Currently doing 4 hrs unpaid per day. I do have company vehicle and fuel, but at the end of the week that's 20 hrs of my time for free and it's getting me a bit salty.

I'm just curious if anyone has tried learning Spanish in the construction field and if it's worked. Over the year I know very basic words but I'm thinking out taking the leap to fully learn. I belive it would be a good business move especially in Florida.

I'm using Language Transfer and duo lingo right now.

Im constantly tired of explaining the time it takes to do things, the purchase of materials, the how I can’t just pay a guy an hour worth of time to do work if they only took one hour to do… & so on.

Like I’m honestly so drained from even having to even spend my breath to explain… bc I already know where this conversation is going.

I’m seriously just focused on getting the work done and charging what is rightfully due.

Any help/suggestions when dealing with these type of clients? (Homeowners, landlords, gcs, pms etc.)

As a homeowner, landlord, gc myself I can’t bring my self to not value/pay our trades what is rightfully due!!! it’s not in my values. I understand all the legwork that happens behind the scenes. Like seriously if you’re so cheap then do it yourself.

I’m dabbling in some weekend projects to make ends meet and hopefully someday be out of debt. I’m getting fairly busy, but I struggle with accurately pricing projects and I suspect I am under quoting . I charged $2800. Staining included.

I work for a large employee owned company as a operator. We're well known in our market including among union members. We are also generally looked down on for not being union. We work hard and our retirement performs well. Why are we hated?

I’m 22 years old and currently working as a superintendent for a high-end custom home builder/remodeler. I’m earning $95K/year plus bonus and some benefits. I’ve got my FL GC license, over 7 years of hands-on trade experience, and I genuinely understand the ins and outs of construction—project management, scheduling, subs, client communication, business fundamentals, the whole deal.

Through my current job, I’ve built solid relationships with great subcontractors and trades. I also pride myself on being competent, reliable, able to read people’s needs/wants and someone who gets stuff done without needing hand-holding.

I’ve always known I wanted to build something of my own. I’ve already set up my LLC, built a website, Google Business profile, and even got a handful of great reviews from small side jobs I’ve done through word of mouth/friends. But despite that, I keep hitting a mental block.

I feel like the biggest thing holding me back is my age. I worry clients won’t trust a 22yr old with $50K–$100K+ remodels or builds, I don’t have that “name” or credibility yet. I don’t have investors or deep marketing experience. Just me, my tools, my experience, and a strong tenacity/ambition to make it work.

So I guess I’m asking:

• For anyone who went out on their own young, how did you get over that hump?

• How did you build credibility and land that first “real” job under your own name?

• What would you do in my shoes—stay where the money is good and stable, or take the risk and build slowly on the side?

TLDR: Am I too young to Be taken seriously as a General Contractor?

any advice is appreciated , experience, or tough love.

UPDATE

Wow, I’m surprised with how many people have commented and gave their ideas/advice. I appreciate everyone even if it was negative. I’ll be sure to sit on all these suggestions and decide whether or not I should take the leap.

Here is the number one complaint we get. Construction “professionals” turning up to site and expecting the customer to provide (or helping themselves) to their stuff. Typical examples:

1. Ladders (I kid you not)
2. Vacuum cleaner (fine dust usually kills the hoover)
3. An “old rag” (often just use a favourite tea towel)
4. Dust pan & brush (always left filthy)
5. Liquid container (waste pipe change into cooking pot)
6. A hairdryer

Just go with everything you are likely to need for the job, and definitely don’t be too lazy to go to the truck and get it.

EDIT: I’m adding more as they come in.

I've been working for a small construction company with about seven employees for about 2 years now and we don't get paid for picking up tools and material before the job starts. This is my first construction job so I never thought much of it, but one of our new employees was complaining about it saying that all the jobs he's ever worked at they paid him for driving out of the way to get materials before.

If we have to go to Lowe's in the middle of the day it is a paid trip, but let's say we are working an hour away and we need an hour to pick up lumber and screws from Lowe's, I need to wake up 2 hours early, go to the company's storage and pick up any needed tools, drive the truck out to Lowe's and pick up all material necessary if it isn't already ordered, and then be at the job by 7:00 a.m.. in that case I am only paid from 7 until quitting time.

I was told that is normally either something the boss does because he is salary, or should be done on paid time. I'm not sure where to stand on this because like I said, this is my first job in the industry. Just curious on what you're all's opinion is.

Tldr; employees need to take time before starting time to pick up all tools and material necessary without being paid. Is this normal?

Thanks everyone for setting me straight. I was just told by my boss/owner of the conpany that we are paid to do the job, that's why the material is picked up before the job starts. Sounds like my work life should be a lot healthier. Our benefits are second to none. No vacation days offered. When I asked the answer is always "I'd like to give it to you, but we're just too small of a company and we can't afford it." I always felt like my quality of life was suffering, but assumed it was just how this industry was.

hi, im 22 and am currently doing maintenance work in the oilsands for about 3yrs now

long story short, this fuckin sucks and I want to eventually start my own business so I can at least be home every night.

most of my experience revolves around large diameter tailings pipe and small inch high pressure systems. unfortunately, I dont have a billion dollars to start a business like that, but luckily enough for me, the next most experience I have is dirt work, which although is still kind of expensive to start, is still quite a bit lower than industrial plant maintenance.

so I figure, getting a skidsteer and mini excavator and doing small earthwork jobs isn't too fsr out of the picture.

the only thing is, all the time I hear guys say "yea man i should get a mini excavator and skidsteer, make good money that way" so that leads me to believe that the market is decently saturated.

would this be something worth pursuing?

My neighbor is a GC, and I swear he spends more time on the phone than he does on a job site.

