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I’m a mid-career guy leaving the 9-5 world for a new life “in the trades” and have a question for you folks with more (alot more) experience. I have a situation/opportunity where the owner did most of his own remodel work but is now too busy to finish up (some maintenance items, some trim, a roof that wasn’t vented, leaking valley, etc.). The final permits were never issued so I’ll need to complete the work and get it signed off.
It’s such a mish-mash mishmash if I was comfortable quoting this would be a hard job to set a price on. The owner realizes this and doesn’t expect a hard bid, so I think he’s being fair.
The problem is that he wants to pay by the week, not by the hour; expecting me to put in whatever time is necessary to meet a schedule we agree on first. He’s also got some new additions planned for after so there is a carrot dangling in that if I perform well I would get the more desirable work, good references, maybe even some future deals, etc.
Up till now I’ve mostly been doing repairs and handyman stuff with no idea how to break into some bigger projects so this could be a good stepping stone.
I know that hustle is good in this industry, but the main appeal of self-employment is schedule flexibility and being in control of what and when I work on. I’m not sure I like the idea of going on salary instead of straight hourly. He’s worried I’ll milk the hours, and I’m worried he’ll expect 60 hour weeks for 40 hours pay.
Maybe my questions aren’t well formed, but any feedback on this “opportunity” would be great!
Thanks
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Replies
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Goose,
I'm not that much farther along than you. I would try to get a complete list of what he wants done, prioritize it, and then price by job. Perhaps to be paid for completed jobs at end of week. Don't necessarily price the whole list up front.
Rich Beckman
*One thing I really love about this discussion room is the fact that all involved are in the same game, but at various levels of experience. After reading the question that you posed I am reminded of when I made the transition from a "craftsman" to a "buisiness man". One thing that worries me about your scenario is the fact that the contractor (especially in your situation), is always responsible for the final outcome of the job. Given the fact that you will be coming behind someone elses work, there is no way to tell how much extra involvement will be required on your part to bring the final product up to a proffessionals level of acceptability. The other thing as I see it is the big stinking trust issue. The client who seeks out my service is waiting for me based on reputation and accomplishments. Having even a freindly dispute over pricing now lends me to believe their will be other disputes to follow. In short the client who seeks out your services based on your credible standards should exhibit a bit more trust in your trying to cover thine own rear. Good luck with your venture and remember that noone but yourself will do a better job of looking out for you!
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I'm a mid-career guy leaving the 9-5 world for a new life "in the trades" and have a question for you folks with more (alot more) experience. I have a situation/opportunity where the owner did most of his own remodel work but is now too busy to finish up (some maintenance items, some trim, a roof that wasn't vented, leaking valley, etc.). The final permits were never issued so I'll need to complete the work and get it signed off.
It's such a mish-mash mishmash if I was comfortable quoting this would be a hard job to set a price on. The owner realizes this and doesn't expect a hard bid, so I think he's being fair.
The problem is that he wants to pay by the week, not by the hour; expecting me to put in whatever time is necessary to meet a schedule we agree on first. He's also got some new additions planned for after so there is a carrot dangling in that if I perform well I would get the more desirable work, good references, maybe even some future deals, etc.
Up till now I've mostly been doing repairs and handyman stuff with no idea how to break into some bigger projects so this could be a good stepping stone.
I know that hustle is good in this industry, but the main appeal of self-employment is schedule flexibility and being in control of what and when I work on. I'm not sure I like the idea of going on salary instead of straight hourly. He's worried I'll milk the hours, and I'm worried he'll expect 60 hour weeks for 40 hours pay.
Maybe my questions aren't well formed, but any feedback on this "opportunity" would be great!
Thanks