Anyone else getting quoted insane prices for work around your place?

[Steppenwolfe]

I was talking about an illegal person working in my neighborhood. I am also talking about people who have no vested interest in our community other than to milk as much money out of its residents as possible.
I put 15 years into coaching, volunteering and helping others who live here.
Breaks my heart to see those same people hire outsiders to build their garages, barns, additions when they could hire their neighbors.
And I’m not just talking about me. There’s plenty of others in the neighborhoods who do the work I do experiencing the same predicament.
My grandparents came here through Ellis Island, not by jumping a fence

This is an excellent post if I say so myself. We have skin in the game, some do not. Read this article, this money is earned here and invested in Mexico, not in the local economy where it originated. How much money is sent to Mexico from the US? | finder.com

 

[grsthegreat]

Im pretty much retired now, but i had my own electrical and construction company for many years. In the beginning i was charging what someone would charge as if they were working for someone else..... and doing this on the side. good way to go broke. By the time i retired, i was making $95/hr and was working way over 40 hour weeks. If someone didnt want to pay my rates, than dont hire me. I felt no ill will. Nearly 80% of my business has been word of mouth, as i have not advertised for a long time.

Except for generator service work im retired now. I still get calls every day asking me to do some electrical work.

My problem has been finding someone that wants the work i dont want to do anymore. Ive given out their names and numbers....but none of them bother calling the people back. Frustrating.

I almost want to go back to work....but then i go sit on the back porch with the dog and think....naaa.

 

[Hay Dude]

Im pretty much retired now, but i had my own electrical and construction company for many years. In the beginning i was charging what someone would charge as if they were working for someone else..... and doing this on the side. good way to go broke. By the time i retired, i was making $95/hr and was working way over 40 hour weeks. If someone didnt want to pay my rates, than dont hire me. I felt no ill will. Nearly 80% of my business has been word of mouth, as i have not advertised for a long time.

Except for generator service work im retired now. I still get calls every day asking me to do some electrical work.

My problem has been finding someone that wants the work i dont want to do anymore. Ive given out their names and numbers....but none of them bother calling the people back. Frustrating.

I almost want to go back to work....but then i go sit on the back porch with the dog and think....naaa.

Im pretty sure you dont have the influx of illegal immigrants in N Idaho that I have here sandwiched in between Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE taking all the trades wages back to 1980s wages.

Dont get me wrong, I dontbegrudge you in any way. Its just that wages vary so much in different parts of the country.

 

[Hay Dude]

This is an excellent post if I say so myself. We have skin in the game, some do not. Read this article, this money is earned here and invested in Mexico, not in the local economy where it originated. How much money is sent to Mexico from the US? | finder.com

Now you know why my union teacher “ wifey “ provides our health benefits. Having to compete with foreign wages and having no union to belong to makes it tough for me to supply health insurance. My wife gets it “ free “ whether we want it or not. Taxpayers pay for it.

 

[Muhammad]

Recently got some quotes for 350 linear feet of retaining wall... materials probably $5k. Equipment rental and dump fees about $3k. Job cost $40k. Four guys, five days they said... do the math, that's $160 per hour per guy... that's way more than I make so the decision is easy.

Usually I find that I can do a job for about 20% of whatever quote I get, and sometimes that includes buying some tools. With the retaining wall I could buy a mini excavator and still save money.

 

[Doofy]

This is why it is so important to become self sufficient. Learn how to "Do" for yourself. If you can read and follow directions you can do almost anything. Give it a try.

PS: I do understand that in some areas that Codes and Compliance will not allow you to do anything for yourself. MOVE!

 

[dragoneggs]

Recently got some quotes for 350 linear feet of retaining wall... materials probably $5k. Equipment rental and dump fees about $3k. Job cost $40k. Four guys, five days they said... do the math, that's $160 per hour per guy... that's way more than I make so the decision is easy.

Usually I find that I can do a job for about 20% of whatever quote I get, and sometimes that includes buying some tools. With the retaining wall I could buy a mini excavator and still save money.

And likely those 4 guys will not be pocketing the $160/hr.

 

[Hay Dude]

Recently got some quotes for 350 linear feet of retaining wall... materials probably $5k. Equipment rental and dump fees about $3k. Job cost $40k. Four guys, five days they said... do the math, that's $160 per hour per guy... that's way more than I make so the decision is easy.

Usually I find that I can do a job for about 20% of whatever quote I get, and sometimes that includes buying some tools. With the retaining wall I could buy a mini excavator and still save money.

It’s true and honestly, I do everything except HVAC repair and complex electrical myself.
I have purchased and retained quite a few pieces of equipment to to a large job on my own property or for a customer.

I had one guy knock on my door on a Sunday morning I didn’t recognize. It was the neighbors yard boy. He wanted to know if he could borrow my chainsaw to cut a tree down for my neighbor. I about ran him off my property with my boot half way up his arse.
The nerve of some people....:laughing:

 

[Hay Dude]

This is why it is so important to become self sufficient. Learn how to "Do" for yourself. If you can read and follow directions you can do almost anything. Give it a try.

Yep. Worst that can happen is you have to call an “ expert “. Or you fall off your roof and break your collarbones :laughing:

 

[Peter 315]

I could not get a chimney guy to fix this mess one guy wanted 3,800 for a band aid fix ..........