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Devon Albone
Posted: Apr 18, 2012 04:18 PM
Wages
What is the going rate for paying someone as a tender?
What is the going rate for a applicator?
Jesse envirofoam.info
Posted: Apr 25, 2012 12:01 AM
I work alone, but, in a chat with a competitor, I learned that he pays his applicators $25/hr. If I were to hire a helper (hose guy or scraper), I'd offer $10/hr and see what kind of talent that brings. ...just my 2 cents.

Solo
Devon Albone
Posted: May 01, 2012 01:26 PM
I have been going back and forth about per board foot or hourly. Through the past in my last company you don't get good workers paying them hourly they get lazy.
SPFer
Posted: May 02, 2012 03:07 PM
Not sure how you can pay on a board foot basis. We had a job today that was 1/3 of a set of closed cell, but was in a finished space so it took half a day to cover everything in plastic. Sprayed a 1.75 set job that was 8" of closed cell in a wide open, easy access attic in a day also.

The job are too different to pay on a board foot basis. You need to find good help that is self motivated. Not an easy thing to do.
David Lamb
Posted: Dec 06, 2012 04:31 PM
In the upper midwest typical wage for a spray foam applicator falls typically between $17-$23/ hour. A few highly skilled sprayers capable of exceptional quality and volume, roofing or other sought after skills have been known to make in the $25-30 range, but that is not the norm.

I would rather see an hourly wage with a small profit sharing percentage paid quarterly or yearly to keep the sprayer motivated and honest versus a per board foot wage. The per board foot wage may incentivise more production but it also incentivises "cheating" and wasting foam in order to gain a larger paycheck.

Pay a fair wage, treat the sprayer well and an occasional thank you and bonus now and again makes a huge difference in employee attitude, quality and production.
chad harris
Posted: Nov 21, 2013 02:04 AM
A good foam mechanic is hard to find, there is a huge difference between a good applicator, and a good applictor/foam mechanic!
Depending on the region, I believe a qualified, motivated, "foam mechanic" is worthy of 18-25 per hour. Bonuses just sweet the pot for better production!!! (Hint, Hint)

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