Contractor shortage?

[bushdianee]

I signed a contract for new windows to be put in my house in early November. They had said it would be about 6-8 weeks. Between a shortage of workers and the bad winter they were finally installed the first week of March. Now our area has had really bad flooding so I'd hate to see how long it would take now.

 

[orangecuse]

The wind storm is probably your answer for the fence but I agree its super frustrating. Our old house had well over 20k of damage due to a hail storm. The crazy thing is only the houses in a 3ish mile radius were hit. However, those who did not call someone the nanosecond after waited up to a YEAR for roof/siding work. Seriously we had houses in our neighborhood who got quotes in April (storm happened in March) and it was the following summer before their work was done. We called a company and signed a contract the same week as the storm and our work was finally completed in August. I can’t imagine how frustrating it was for anyone NOT affected by the storm looking for general roof or siding work done during that time. Oof!

Glad you got a call back- we do a lot ourselves but have a few nos including plumbing and it is so hard to find someone willing to take on a “small” job.

 

[tvguy]

The wind storm is probably your answer for the fence but I agree its super frustrating. Our old house had well over 20k of damage due to a hail storm. The crazy thing is only the houses in a 3ish mile radius were hit. However, those who did not call someone the nanosecond after waited up to a YEAR for roof/siding work. Seriously we had houses in our neighborhood who got quotes in April (storm happened in March) and it was the following summer before their work was done. We called a company and signed a contract the same week as the storm and our work was finally completed in August. I can’t imagine how frustrating it was for anyone NOT affected by the storm looking for general roof or siding work done during that time. Oof!

Glad you got a call back- we do a lot ourselves but have a few nos including plumbing and it is so hard to find someone willing to take on a “small” job.

30+ years ago when we put the first two in, there were several businesses that specialized in just ceiling fan sales and installation. Now there are none. But there were no Home Depots or Lowes here in those days, and they seem to really have killed that stand alone industry. Well, one is still around, but they strictly do whole house fans and attic fans now. And they only dropped ceiling fans in the last 2 years. We went in and the sales lady said they have had more inquiries about ceiling fans since they stopped selling them, than they got in the previous 10 years!

 

[Colleen27]

It was like that around here before the housing crash. I used to joke that DH built his whole business on jobs the "real" (established) contractors were too busy to do because he started out on the little jobs that didn't require licensing while he was studying for his builder's license. But since then, a whole generation of men who did those kinds of jobs have moved on to more stable fields, my husband among them, so the shortages are starting to pop up again now that the housing industry has mostly recovered.

It doesn't help that, around me anyway, some schools decided that the market for building trades professionals was saturated with all of the people who got into it to support the "flipping" industry before the recession, so they eliminated their programs in those areas and shifted the focus to industrial skills where shortages have been a long-running and consistent issue.

 

[Colleen27]

30+ years ago when we put the first two in, there were several businesses that specialized in just ceiling fan sales and installation. Now there are none. But there were no Home Depots or Lowes here in those days, and they seem to really have killed that stand alone industry. Well, one is still around, but they strictly do whole house fans and attic fans now. And they only dropped ceiling fans in the last 2 years. We went in and the sales lady said they have had more inquiries about ceiling fans since they stopped selling them, than they got in the previous 10 years!

Unfortunately, there's some truth to that. It is hard for independents to compete with the big boxes, especially since the big boxes offer bargain-basement installation as well. Their installers are, from what I've been told, not of a dependable quality - becoming part of the installer network at a big box has more to do with the ability to meet their insurance and bond requirements than with experience or credentials - but enough people will go for the lower price to squeeze out a lot of the independent shops that used to do that kind of work.

 

[MillauFr]

Saw this coming, When they started ending unions they lost a lot of young workers, the money was not there, we pretty much lost a generation of construction workers. I am in the construction business, everyone I know it totally swamped. Personally I took down my web site and do not answer the phone unless I know the number

The construction unions are very strong in Seattle and they struggle to get workers. They are desperate even doing away with the drug testing for many positions. As long as you can show up every day and be half way sober you are hired. Everyone here wants some cush job in tech where they pay over $100k right out of college.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

When we were having our house built in 2014 we were told there was a contractor shortage in the metro area leftover from the Recession. Contractors often were shared between the builders and between both state lines.

At the time our house was built it was an average of 7 months on my side of the state line and around 6 months on the other side of the state line. The additional month on my side of the state line was due to additional permits and stricter rules. The additional permits also added about $5K to the purchase price (at least for our builder) on our side of the state line.

I don't know if it's gotten better since the house was completed but new home building has really picked up in the area. For little projects here and there I believe there's a good amount of people to go to at least basing on all the posts I see on Nextdoor for this and that.

In terms of ceiling fans we only have 1 in our master bedroom. However all remaining 4 bedrooms are wired for ceiling fans. Hopefully when we decide to install ceiling fans it won't be too difficult. Right now there's lights where the ceiling fan will go.

 

[superme80]

We are having the same problem here. We need a gate moved, fencing, and gravel redone. We are willing to pay standard rates, but trying to get someone to call you back is a nightmare!

 

[Poohlove]

kdonnel is right. You need a handyman. A real electrical company won't want a job that small. A handyman would LOVE that work.

I beg to differ, my son works for a "real electrical company" and a job is a job.

