So who has been lucky and had their phone ring for work lately? Just curious as I read where things are supposedly getting better?
Mine hasn’t been really ringing too much. Have ongoing ads running and all kinds of networking but not lining up stuff for the summerfall when my current jobs will be done.
Getting anxious!
Performance improvements for the prized homes of an influential developer who wanted us all to be able to own one.
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Replies
Not me. As a matter of fact things have gotten much worse in the past 2 months. Went to a pre-bid meeting on a $20K remodel the other day and one of the contractors in attendance last job was a million sf up-scale shopping center. My plumber told me today he can't make his house payments anymore.
central CT. I have more work than I can handle.
tonite I have to return a call and tell the lady theres just no way I could get there until maybe november. I'm sure she'll find someone else
Luckily as of late-quite a few jobs have come up. To the point I don't know when I'll get to them. Thought I'd bottom out in June-now it looks good if they'll wait-into the summer. Several are the few day repair type but those add up. I'm happily optimistic. Was a consistant but slow moving spring till now.
Best of luck to you.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Mike
Here in NW Iowa most guys have work.
Some new housing going.
Commercial guys are hurting.
We have quite a bit of work, but we are known for doing every little thing the dog drags in.
This winter was actually better than the last two winters.
Econmy around here is pretty good.
There are still plenty of people eating out at restruants and such.
I think the big ticket items are slow.
Rich
I guess it really is still bad here (Florida). I had the 14th guy walk up on my job today and ask for work. I have never had that many show up to such a small project before.
Its kind of sad as most of these guys seem like good guys just no work for them.
Mike, I had a very busy spring here---- but mostly from sales I made last fall and over the winter.
at present i have 4 nice jobs to do----but all are tied up for one reason or another.sold a door install a couple weeks ago--- hung the door yesterday.
sold another roof job earlier this week---- customer won't let us do it untill june 8th so- i am pretty idle for the next 2 weeks or so. Not to worry-- I have 9 storm sash to build for my house that have been waiting for me since November 2007,LOL.--- I am gonna spend the weekend cleaning and sharpening tools------------ plus planting some grass seed around a new driveway and sidewalk we had put in here at the house---- monday i will start working my way through the cut list for my windows. all in all?- i am pretty happy-- i could use a little breather here-----and doing too much,too fast was muddling my thinking--- just the last few weeks i didn't feel i was making smart decisions. stephen
stephen,
Yeah, I could use some downtime to catch up on some things on my own house as well. Just would like some income to fund it!
I do wish we had some crystal ball to see what the future would bring as it would make my mental anxiety alot better.
Mike
I had the 14th guy walk up on my job today and ask for work.we building a school. we had 327 applicant over the last six month. boss been keeping track of them, he claimed out of 327 only 4 was worth hiring, the others was drug user, thief, uneducated. He claim they was just looking to fill the unemployment requirement to look for work. He claimed anybody who wanted a job could have one.He hired one kid last week, no experience but he showed up with a new hard hat, tape measure, boots and his own brand new square point shovel.He have problem with his own guy keeping tool so he claimed anybody buy their own shovel needs a job more than others.
Edited 5/30/2009 3:03 pm by brownbagg
I wish it would slow down too. I get about 70 hours a week for last two years. This monday morning at 1:30 am I have to drive 100 miles to gulfport ms for a 3 am concrete pour, then go to another job in gulfport and work till 5 pm, after that I have to drive to Montgomery al for a concrete class tuesday morning.
brownbag,
OK, I can't resist being a smart #### here but if you are pouring concrete on Monday, why do you need the class on Tuesday? :)
But yeah, your area seems to be doing well. I was up there doing some consulting work last year and all the guys I talked to were busy.
Mike
everyone I talk to says contractors are just not returning calls. I dont get it. is that a symptom of a bad economy?
I visited a past client today. he said he wants to reno a bathroom and update his office. I said 4 to 5 months. he said at least someone gave him a response
tomorrow I have to go look at building an addition. that guy also said nobody has returned his calls
a lady called me last week and asked me to quote some work for her. not much, some crown moulding and a few repairs. I said I could not get there for a while and she said at least I returned her call
Its the nature of the industry as some guys will not call back no matter how slow they are...I have found some subs to be the same way.
I don't get it either...
Maybe they are just shy. Or the old lady has a good job.
I think that they may be good craftsmen but have trouble dealing with customers. Fear of rejection maybe?
