Contractor shortage?

[barkley]

i suspect the loss of industrial art classes has contributed to these shortages as well. time was when i went to high school a person could choose from several types of 'shop' class electives (actually-one year was a requirement when i went to high school, it was either that or home ec). i knew several people who found they had a talent for a trade and ended up taking additional classes to pursue it upon graduation. our area has a phenomenal extension 'tech school' that offers a construction program-

Program: Construction Trades

Hours: 1080 (Two Year Program)

The Construction Trades program is a two-year program designed to prepare students for the world of work in the Construction Trades industry, along with preparing the student for lifelong learning. The student spends 2.5 hours daily in a combined lab and theory setting. Students learn basic carpentry skills to repair, construct and remodel buildings. The program includes instruction on safety, OSHA 10, the application of mathematics, layout and construction of floors, walls, roofs, stairs, drywall, basic plumbing and electrical. Students are also exposed to the various trades/careers available within the Construction industry.

the thing is-high school graduation requirements here keep getting upped. it's no longer a matter of choosing if you want to do college prep or not-the requirements are set up to provide the coursework for 'highly selective private colleges and universities'. in doing that elective credits have been reduced so i don't know how anyone can avail themselves of this program b/c it requires half day attendance for the entire jr and sr years (you attend your regular high school for the non trades classes).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

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.

Real electrical company? As opposed to what a fake one?

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

It's crazy here, too. Every time I find a good handyman/contractor that will do the small jobs, word of mouth gets around and before long they don't want to do the little stuff anymore. My favorite handyman went from taking any and all jobs to doing complete upscale gut and renovations within 1 year of starting his business. We asked the company that did our roof last summer for a quote to do some drywall work (4 sheets worth) earlier this year, they came back with a quote that was so ridiculous it was obvious they didn't want to bother with such a little job (over $8,000 for 4 sheets of drywall hung and mudded).

Even going through Home Depot is no guarantee their contractor will want to do the job either. I tried to get a quote to replace the gutters on one side of the house 2 years ago, the day before the gutter contractor was supposed to come, they called and asked how many feet of gutter we needed replaced. I told him roughly 20 ft and he said he wouldn't come out for less than 25 ft.

 

[dish rag]

There has been a shortage for many years, nothing new. It's going to get worse, much worse. I run my company by phone where ever I go and have some very very good guys who are paid a lot of money and have many perks, I have guys in their 20's making $150,000 a year who laugh at all the lazy young people who don't know how to work. Mine is an HVAC company so its very skilled. We could work around the clock 7 days a week if the guys wanted to work like that. So we have become very choosey who we work for, we almost interview the customer. I have done it so so long and the guys have learned what the red flags are, it doesn't take but 20 seconds on the phone with them to know. So given all this we can charge easily 20% higher than the normal rates, we hardly ever are questioned. Credit cards we charge extra for, not to break even on the expense but to make money for the convenience. Yes, I know the credit card rule and how to get around them.

 

[RUDisney]

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.

That's the difference between various contractors. Some take the small jobs and some don't. You don't know which is which until you start calling them, and even then they won't tell you that... they just don't call back.

Real electrical company? As opposed to what a fake one?

That came up earlier in this thread. The difference was between a "real" company and a handyman.

 

[tvguy]

That's the difference between various contractors. Some take the small jobs and some don't. You don't know which is which until you start calling them, and even then they won't tell you that... they just don't call back.
.

In the era of YELP, I am amazed that any reputable contractor wouldn't at least call and say "thanks but no thanks".

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That came up earlier in this thread. The difference was between a "real" company and a handyman.

A company will take on a job depending on their business model. Some are far more into commercial jobs and some are more into smaller jobs or at least jobs that vary.

It doesn't have to be a handyman nor is the qualifier a 'real' company. Depending on one's location there may be far more contractors that aren't beholden to 1 company that do side jobs but that doesn't mean a company won't take on a small job-that part just depends rather than it being an absolute.

 

[longboard55]

The problem with small residential jobs, is many people like to call you over, pick your brain and waste your time. The best client is a repeat business client, because you know it is a real job and you know you will get paid fairly.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The problem with small residential jobs, is many people like to call you over, pick your brain and waste your time. The best client is a repeat business client, because you know it is a real job and you know you will get paid fairly.

Gotta be a first time client in order to be a repeat client

Though I do know what you mean in the difference between a homeowner calling up for their house and a builder for example calling up for multiple homes where a potential business relationship can occur.

 

[rajak73]

A company will take on a job depending on their business model. Some are far more into commercial jobs and some are more into smaller jobs or at least jobs that vary.

This^^^^ as a owner of a "real electric company" commonly called a "Electrical Contractor" I do not do any type of residential but if someone calls and asks, I will be courteous enough to tell them "I'm sorry, but we do not do house work, may I recommend (insert company here)." Almost all of my business is ag related.

