Need to Make some money with my Tractor.

[davidseaquist]

I bought it to work on my property. I thought I could do some construction cleanup lot cleanup site prep with it. I am still working on my lot but money is tight and I may need to sell it. I need a 2nd job. I will try to make some money with the tractor, or try to find work as a plumber. [ I am a plumbing contractor but I haven't done any plumbing in 5 years. ] David

 

[AlanB]

Man, I may be missing something here David, but if I was trying to make some extra change, and had a plumbing license, I have to think I could make more there, and find all the work I could handle, with a couple of well placed discussions or even a quick newspaper add.

That would be the tree I would be barking up.

 

[RoyJackson]

I bought it to work on my property. I thought I could do some construction cleanup lot cleanup site prep with it. I am still working on my lot but money is tight and I may need to sell it. I need a 2nd job. I will try to make some money with the tractor, or try to find work as a plumber. [ I am a plumbing contractor but I haven't done any plumbing in 5 years. ] David

Yep, I think you'll do much better, moneywise, doing plumbing work.
You already have a van, so that's part of it. Also, if you get a few sewer line jobs you can get experience in hiring equipment contractors.
My first job out of high school was as a plumber's helper (company also had an apprenticeship program). I wish I'd stayed in that field...it's better then having a Masters Degree.

 

[davidseaquist]

You are right. I hear the going rate for plumbers in San Diego is $ 100.- an hour when I stopped plumbing 5 years ago I was charging $50.- dollars an hour. I still have all the tools and equipment and quite a bit of materials. A current licence and bond [ I could check into a liability insurance policy ] stoped bacause I had had a heart attack, on duty in the Air Force Reserves. I have been or orders for the last 5 years. I could get discharged in the near future. I am kind of overweight and out of shape. 6' tall 300 lbs. I guess I need to start back into plumbing slowly. David

 

[LBrown59]

A guy down the road tried to save money by renting a backhoe to self-install culverts for a driveway across a drainage ditch. He clipped a fairly large telephone cable in the ROW and it cost him over $50K for the repairs. Most expensive driveway I've ever seen. Good reasons to hire contractors and get utilities marked.

A couple of summers ago I did that before putting in a culvert to eliminate the road ditch.
The phone Co. had a buried line under the ditch.
The culvert now lays on top of the phone line.
Wonder what will happen if the phone company ever has to replace the line?

 

[Toiyabe]

Umm, aren't the utility location services free? Why wouldn't you call yourself, rather than put that responsibility on the property owner?

 

[davidseaquist]

Yes " Dig Alert " is a free service. It would be best for me to call before I dug at an owners property. I guess I thought doing a favor for a neighbor, they would call. Even thought the responsibility would be mine for damages if I broke something. I am not a grading contractor or engineer, but I guess it would not relieve me of any responsibility if I damaged underground utilities. David

 

[kbota]

Umm, aren't the utility location services free? Why wouldn't you call yourself, rather than put that responsibility on the property owner?

FYI, now there is a nationwide free one call service. Just dial '811' and you will be connected to the correct one call provider for the area of excavation. Feel free to pass this important phone number on to everyone. There is a HUGE shift in accountability when you make that call 48 hours prior to excavation. The burden is now on the utility company to make sure their line<s> are marked with location and depth. I have found it to be to my advantage to be present if possible when they do the line locate, just to make sure I find out the depth. Sometimes they do not mark that information on the stake or flag. Also, if they mismark, or if they don't show up, then it's their nickel if something gets cut or damaged. Using the one call service is very very easy.

811

Thanks

k

 

[mjarrels]

A few years ago, we tried to get cable TV... were told it was not available in our area! House next door conected to county water and guess what the backhoe hit? TV cable!

mark

 

[hazmat]

..., or try to find work as a plumber. [ I am a plumbing contractor but I haven't done any plumbing in 5 years. ] David

'Round here plumbers do very well. Guy I hired to work on my investment property took home in excess of $125 an hour for himself & his helper when all was said & done... Job was over $20K (going rate - got 3 qoutes).