What is a Fair Price to Pay Niece's Boyfriend to Install Our Wood Laminate Floors?
- 38 Replies
DH and I thought we could do it ourselves. We got the first room full of carpet, padding, and tack strips up. Now that it's time to lay the flooring, we're balking because we are NOT diy'ers by any stretch of the imagination and we both have physical ailments that are limiting our abilities (bad knees, backs, etc.). Plus we have more questions than answers about where to start, what way to run it, etc.
DH got the idea to ask our niece's fairly new boyfriend, who we have not met yet, to do it. He has done it for a living in the past. He is currently between jobs and could use some work. We didn't have the flooring place do it because it costs as much to have it installed as the flooring itself cost and we can't really afford to pay that much. Her boyfriend was excited that we asked and has agreed to do it, but he won't name a price. He's giving us the "whatever you want to pay me is fine" speech.
We prefer to pay a lump sum for the whole job instead of by the hour. So my question is, what is a fair price to offer him? It's a dining room, living room, and hallway and totals 500 sq. ft. We would be providing all the tools. He would be not only laying the floor but also removing and replacing the baseboards, helping us move the furniture, helping remove the remaining carpet and tack strips, etc. A friend who has done it before estimated that it's probably a 2 day long job of 8 hours per day.
Quoting autum713:
What was the store going to charge u?
The flooring cost us $2.50 a sq. ft. and the store would have charged $2.50 a sq. ft.to install. So we spent about $1500.00 on the flooring and the installation would have cost another $1500.00.
Quoting Anonymous:
Quoting autum713:
What was the store going to charge u?
The flooring cost us $2.50 a sq. ft. and the store would have charged $2.50 a sq. ft.to install. So we spent about $1500.00 on the flooring and the installation would have cost another $1500.00.
Quoting JamesMom714:
I would get a few estimates then offer him the job for the low or average price. Just because he is a niece's boyfriend doesn't mean he should earn a fair wage.
That is true, but the store would have sent 2 installers, plus we have already done several hours worth of work by removing the carpeting, etc. in one room, plus my dh would be helping him.
At what age should I tell my son dh is not his bio dad?