I'm having a hard time keeping up with all the requests for proposals that I'm getting. Not getting any more work than usual, but the GC's are looking at more smaller jobs. And the tire kickers are getting 7 prices rather than 3. I tend to be more concerned with the birds in the hand, so the ones in the bush don't always get an immediate call back.http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
OK Mav, as the line in Dirty Harry goes "hey man... I gots to know"
I'm in New Haven and to say it's like a morgue is an understatement. If you don't mind me asking, do you specialize in a certain type/price range etc? Any thoughts on why you're so successful in the face of all this? Be most grateful for your input...
PaulPaulB
http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com
http://www.finecontracting.com
I get all of my work by referral. happy customers will find the work for you
I'm a small operation. I've seen it in the past when the larger outfits fold up it leaves me with a glut of work.
I have a brother in the same business. he try's to mimick my business model except for one thing. quality. I love my bro but he doesnt have a clue when it comes to that. so he's flat on his #### with no work. last week i had him working for me and it really is painful to watch him work. even worse to think he's one of those unscroupulus contractors we like to rip on
another thing I do is guard my client base. I dont care how small the job is if they are a good client I go there and take care of things. the small jobs ensure I get the large ones
Like you, 99% of my work is from referrals. I like to think that I have nothing but happy clients, although I also know that isn't realistic for a whole variety of reasons. But, it sounds on the surface like we both are trying to conduct ourselves the same way. How long have you been in the busines? I suspect one of my problems is that I haven't been in it long enough to have a sufficient body of past clients giving out my name. Plus, in the beginning, I was doing "large" jobs so I might only have 3 clients in a given year to help pass the word. Anyway, thanks for the input, and continued good luck...PaulB
http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com
http://www.finecontracting.com
I've been at this 15 years. really I target the McMansion set. I dont work for anyone who makes less than I do. it kind of sounds snobbish but I dont care, thats where the money is - even now
This coming week I'm finishing up a timber frame addition thats open on three sides. After that I'm figuring a 1/2 mil$+ reno near me. Looks good but then again I haven't given them any numbers yet so you never know. If I do land this gig it'll keep me busy for the next year even with all the subbing out I'll be doing. Fingers and toes are crossed.
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
Plenty work for me here in BC southern interior. Hired another guy yesterday, and subbed out some architectural concrete I'd normally grab in a heartbeat, but just no time. Condos and spec stopped dead last fall, but custom homes and wineries are doing fine for me. Good relationship with a busy new architecture firm has paid off in spades.
A little better here but we wont be setting any records this year.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
I really don't know how to read it here anymore. I have a ton of guys stopping at my job looking for work yet a large tract builder just started a 200 home subdivision and others are still building specs? I don't get it.
The guy with the 200-home sub... maybe he got the property at 10 cents on the dollar and figures he can get cheap labor and materials right now, so why not put in homes that are new and fresh and don't have the funny smell of the stuff that's been sitting? Easier to sell something fresh than something with tumbleweeds blowing by.
As far as the guys stopping by, there's less work so they're unemployed. Chances are they are clustered in the bottom half of the food chain, i.e. most of them weren't highly-prized lead guys with A-level outfits. I need to hire a carp shortly and the guys that have been calling cold are not the ones I want, so I'll actually be advertising.
David,
Yeah I suppose but still with all the available homes around here (some stat I read says there are over 5,000 homes in our area that are new and never lived in) to put in a whole subdivison (roads, infrasturcture, etc) and sell homes for $199k and make a decent profit...I guess I just don't understand the biz aspect of those kinds of investments that well.
And yeah, I haven't been impressed with any of the guys stopping by my jobs looking for work either.
Got a call last week. I'm setting up story poles for a seven thousand square foot home tomorrow morning. Goes to planning the middle of next month and with any luck I'll be digging a hole sometime in July. Now I've just got to button up my own little project to the point I can leave it for a couple of years and also figure out a way to keep the permits alive. Bogus inspections I guess.
Two years worth of work at top dollar will put me over the top and I can do everything I want on my place when I get back to it. It's going to be one of the coolest houses in California! Yahoo!!!
While I now know some of the more traditional contractors are starting to struggle these past 2-3 months, others seem to be exploding in their business. For instance, the drywaller (good friend) is dealing with a waning business. But the atyical flooring folks are finding it difficult to schedule me as a customer--thus unintentionally turning business away.
Depending on your line of work, it might be a good time to amend the business to include associative lines of trade as well. For instance, I suggested to the drywallers friend to get into home structured wiring and audi/video. He already enjoys the audio/video (we're home theater buts) and presenting a finished all-in-one solution company is enticing.