Gutting a business for pipes...how much to charge?

With a building of that age it's more likely that they used either lead,galvanized, or black iron (steel) for the hot and cold water pipes.



The steam pipes were most likely black iron.

The sewer pipes were most likely cast iron with bell ends where they were fitted together. They used to chink the bell connections with a combination of wool like fiber & white lead. That old cast iron is harder than a boiled owl so it's useless to try and cut it with a sawzall. You can either smash it with a three pound maul like you would a bathtub -or- cut it with a 4" angle grinder that has a metal cutting wheel installed. Another thing that would work well in some situations is a circular saw with a metal cutting blade installed. When the blade wears down to a point that it's too small for the skill saw put it on the angle grinder. ( Saves a ton on blades cause you use em' twice !)

Looks like they've got carbide tipped sawzall blades out on the market now. They cost a bit more but might hold up better than the regular blades ? Haven't tried em' yet.

You might keep an eye open for copper sewer pipes. They're not that common, but some places were plumbed with it. The 4" - 6" diameter copper pipes with brass fittings would be a nice bonus on the job.