Every successful business person knows to solicit multiple bids from contractors. (Need help finding good contractors?) You do this to find the market price of services and to feel out the knowledge and competency of your potential help.
I’m no fool. I did the same thing with my triplex once I had a comprehensive repair list. The various estimates for my carport demolition surprised me though. They ranged from $1,000-2,500.
PSHH!
(if you don’t know what that means, please consultant urbandictionary)
We decided to complete the carport demolition ourselves, and it was one of the best decisions we’ve made so far. Granted, the demolition was spread out over several weeknights, and a contractor could have had the job finished in a day. We were perfectly ok with the delay though. The carport demolition wasn’t preventing us from renting out any units.
The best part: instead of paying a contractor over a thousand dollars, we ended up coming out ahead!
The first thing we did was throw a crowbar party! Four of my macho friends came out and competed to see who could take down the most boards as fast as possible. In retrospect, I could have charged a dollar a sledgehammer hit since they were all so amped to be the first one to take down a support beam.
Don’t believe me? Check this guy out
After the wood was stacked, I posted an ad on craigslist for reclaimed wood. I offered it for free, and I had quite a few craftsmen come out and take a load off of my hands. This saved me from hauling debris and paying dumping fees.
The roof of the carport was made of corrugated aluminum. I also posted this on craigslist asking for people to make offers on the 26 sheets that I had. One person made an offer of $4 a sheet, if it was trailer-ready when he got there. I responded with a lower offer of $3 a sheet—with the understanding that he would be responsible for disassembling the aluminum. I also threw in an offer for free reclaimed wood, should he be interested.
Within 24 hours of him accepting my offer, the debris was gone and I was $78 richer!
Pros:
- I saved money
- I made money
- I helped prevent debris from going into a landfill
- I helped others find affordable materials for their projects
Cons:
- It took longer than if I had hired a contractor
- I had to coordinate many moving parts
Would I do it again? I saved money. I made money, and I had fun. You bet I would!
