The company wishing to instal a new Lauzon engineered hardwood broke down the price for me as follows:

Boards (5" red oak, exlcusive): $9.83 sq ft
Labor:$3.00 sq ft
Glue: $2.20 sq ft

Total: $15 sq ft (not including modlings and slab prep)

The total floor space is 600 sq feet, so the price of the glue is coming out to $1,320. The company says it is the best glue out there and has moisture block in it etc. She said the price for 5 gallon bucket is about $120, which means they would be using 11 5 gallon buckets (55 gallons of glue??!!)

Does the price or amount of glue sound credible?

Thanks much./

You should get between 150-200 sq ft per 5 gal bucket depending on what trowel notch is being used. $1300 for 600 ft of glue sounds like someone is trying to pad the job.

They do have a really good mark up on the glue. They must be using Stauf 960, as it is the only wood adhesive, with moisture blocker and adhesive in one bucket. I have not priced the Stauf 960.

But with Bostik's BST I charge $1. 20 sq.ft. if I supply it.

120 dollars a bucket? Let us do some math. At 2.20 a foot, that would mean they will be getting about 55 feet per pail. Are they going to use a trowel or some sort of pump instead? heehee

Without knowing what the adhesive is, I really cannot comment on the price you were quoted. 960 costs dealers almost 2 dollars a foot. It might be Sika.

While no adhesive manufacturer claims that moisture cured urethanes will hold down vapor, the reality is they are good up to just over 4 pounds all by themselves. No warranty, though.

It certainly seems excesive to me--I will ask them to drop the price by a $1 a sq ft and see what they say. Thanks for your replies all.

Another thought is that they might be using Best and MVP in tandem. If that is the case, 2.20 is more than fair.

You know I get this all the time. I do nail down floors over concrete. That is my thing and that is what I like to do, but you know what? It never fails, my clients always tell me that my labor is higher than a different quote and the reason is because I am putting in a sub-floor with my labor and I don’t break it out. I am competitive with glue labor when you factor in the savings over a glue install and my installs are far superior to glue and my price at the end sq. ft. for sq. ft. is lower or even. The problem is that client look for anything to pick apart and pull the price down.

The question you should be asking is, is 15 sq ft reasonable for the installation of 5” read oak and the answer is yes that is within range of the going rate for product an labor.

I surmise that some clients love the final, price but figure why not try and squeeze the install based on another estimate that the end price is higher but that one area is lower.

My typical response this is ok I will lower my wood floor labor and add on the sub-floor labor. If it’s a number game that they want to play I will show them where every penny is going.

As well If someone says that xyz is cheaper, I now require a written quote showing the competitors final price as well as the reduced price for whatever line item. Usually walking my client through the quote shows them all the areas of my quote in which they are getting superior products or techniques. If it does not convince them and they still insist on me not eating and the baby not getting shoes to install their floor. I give them Lumber Liquidator’s number and tell them it was a pleasure meeting them.

I am seriously considering just providing a sq. ft. quote to avoid this very situation. I say don’t be surprised if the installer says either no, or yeas and then subs out Best + MVP for Bruce glue or Parabond.