.

From the little bit of looking I've done, the commercial grade light strings that can be cut to length anywhere and last several years, run $200-$300 for 100 feet of string. Plus you figure plugs, clips, jump lines, misc materials, tools, etc. You can get over $1000 pretty quickly.

It sounds like you "lease" the lights (don't install homeowners own lights), and ideally, you put them up several years in a row and after the first year, they are all cut to length and paid for, so your profit is much greater after the first year.

Depends on the contractor. I've seen leased pricing and I've seen ownership pricing. We bought our lights outright a long time ago and just pay my friend to come do our house. (helps to get the friend discount). His labor fees also include storage and repair (up to a certain number of bulbs). I know landscape companies around the north side of Indy who charge $1000 in labor/storage costs alone on larger homes. People line up for it. My friend is basically trying to undercut those prices so he can grow his client list. The profit margins are insane.