I don't really consider the cost of the materials as we buy in bulk and often from a supplier that I have a relationship with the owner that spans over more than 25 years. He supplies all of my wood, mag nails, rebar, paint and other misc items at a discounted cost because of the high volume and us being his largest customer with fast pay.
Most of our orders involve at least 50 bundles of stakes and lath ever month and the same with bundled 18" rebar. We buy concrete monuments by the pallet and they load everything but the rebar into our supply barn with no labor involved on our end. It's a great set up and delivery is free.
As far as costs, our fees to set corners more than cover the cost of the materials and labor. Also keep in mind that I practice in NJ which requires corners to be set but allows the client to waive the setting of corners. We are required to include the waiver form with each of our contracts and most will waive the setting of corners to save a few hundred bucks at settlement but about half in that pool will call us down the line to come back and set the corners and that cost them more because we have to remobilize to do it.
@dougie that will create spirs at the cut every time and rip your hands up if they are not ground off.
I don't really consider the cost of the materials
I don't think about it day to day, either. Nevertheless I think it appropriate to have an idea of the going rates, and to review business practices from time to time.
This StL area is spoiled having Surveyor's Materials supplying everyone with everything they need that isn't Trimble. Seiler Instrument covers that. I couldn't imagine being in an area that didn't have a supplier handy. I don't know how many times we'd just swing by and grab something to get us through the day.
Concrete supply houses generally have the best prices on rebar. Menards has the straightest cut #4 rebar when I'm working for those that use that size and are paying the bill. They (and the other big box stores) are twice the price of the concrete supply places. You could put in epoxy coated rebar from a concrete supply place with the same price as regular from a big box store.
There is a concrete supply place that has a hundred year old cam shear that goes up and down about once a second and they jam a rebar stick in there and it comes down without even noticing the rebar, the cut piece comes flying off of the machine out into the yard and you wait until a bunch are cut or you are likely to be a target. That machine still runs but I guess they finally decided there was no safety in the operation of it so they don't cut rebar anymore.
@norman-oklahoma whenever i go back home to visit family in MS I always get with my buddy who surveys and bring a few cotton picker spindles as we call them back. They are awesome for setting control in asphalt especially in areas where snow plows run. Mag nails pk nails get popped out here in VA. We got lucky on a job and found all the holes the mag nails were . I wish I had a source here for them. Lots of cl of old gravel roads were set with those in TN. Still in I imagine. The asphalt over the gravel and mg locator can pick them up dig down and bam.
i just picked up some supplies Friday everything is going up still where I am.
Mag nails pk nails get popped out here in VA.
They pop out everywhere. I regard MAG/PK nails as temporary control, with a "half-life" of about a year. So if I need the control to last more than a year I'll set something else. And the design life of most projects is commonly more like 3-5 years. Longer nails, or if drilled in to sound concrete, have potential to last much longer. Nevertheless I still regard them as temporary. So if Mag nails are used for control at least use those that are a couple inches long, minimum.
Also, I instruct those working with me that MAG nails and PK nails are distinct things. If they find an actual PK nail that indicates that it probably is at least 20 years old - and that is a significant fact. I dislike it when the term "PK" is habitually used by persons who have never pounded an actual PK.
Mag nails pk nails get popped out here in VA.
They pop out everywhere. I regard MAG/PK nails as temporary control, with a "half-life" of about a year. So if I need the control to last more than a year I'll set something else. And the design life of most projects is commonly more like 3-5 years. Longer nails, or if drilled in to sound concrete, have potential to last much longer. Nevertheless I still regard them as temporary. So if Mag nails are used for control at least use those that are a couple inches long, minimum.
Also, I instruct those working with me that MAG nails and PK nails are distinct things. If they find an actual PK nail that indicates that it probably is at least 20 years old - and that is a significant fact. I dislike it when the term "PK" is habitually used by persons who have never pounded an actual PK.
Tied a PK last week that I set in the 80's. Never seen one 'popped out'. Do you mean pulled out or knocked out, or do you mean by freeze/thaw?
Never seen one 'popped out'. Do you mean pulled out or knocked out
I mean missing, for whatever reason. Surely you are not claiming that MNs never go MIA?
Back in the day when they were all PKs, I used them routinely for referencing property corners. Had a lady (client) call one evening asking about a specific corner from her survey that was out in the middle of pasture land. It took me quite awhile to figure out that she had seen a couple of PKs near the obvious corner and thought they were the actual corners of her property. These had been driven into the sides of a fence post and a young tree, each about 20 feet away from the single corner. She had my survey plat in hand indicating that iron bars had been set IN THE GROUND at each corner. She was so attracted to the PKs, she never looked down.
I dislike it when the term "PK" is habitually used by persons who have never pounded an actual PK.
I have a bunch of boxes of actual PK nails in my supply room. Most are 3/4" if your looking for some for sentimental reasons.
If you have staff that needs something to do on rain days, for example, cutting rebar may be just the thing.
I didn't think that was possible to not work in the rain in your neck of the woods
Licensed Land Surveyor
Finger Lakes Region, Upstate New York
