Lot Layout

What formula does everyone use for calculating the cost of laying out a new lot? (layout, measure and chalk)

Here's my formula..... New lay-out ='s same price as restripe. Sounds crazy for some residents here on PLP. This equation does not work for most in attendance here but works well for us. There's reason behind our madness.

Restripe X 3 New striping is so dang aggravationg. You bid it 8 months ago, they tell ya "June" and call you in either "May" aka "Fishing Month" or "August" aka "Lay in the Pool month", only let you stripe half the lot because the other half is full of stuff or else it's "YOU HAVE TO STRIPE THIS WHOLE LOT BY TOMORROW MORNING CAUSE WE ARE GOING FOR OUR C.O." ....(on the hottest/coldest day of the year!) Or they call you as you are on the way out of town to the Diznee Whirled, "Need ya to stripe it this weekend". The plans are drawn by some DA neophyte arkytek who obviously has NEVER SEEN A PARKING LOT and the design requires a parking lot stretcher. The landscaper has just covered the lot with 1" of red clay, and then helpfully "watered in" the clay, but oh look! the flusher truck has just shown up to wash all your layout marks off. The plans said all signs were gonna be put in dirt, but suddenly the owner wants all the signs put in bollards filled ("I'll be watching!") with concrete on holes cored thru a sidewalk. Did I mention that most of the time one coat is OK, but if you happen to lower your bid to get the job, the arkytek will suddenly show up and demand two (or three!!!) coats of paint? New work is like women's periods in a dorm...they may have started out on different schedules, but magically they somehow all happen on the same week, and YOU are the one with a headache. With a restripe, there is a proposal, an invoice and then a check. With new work, there is a proposal, revisions, submittals, progress reports, progress invoice, punch list, final invoice, sales tax report , AIA forms, lien waivers, and ALL FIELDS MUST BE FILLED IN BEFORE FINAL PAYMENT CAN BE PROCESSED, and, at some point, a check, minus, of course, retainage, which will show up from one month to one eon later. so, restripe X3.

At least 35% over a restripe.

BTS... you missed warranty, paint specs that appear after the job is done and the pole wrench to unscrew the lamp standard and put it in the center of the center line and parking lot line (this is for when the dumbass thinks he can squeeze by the pole and tear the side off his vehicle.) Oh yeah!,we moved this curb 5 ft and turned these stalls into 8 ft and why is that transformer in the driveway? It can,t be wrong it was layed out by total station. Your measuring tape is wrong I will remeasure with mine. .....Heat stroked ....120F...shower beer,pool,bedZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I charge 50% more per ft. on most layouts

I charge 50% over restripe but should charge more if they dont have plans on the lot. I get alot of parking lots they want me to draw something up ( best layout with most spaces ) very time consuming.

Ditto with the above. I have always used 1.5X as a base but add some depending on unusually difficult layouts or circumstances that require more time or work (like all the dirt the landscapers left right where a crosswalk has to go etc.)

Please explain the madness Ken

I guess we are in the middle. We charge Double the restripe price. Occasionally have some of the issues BTS talked about, but usually we work for the same pavers and do the job just as they finish, so it's pretty straight forward. We also charge more for other things besides lines, like new speed bumps because they suck up paint like a sponge. Thanks for the rant BTS, now that you mention it, when we do work for other contractors besides our regular pavers, that seems to be when most of the issues come up.... so from now on restripe X 3 for those "others"

Here's a little gem that rolled off the fax machine today: "We are doing a negotiated bid on another building that is very similar to XYZ building that is currently under construction (your proposal #####) This job will have an approximate start date of March 2007. Please send me a revised/updated proposal assuming the same scope as the XYZ building but with a new start date. Attached is a property survey for the above referenced project. Due to the urgency of the Owner's decision, I need this pricing by Mon 8/7 at 10:00AM" No layout, no building plan, just a plan of the property. Let me look into my crystal ball and see what paint and gas prices will be 9 months hence. Excellent customer, and he won't blink at whatever price I send him.

ha ha ha , you gotta love customers like that.

My sons do mostly new construction. My customers know in advance that my prices include blowing incidental dirt away from where we stripe. They know that our price does not include cleaning the entire parking lot or cleaning stuff that won't blow off. We do clean entire lots, but the cost is a lot more. Advantages to new work - it's usually daytime, weekdays, if there's anything in your way, it's somebody else's fault and they will pay an additional mobilization for you to return and finish, you aren't trying to fix someone else's screwups, the parking lot looks pretty when you are through. You also have the opportunity to sell additional products and services like signs, bumpers, bollard covers. Biggest disadvantage - you have to be there when they want you. Like BTS pointed out, somehow different GC's coordinate so that they all have their "time of the month" at the same time. And superintendents sometimes don't handle PMS very well. Symptoms include headaches, upset stomach, abdominal paint, anxiety, impulsiveness. Symptoms usually appear about a week before CO is due.