Contractors, have you been able to find work? Have you had to lower your prices? I was at Depot yesterday and it was very busy, gave me hope.
As for me, I’d say things are almost normal for this time of the year. Can’t be as choosy as I’d like to be though.
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steady but getting KILLED with the rain in Rhode Island. Trying to refinish a deck since before Fathersday. Thank God the wife makes good money..... Hope everyone else is doing well.
the rain is screwing us up too.... but today took the cake... first rain-out of our wednesday Twilight LeagueMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
RI's small, think we can string together a big enough tarp to cover it? Sorry to hear about the rain out, that's a bummer.
Mike,
We stood out a 10 minute rain, while watching the ladies league fold and head in. After that, saints be praised-the beer girl made one more round (to the half dozen groups that played out) and we finished just fine.
I'm busy into the fall. A surprise because there's all those laid off firemen, policemen and of course the auto workers. In other words, whoever has time and a pickup.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
about 2 this afternoon....it was raining so hard that most cars just pulled to the side and parked with their flashers onMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
We actually saw sunshine yesterday PM for about 3 hours for the first time in I don't know when. I think almost a month since I mowed the lawn last, so I jumped at the chance.Ended up clogging the deck and had the pulley belt squeal and smoke!
Then cleared it, ran another ten minutes - almost finished - and then ran out of gas.Lawn looks terrible nowThey say sun might shine again come Sunday.can you golf in the rain?
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i can... if the course is open
buckets more today
like 5 minutes of pure torrential down pour
then the sun peaks thru....
then more torrents... same pattern as yesterdayMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Grey all day today with forecasts of T-storms, but so far just wet air.Talked to out Assessor today who golfs a lot. He said all the links he normally plays are closed or closing because of the wet.Same thing with the strawberry growers - can't get in the field for the mud so the crop is rotting
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6.5 inches of rain here yesterday alone. A bucket more this am. Good thing the job I'm at had a covered porch to set up the saw and bench.
Booked up till early fall, with more on the way. There's been a flood of phone calls lately, none related to the weather. Big boxes are no more busier here than usual."I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
I've noticed that both the Depots I frequent (east of Atlanta) have been particularly busy lately.
Forrest
I've had a few down days more than usual.
And I agree that the big boxes are getting more bidness than usual.
I've also noticed that the big boxes have lowered some of their "installation" prices -- and that, at least to some degree, is competition for me.
So, yes, I have had to lower some prices accordingly. I have always told my customers that I could beat the big box installation prices. And of course, i make money when I do.
So now, is just a bit less. Not really a significant drop.
My brother-in-law who's a partner in one of the larger commercial contractors is getting his walking papers this fall. The company has gone from a staff of 270 down to 22 and this fall it will be even smaller.
Many of their branches have completely closed and those left have a single representative left in them. (soon to be closed too)
I've been out of work going on 23 months and in that time I've sent out thousands of resumes and thus far only two have sent me thanks but no thanks.. None have called me..
When I do follow up I hear about hundreds if not a thousand people applying. Most are using computer programs to weed out applicants not qualified and verify facts in the resume..
I used to have a network of over 1100 contractors and people in the industry I'm now down to three remaining in the industry.
I've been to my home depot a little lately and I noticed early morning is still dead (when contractors are picking up stuff) but midmorning is busy with DIY type people
If he is a partner, what does it mean to get his walking papers?Gonna start walking to work instead of driving in?I have a couple month's worth lined up, but nada beyond that.
Some other contractors starting to lay off here.
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He's in a tough spot.. partnership means the profit (or loss) is shared among partners.. he had many years of profit accrued but they are spending that accured profit (his original retirement program) to pay his salary in spite of the company losing money. He also owned a partnership in an archetectual firm which again he'd expected could provide his for his retirement. The firm is down to two part time partners (from 125) and no longer meets the requirements to bid on schools ( their previous niche).. The partners have agreed to remain in bausiness as long as the money holds out but he has absolutely no expection that the value of his sharses of the company will ever recover enough to provide him a cent for retirement..
Last year there were three multi million dollar homes built right near me, however 4 more old homes were torn down and thus far they remain vacant lots with apparently no intention of starting in the foreseeable future.. Two of those muti million dollar homes have nothing but weeds growing in their yards.. apparently the money ran out before the landscaping went in..
Edited 7/1/2009 6:50 pm ET by frenchy
Slower than cold mud here. Took a job as super, 30 hrs a week. Might last til Jan. Nothing new to even bid.http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
Slow down here on the coast too. I got licensed in March and nothing has happened since. Have one addition going then it is blank. Lost 2 good jobs one due to financing and the other because he is afraid to spend the money.
John
I'd kill to have a couple of months lined up. My June was absolutely crazy. I'm finishing up two jobs now and have nothing else booked.
I have no more finger nails to bite.
I did meet with a lady my wife works with. It looks like we'll be doing her bathroom but its not in writing yet.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
One of my next leads kinda sucks.I renovated her summer house here a few years back.About 6 weeks ago, she got run over by a Brinks truck 'cause she stepped out in front of it. The rear wheels were on her leg for a couple hours while they lined up the EMS straight through so she wouldn't bleed out. Looked like she might loose her leg, but still going thru reconstructive surgeries in NY.She may be needing to have a few adaptations made for wheelchair/handicapped access. I did have universal access in mind when I did the plans back then, so it won't be too complicated.But just thinking about her hurts.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Mike,
Was slow a few months ago here in So. MD. Now I'm busier than the "one legged man in a s*^#! kicking contest. And actually a couple of fun projects. Hope everyone is doing better.
Bill D.
We are out a month or two, but that's not unusual.
Tomorrow a big project is probably going to be canned, which was three months or so, so I'm getting nervous.
But the phone is still ringing. I've had to not bid a few because the budgets turned out to be unreasonable, and I've lost alot of jobs to folks offering prices half (and less) of mine. But the phone is ringing, like I said, and we are doing smaller jobs that are a month or two, rather than four or five. With the increased burden of more mobilization/tool need/searching for parts and pieces, we are no doubt making less profit. But the bases remained covered.
I haven't dropped prices because they are fair and based on my costs, which continue to climb.
Yes.
What happens next month is still to be seen.
I'm busier than ever, but it's squewed toward small jobs and I don't have as much backlog as usual, but the phone seems to be ringing more than usual. I'm doing lots more proposals, but converting less of them. I'm also seeing lots of "re-sizing". The jobs get revized downward several times.
My internet presence is starting to pay dividends. I'm making a sale or two a week from my website - $70 - $20K. It's not consistant, but it's noteworthy.
http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
I'm relatively busy but everything seems to take a million years to get going due to design and color changes. I've noticed that my standard commercial installation stuff has dried up(typical tenant fitup/architectural millwork) but my residential and marine custom cabinetry is going strong as well as fabricating some commercial wall paneling.
The more suburban branch of the lumberyard was slow(TW Perry) but the one closer in to town seemed pretty busy every time I've been in.
Everyone said it would be easier to hire now that things are on the downswing but I've posted a few help wanted ads and have gotten almost nothing but poor responses from the unskilled to a few folks who wanted to turn a carpenter's position into a 'walking super'. This is in Washington, DC area by the way.
Still nothing at all going on here. Dead as the proverbial doornail.
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, riddle them with bullets.