 

[sam_gordon]

I have put up 5 fans in my own home in less then 2 hours. Unless all new circuits are needed, installing a ceiling fan is a quick and easy job and they are way overestimating at 90 minutes per fan. If new circuits are needed in existing construction then 90 minutes per fan is probably underestimating.

I added ceiling fans to three bedrooms in our house. Granted, they all had lighting fixtures already, but since I wanted individual control of the fan from the switch, I had to run new wire to switch box, PLUS change the ceiling box out for one that would support a ceiling fan. So no new circuits needed, but those three fixtures took me most of a day. Fortunately I had attic access that made changing the box out a little easier, but running new lines to the switches...

 

[QueenIsabella]

We have a contractor whom we trust (worth his weight in gold!). He's still backed up from Hurricane Florence, 7 months ago. We're willing to wait because he does such quality work. We also appreciate that some people in our area are still out of their homes--the contractor has the right priorities, IMHO. Fortunately, our house is livable, but needs updating, so we can wait.

 

[AlohaNow]

My office has a construction division. Our employees get accosted constantly for jobs while picking up things at Home Depot! It's crazy!

 

[tvguy]

I added ceiling fans to three bedrooms in our house. Granted, they all had lighting fixtures already, but since I wanted individual control of the fan from the switch, I had to run new wire to switch box, PLUS change the ceiling box out for one that would support a ceiling fan. So no new circuits needed, but those three fixtures took me most of a day. Fortunately I had attic access that made changing the box out a little easier, but running new lines to the switches...

All the fans we bought have remotes, so I don't need to control them from the switch, but that would certainly add to the work.

 

[Colleen27]

The construction unions are very strong in Seattle and they struggle to get workers. They are desperate even doing away with the drug testing for many positions. As long as you can show up every day and be half way sober you are hired. Everyone here wants some cush job in tech where they pay over $100k right out of college.

I think that's going to end up being a big piece of solving the puzzle of worker shortages in a lot of fields in the near future. With pot legal in more and more places, it is growing more difficult for employers to find a 100% drug-free workforce, especially for those jobs that tend to go to young adults. Requiring sobriety on the job is, of course, more than reasonable... but the demand that potential employees not use a legal substance on their own time, along with how long that substance remains in the body to show a positive on a drug screen, is probably contributing to these worker shortages.

But if your area is anything like mine, a higher minimum wage is probably playing a part too - around here, the just-above-minimum wage jobs haven't yet started to adjust their pay scales, so there's very little pay differential between physically demanding jobs like entry-level construction work and less taxing jobs in retail and manufacturing. Heck, around here you'd make more running a cash register at Target than working as an entry-level construction laborer, and that cashier isn't freezing in winter and roasting/getting sunburned every day in summer. So it isn't surprising that those construction and landscaping companies are having a very hard time finding and keeping workers as the local season gets started.

 

[kdonnel]

but the demand that potential employees not use a legal substance on their own time

At least in the US it is still a grey area. While it may be legal in certain states, it is still illegal at the federal level.

Companies fear the repercussions from the federal government if they facilitate the usage of weed.

As an example took at the weed industry and banks.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/14/perspectives/cannabis-businesses-banking/index.html

The same reasons banks are reluctant to take on weed customers apply to other industries.

 

[Colleen27]

At least in the US it is still a grey area. While it may be legal in certain states, it is still illegal at the federal level.

Companies fear the repercussions from the federal government if they facilitate the usage of weed.

As an example took at the weed industry and banks.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/14/perspectives/cannabis-businesses-banking/index.html

The same reasons banks are reluctant to take on weed customers apply to other industries.

I know that, but I don't think the reasoning applies in the same way because not testing for drugs is not the same as facilitating or profiting from the usage of those drugs. The primary corporate interest behind drug testing is in protecting themselves from liability, and there's a lot of talk right now that the apparent success of some of the roadside testing methods that have been developed for law enforcement may prove superior to urine testing for those purposes because they're designed to tell if a person is impaired at a particular point in time, rather than whether they smoked a joint at a party two weeks ago.

 

[RUDisney]

I beg to differ, my son works for a "real electrical company" and a job is a job.

My BIL owns a real electrical company and won't consider taking a job that small. It's not worth his time or effort to bid on those.

Some will, if they cater to all calls. Others won't.

 

[rajak73]

If I was adding new wiring in the ceiling I would splurge for a real electrician. That is where a lot of fires start. If the wiring and junction box is already there it is pretty easy

As long as the junction box is rated for ceiling fan. Most original junction boxes for light fixtures are not rated for the weight of the ceiling fans.

 

[barkley]

The primary corporate interest behind drug testing is in protecting themselves from liability, and there's a lot of talk right now that the apparent success of some of the roadside testing methods that have been developed for law enforcement may prove superior to urine testing for those purposes because they're designed to tell if a person is impaired at a particular point in time, rather than whether they smoked a joint at a party two weeks ago.

that's a key issue with employers here since it became legal. insurance premiums (liability) are insane if they can even secure it absent the drug free/random drug testing component. there's allot of talk about how more accurate testing would help differentiate impaired vs. prior use but unless the insurance companies amend their policy terms it will be worthless.

 

[tvguy]

My BIL owns a real electrical company and won't consider taking a job that small. It's not worth his time or effort to bid on those.

Some will, if they cater to all calls. Others won't.

This is from the electrcan's website: "There's no job too big or too small."

The fencing guy says smaller jobs are his bread and butter. The bigger the job, the bigger the discount on the hourly rate customers want, the less he makes per hour.