Profitability with Concrete Repair Products
Profit by Adding Concrete Restoration to Your Client Options
The option of restoring existing concrete with concrete repair products has caught the attention of many property owners and managers. Are you a contractor having an increase in requests by property owners to restore their existing concrete rather than replace it?
There are many issues that make it extremely difficult for a contractor to decide if concrete restoration can be profitable for his business. Where do you start? How do you identify durable concrete repair products that save money for your clients and are profitable for you?
Perhaps you have ignored or avoided opportunities to repair or resurface concrete because of issues such as:
PERFORMANCE
You have seen poor performance of concrete repair products in spite of marketing claims. After all, is there a concrete repair product that promises less than stellar results?
PROBLEM: TOO UNCERTAIN. The claims of concrete repair products can seem “too good to be true” and track records can be difficult to verify.
PROBLEM: WHERE IS THE PROOF? Confidence in a concrete repair product should be based on repair case history. Most concrete repair product companies list concrete restoration projects by name with photos taken immediately after completion of a project. However, they rarely post ongoing documented inspections of the projects with dates and photos. Sure, the projects looked great at one time, but how does the repair look a few years later or today?
SOLUTION. Concrete repair product case history should have documentation covering a span of at least five years with accompanying photos and descriptions of the damage repaired. Look for companies that openly provide this kind of case history online without having to take a salesman’s word over the phone. Remember “talk is cheap”.
Below is a good example of durability with respective dates.
Example of a very durable concrete repair product
Another example of good repair case history can be seen by clicking here.
COST
Concrete repair products have a huge price range. After carefully reviewing repair case history and finding several concrete repair products that look good, the next step is to evaluate product cost and ease of use to maximize profitability. This means determining the price for a given volume of mortar and associated costs related to applications.
PROBLEM: TOO EXPENSIVE. Concrete repair products can cost as much as $40.00 per gallon of repair material. Do you “get what you pay for” when you buy less expensive products?
PROBLEM: HIDDEN COSTS. What is at least as important as product cost is the cost of using a product. These hidden costs can include:
- Requiring minimum depth saw cutting to the repair area perimeter.
- Requiring special training or tools.
- Requiring several different concrete repair products due to limited scope of application of a given product.
- Requiring special additives or sealers.
- Limited shelf life. Will you have to discard unused concrete repair product because you were unable to secure
enough work before its shelf life expires? - Minimum purchase quantities and shipping costs. If the concrete repair product contains cement and sand the shipping costs can be very high.
SOLUTION. In addition to base product cost be sure to take into consideration all of the potential hidden costs of any concrete repair or concrete resurfacing product. The best way to address these issues is to look for concrete repair products with “ease of use”. The old adage “keep it simple” will get you in the fast lane to adding concrete repair and restoration to the services offered to your clients.
One thing is sure: If a contractor doesn’t get involved in concrete restoration it is very likely that a competitor already has or will do so soon. The high cost of removal and replacement of concrete has made repair and restoration very attractive to property owners who are increasingly aware of this option from internet search results.
Call us or fill out a contact form on our website if you would like more information on concrete repair products and services. Watch for an upcoming blog on pricing for contractors.
Written by Chris Koebnick, Crossroads, Inc.
Crossroads Concrete Resurfacing
U.S. Representative for Fusion-Crete®
Phone and fax 970.879.3445
Mobile 970.846.4290
Toll free: 866.788.6790
www.fusion-crete.us
fusion.crete@gmail.com