i am about to sign a contract for 100,000 to 120,000 sq ft. he is wanting to put in 3/4 inch by 2 1/4 inch hardwood. my customer only wants to pay $1.50 a sq ft for the wood. i know its a very cheap price but im sure it can be done. does anyone know ehere i can get some wood for this price without it being totally garbage.

#2 common red oak shorts can be had for a buck a ft. or less. It'll look like a saloon floor but hey, it's cheap. Try calling various mills and buying direct. BTW, just WHERE are going to install 100,000 sq.ft. of wood? N.J turnpike? Grand Central Station? SF International Airport Runway? That's a HUGE order. Largest job I was ever on was 40,000 sq.ft! Of decking.

Chitleah,

Big numbers! Hey, I'm new w/ this hardwood side of floors but have been doing smooth surface floors for over 30 years. From my back ground let me say you can get real stuck here.

When ever I used some kind of special super deal, buy direct, cash price special, just this one time deal. etc, etc, material; there was frequently unexpected material based problems.

The stuff didn't fit right. didn't lay right, required special adhesives/fasteners that were not readily available. Had hidden freight costs. Moisture issues. Dimensional inconsistancy. Hidden damage. VERY poor claims resolution. Otherwise known as a royal pain in the neck.

Have the customer do absolutely everything concerning the material. From selection to purchase to freight to payment to local delivery to storing to providing proper atmosphere. To job site delivery.

Forget about trying to pick up material profit on stuff like this. Not worth getting involved considering what could go bad and the implications.

100,000 sf can be a real $$$$$$$$$ headache

Also have a contract that pays you for interrupted work due to material problems. With frequent payment steps. Arrange the total job price and payment steps so that your desired price is fully paid for by the next to last payment. Because the last payment frequently is either adjusted or never happens.

Also, save the most difficult work for the end in case there is a problem along the way and you experience job seperation.

I've seen a lot of crazy making over the years.

Best wishes in this endever, hope you hit a home run!!

Tom