Serious question, is a 5% waste factor on big storefront jobs still realistic?
I was talking to a guy at the supply house who said he always orders 10% extra on anything over 100 square feet. He told me, 'A single bad cut on a big piece of low-iron glass and you're out $300 and a whole day.' But my old boss drilled into me that 5% was the standard and anything more was poor planning. I'm doing a 500 sq ft job next month and I'm stuck between these two numbers. What's your take on the right amount of overage for commercial work?
Ever read that old article about waste factors in the trade mag? It basically said 5% is for perfect conditions, but you should add more for tricky layouts or expensive material. For low-iron glass, I'd lean toward your supply house guy's number. The cost of running short is way higher than a little extra scrap.
Totally agree with @leoward, running short on a special order like that is a nightmare. We always bump up the waste factor on high-end materials just to be safe. What's the worst that happens, you have a small leftover piece?