Should You Buy Your Own Gutter Machine?

The hardest part of being a building undertaker of a package deal is figuring out how to grow your business. Doing the work is only part of the job. You may find yourself spending just as much time looking new projects and choosing when to spend in new tools and equipment.

If you setup rain gutters for a living, the biggest equipment investment you are likely to face is a gutter machine. A new K-style seamless gutter motor can cost in any place from ,000 to ,000.

Gutter History

At those prices, does it make sense for you to buy your own gutter machine?

In many cases the acknowledge is "yes." The cost savings from owning your own motor are speculate enough to buy. But in addition, having your own gutter motor allows you take on bigger jobs, gives you more operate over your work agenda and opens opportunities to be a subcontractor to other companies.

Lower Material Cost

First, let's take a look at the cost rescue in having your own gutter machine. To roll form your own gutters it costs between .70 and .80 per foot. Buying the same gutters from a supply house will cost about .25 to .50 per foot.

For a typical-size house, you can save 0 - 0 in material costs per job using your own gutter machine. That means you could potentially recoup the cost of a low-end motor after 30 jobs, and recoup the price of a high-end motor in as diminutive as 75 jobs.

If you have a two to three-man crew installing one job per day, the motor will admittedly pay for itself in a few months.

Bigger Jobs

Seamless gutters are the norm in the industry today and highly in demand. But getting them to the job site can pose some tricky logistical problems. Basically, the size of your truck ends up determining how long of a gutter you can install. If a job calls for a 50-foot distance of gutter, you'd great have a big truck.

Of course, you could skip the seamless choice and vehicle your gutters in sections. But that requires more work putting the gutters together on the jobsite, which creates a lot more opportunities for leaks in your finished gutters. More leaks means precious aid calls to fix a qoute that could have been avoided in the first place.

With your own gutter machine, vehicle isn't an issue. Just bring your motor to the jobsite and get started. That means you can take on bigger jobs with less headaches.

Greater Control

Instead of buying your own machine, you might pick to hire a undertaker of a package deal who has their own gutter motor and let them roll form your gutters at the jobsite. That's a great choice that reduces waste and shipping costs.

The only downside to this choice is that it depends on the availability of the delivery service. During peak season a enterprise with a gutter motor can be in demand, and you may have to wait in line behind their other jobs.

If there is a scheduling delay or they are unavailable for any reason, it will hold up completion of your entire project, which means you don't get paid on time.

New Job Opportunities

Instead of hiring a delivery aid that has their own gutter machine, you can be that seamless drop off aid yourself, selling materials to other gutter installers. That means you can make money without having to hang gutters. Just drive to the jobsite and turn on your gutter machine.

It also gives you a opportunity to win more gutter jobs. If a roofing enterprise wants to subcontract their gutter work, a undertaker of a package deal with their own gutter motor has a big benefit because of their greater flexibility.

Resale and Tax Breaks

Finally, keep in mind that your gutter motor may not cost as much as you think.

Your motor is a tax deductible enterprise charge and may be eligible for a compassionate tax break given to small businesses. Section 179 of the Internal earnings Code allows businesses to immediately deduct up to 5,000 in 2008 enterprise expenses. In the past, such expenses had to be depreciated over several years.

Finally, keep in mind that there is an active store for used gutter machines, so you may be able to resell your motor a few years down the road. A used 5-inch motor in good health will sell for colse to ,000 - ,000.

That means if you take good care of your machine, you can recoup part of its cost down the road.

When you add up all these advantages, owning your own motor is an easy call.

Should You Buy Your Own Gutter Machine?