Home Advice: Price for custom window screens?
 

I purchased a flipped house 2 years ago down here in Austin, and outside of a few wonky things, it's been a great first home.

One of the things the flippers failed to do was provide screens with the new windows, something that I'm finally getting around to adding.

Just got my first quote for getting 24 window screens created and installed, and the price came back at just under $600. I thought it would be higher due to the number of windows, but maybe they are just dirt-ass cheap to make.

Is that a fair price?

Same company quoted me $650/each for 3 storm door additions, which feels a bit high. I don't want to drop $1,950 for goddamned storm doors.

Whoops, not a Chiefs-related header, my bad. Mods, feel free to adjust to home/auto.

in my area , window screens are about 30 bucks each from a mobile window screen guy

no experience whatsoever with storm doors but they seem to WAY overcharge for screen doors and sucker you in with the windows.

They wanted something like 300$ for a screen door when I could buy a better one from home depot for 80$ and have someone install it for like 50$

Unless they are something fancy you can go to Walmart and get kits to build your own screens. I've done tons with my rental property. Very Easy.

Here's a quick tutorial I found

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uo5Bkq2J96c" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Always get at least three bids.

No exceptions.

it isnt hard but for most landlords it really doesnt pay off....The frames are around 10 bucks and the screen is like 5-10. then you need a couple of tools and sometimes if a window isnt square you have to re-cut one side ..if you didnt measure perfectly the 1st time. even if yu can do 2 screens in an hour, what is an hour of your time worth?

You have to go get all the crap and then do it....thats at least an hour for 2 screens.

I'd much rather pay 60$ and make one phone call to a mobile window guy for 2 screens..thats just me though...I'm not into spending an hour or two, going to home depot , and messing with it to try and save 20 bucks.

again, just me and I am old now. 20 years ago i would spend 5 hours to save 20 bucks

I could make 24 screens in half a day for $300. Once you have the tools which only involves a hack saw and the spline roller you have them forever. That's just me though as a landlord , I have to cut costs wherever I can.

This. We were constantly making them when I was in apt maintenance. Just have to make sure you get the thickness of the screen frame right, get the appropriate frame corners, and also the correct size of spline for the frame. If you get all that right it's a breeze. You **** any of it up you will hate your life and everyone who suggested doing this on your own and you'll only have yourself to blame.

Good find, just watched it. He said that he spent about $30 to do two windows, and if I have 24, that would put me at $360, making the labor price gap for my estimate at $240.

At 30 mins a window (if I’m flying), that’s a 12 hour job, making the hourly rate $20, and the total per-window cost of $25.

Knowing that I would inevitably **** it up a few times, wasting product and time, I think having a pro do it at that price is probably worth it.

I’ll still likely get another bid to price check.

ok well if you value your time and labor, and time spent shopping etc at zero thats an OK deal

but i would rather pay 500-600 and have someone do it

furthermore, absolute no units that I rent out have 24 windows. more like 8.

4 hours of my time is worth 300$ minimum

and I doubt youre gonna make 6 screens an hour if youre not a pro with a helper, sorry, im gonna have to call bullshit on that one

Building a screen in 10 minutes isn't far fetched at all for someone who has done them before. 4 hacksaw cuts, push the corners together, drill two holes for the tension clips and pop them in, lay screen over frame, roll spline in and trim.

I've never understood putting a value on your time unless you have a hourly job that pays you 24 hours a day.Now if you're gonna take time off from work for this it's different but normal people would just do this after hours. Some people are just ****ing stupid. and yes I can knock one out in 15 minutes. I've only done maybe 100 of them over the last 20 years.

Every minute of my time is worth money

Even when you're asleep ?

Lol sleeping costs money