Just ran the numbers on my last 10 jobs in Denver and it shook me

I was tracking my waste for a bid and realized I was throwing away about 15% of every sheet from cutouts and bad measurements. That adds up to like $80-$100 a job just in wasted board. Found the stat when I looked back at my receipts from the last 3 months at the Denver Home Depot run. Anyone else ever calculate their scrap percentage and get surprised by the hit to their pocket?

4 comments

4 Comments

jade_johnson1mo ago

Stop nickel and diming yourself, scrap is just part of the cost of doing business.

the_emma16d ago

Saw some guy online say he burns his scrap for heat in the winter, at least it's not totally wasted lol.

carter.gavin16d ago

That reminds me of a buddy who tried to heat his workshop with scrap wood and ended up melting a bunch of plastic buckets he'd stored too close to the barrel. Whole place smelled like a melted toy factory for a week. He just laughed it off and went back to tossing his scraps in the dumpster like everyone else. Guess there's a reason most of us just pay for heat and move on.

the_robert1mo ago

Went to buy a new sheet of plywood once and realized I'd been using the wrong blade for months. Made all my cuts wider than they needed to be, like throwing money straight into the sawdust.