 

[tvguy]

Technology strikes again. This contractor uses software that converts voicemails to emails and his email software moved my VM to spam.
Got the bid, the fans go in tomorrow. $265 per fan to pull the wire, center the fan in the ceiling, punch through the sheetroom, install the junction box and the fan. $115 to replace the existing fans and upgrade the junction boxes to beefer ones now required by code.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Last fall, we were going to get our house painted. But first, we had lots of wood work to be replaced. It’s was several thousand dollars worth of work. It took months to find anyone. We left messages. No return calls. We asked friends if they knew anyone. We asked our painter for recommendations. He said it’s never been so hard to find this kind of help as it was then.

 

[kdonnel]

Last fall, we were going to get our house painted. But first, we had lots of wood work to be replaced. It’s was several thousand dollars worth of work. It took months to find anyone. We left messages. No return calls. We asked friends if they knew anyone. We asked our painter for recommendations. He said it’s never been so hard to find this kind of help as it was then.

In my area the painters do all the wood replacement that is needed as part of the painting prep.

 

[dish rag]

Last fall, we were going to get our house painted. But first, we had lots of wood work to be replaced. It’s was several thousand dollars worth of work. It took months to find anyone. We left messages. No return calls. We asked friends if they knew anyone. We asked our painter for recommendations. He said it’s never been so hard to find this kind of help as it was then.

Painter should have taken care of that.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

This must be different by area. If you lived in the Chicago area, guys are all over each other trying to get contractor/handyman/landscaping work. They are a dime a dozen here.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

i suspect the loss of industrial art classes has contributed to these shortages as well. time was when i went to high school a person could choose from several types of 'shop' class electives (actually-one year was a requirement when i went to high school, it was either that or home ec). i knew several people who found they had a talent for a trade and ended up taking additional classes to pursue it upon graduation. our area has a phenomenal extension 'tech school' that offers a construction program-

Program: Construction Trades

Hours: 1080 (Two Year Program)

The Construction Trades program is a two-year program designed to prepare students for the world of work in the Construction Trades industry, along with preparing the student for lifelong learning. The student spends 2.5 hours daily in a combined lab and theory setting. Students learn basic carpentry skills to repair, construct and remodel buildings. The program includes instruction on safety, OSHA 10, the application of mathematics, layout and construction of floors, walls, roofs, stairs, drywall, basic plumbing and electrical. Students are also exposed to the various trades/careers available within the Construction industry.

the thing is-high school graduation requirements here keep getting upped. it's no longer a matter of choosing if you want to do college prep or not-the requirements are set up to provide the coursework for 'highly selective private colleges and universities'. in doing that elective credits have been reduced so i don't know how anyone can avail themselves of this program b/c it requires half day attendance for the entire jr and sr years (you attend your regular high school for the non trades classes).

Our middle school offered Industrial Arts until this year. The teacher retired, and they replaced the class with a STEAM class. My older two kids went through all three years of industrial arts, and my youngest went through 6th grade, so I have three napkin holders, 3 notecard holders with a pen, three pieces of twisted plastic, two homemade lamps, two homemade clocks, and a few other duplicate and triplicates of various items.

DS13 was sad that IA went away - he has no interest in the type of STEAM curriculum this particular new elective offers, but he LOVES working with his hands and figuring out how stuff works. I think he would be the perfect candidate to go to trade school - he is smart and intuitive and inquisitive, and has never, ever loved going to school despite being in advanced classes and getting good grades. He just isn't into it. He goes because he has to, but doesn't enjoy it like my older two do. They have both chosen career paths that require many, many years of school past their bachelors degrees, and DS13 thinks they are crazy for wanting to go to school that long! I really think he would do well, and enjoy, a career as a tradesman.

I love progress, but taking away IA for STEAM made me really sad.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Painter should have taken care of that.

No. Our professional painters can do minor wood repairs. Ours were more extensive.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

In my area the painters do all the wood replacement that is needed as part of the painting prep.

Our professional painters said it was a bit more complicated than they felt comfortable with. So I was happy to have them NOT doing it rather than having it done poorly.

 

[tvguy]

Okay, project done. 3 man crew worked 2 1/2 hours pulling wire and mounting 3 fans, and replacing 2 existing fans.
The guys doing the work say most of their projects are half to full day jobs for a team of 3. The owner will do bigger jobs such as new construction, but the workers said they don't do a lot of that because they get paid by the job not the hour, and don't make anything standing by for a building inspection, of if another contractor doesn't complete their part of the project on time.

 

[DebbieB]

I had a bulkhead come lose in my garage last fall and had a hard time find someone to fix it. I had to keep my car outside because a piece of wood was holding it up in the middle of the floor. Finally my aunt mentioned a friend who does contractor work and he came on a Sunday and fixed it in less than an hour.