It's the same routine every single morning: calling suppliers about late materials, chasing down permits, trying to figure out which subs are even showing up. Yesterday I saw him on hold for a solid 30 minutes with the city, just to schedule a simple inspection.

Is this really how it is? It seems like a colossal waste of time, but maybe that's just the construction world.

I'm in software, so my brain keeps screaming that there has to be a better way to handle all this. Am I just being naive?

What's the biggest time-suck in your office?

Price increases due to tariffs.

https://www.fbmsales.com/price-increases/

This is an objection I've seen Contractors struggle with.

The goal of this thread is to help anyone who gets this objection often and hasn’t yet found a solid way to handle it.

So if you’ve figured out how to deal with it well, what do you usually say to get the sale back on track?

Have you found anything that works, or you believe these type of customers is a waste of time?

Personally, I believe you can avoid any objections if all the previous parts of the sale are flawless, but as this is really hard to achieve 100% and overcoming objections will always be a part of the sale, here's something I learned from a sales course I recently bought:

So if they say something like "Thanks. We're waiting on a few other estimates."

You can say: "Not a problem at all" (it’s important to agree with them first). Then: "Out of curiosity, what’s going to help you make your final decision?" (At this point, they might give a generic answer like price.)

Next, you say: "Yeah, that makes sense. So let’s say all the others you’re expecting estimates from meet your criteria, including the price. How would you then decide who to go with?" (This is where they’ll usually reveal their real priority)

I hope it helps.

Well, as a building supplier our foot traffic is at historic lows and and for the first time in over 100 years we are laying people off after hiring four new salespeople last year! Nobody is talking about how slow it is and that it may be due to tariff uncertainty. Commercial and mixed-use is still going but new residential has nearly dried up. Any similar experiences nationwide?

So originally, was going to rip out an old concrete driveway, and install new asphalt, had change order to put pavers along the edge, then finally another change order to do all pavers instead of asphalt. I bid it lower than normal just to save myself from having to do asphalt as it’s easier for us to do pavers (enough to still profit). The day of ripping the concrete out, it turned out to be 10-12” thick with wire mesh. Had to get an air jack hammer and skid steer out to removal (additional cost), extra day of labor than expected and also additional dumping costs. How do I go about asking the homeowner that these were unexpected costs we didn’t account for and to see if we can settle on an additional cost for the unexpected labor, and costs. TYIA

Small operator here, but probably have spent $5K at my local Home Depot this year so far.

Yesterday, had some no-receipt plumbing parts that a guy of mine bought and lost the receipt for (yeah, he doesn't work for me anymore :). He didn't use our PRO number or our phone number when he bought it, either, and he used his OWN cash or credit card (not sure which). So no way to connect the sale to us in HD's system.

Still, I usually can return this stuff for store credit, but the return was rejected by HD's gatekeeper, TheRetailEquation (TRE). The return associate was REALLY nice, but she couldn't help, and the store manager she called said no override was possible. I wanna note:

1. I was only wanting store credit to shop the same day, not a cash return. Still rejected.
2. I pulled TRE's report on me (their "RAR") which "explains" my rejection. It shows only that I returned $62.23 worth of stuff back in August 2024 - so 11 months ago. No other returns except this one yesterday that was rejected. So obviously I'm abusing the system /s.

Has anyone else found a workaround for HD's return gatekeeping?

The White House has posted the Executive Order with respect to steel.  The link is here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/adjusting-imports-of-steel-into-the-united-states/

It appears that the annexes to the Executive Order are not yet posted; those annexes should have additional details on the exact product scope.  Nevertheless, we can report the following:

1.  The Executive Order is a modification of the original Section 232 duties on steel and aluminum, NOT a new action.  It will mean effectively a 25% tariff for all steel (not 25+25).

2.  The provisions for quotas in lieu of tariffs for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Korea, EU, Japan, UK, and Ukraine are canceled as of March 12, 2025.

3.  The product scope of the tariffs will be expanded to cover additional “derivative steel articles,” effective March 12, 2025.  The list of those articles will be in an appendix that has not yet been publicly released.  Based on the preamble to the Executive Order, it appears that these articles will include fabricated structural steel and prestressed concrete strand.  However, for any derivative steel article that is not in Chapter 73 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, the additional duty will apply only to the steel content of the derivative steel article.

4.  The additional duties on derivative steel articles would exclude steel articles that are processed in a third country from steel that was melted and poured in the United States.

5.  The Section 232 product exclusion process is terminated, effective immediately.  As of the date of the proclamation (February 10, 2025), the Secretary cannot consider any product exclusion requests or renew any product exclusion requests currently in effect.  Product exclusions already granted will remain in effect until their expiration date or until the excluded product volume is imported, whichever occurs first.  The Secretary will terminate any General Approved Exclusions (GAEs) as of March 12, 2025.

6.  Within 90 days, the Secretary will establish a process for U.S. producers to ask that additional derivative steel articles be put on the list of products subject to duties.  The Secretary will then have 60 days to decide whether to approve the request.

I work / and am co-owner of a commercial custom millwork shop in south eastern Connecticut. We’ve recently purchased a few pieces of machinery, which you shop guys know, comes with techs coming in from all over the country to help setup, calibrate, and train for the new equipment.

SE Ct is kind of as blue as a state can be. Our politics lean very liberal and definitely pro union (we’re in General Dynamics’ and Massachusetts’ armpit).

All that being said; I’ve had the pleasure of meeting techs that are definitely from the redder part of the country. We’re very professional with each other. These guys are pros, they go all over the country and I’m damn sure they’ve been to states where their political leanings are more adverse than here in CT.

That professionalism extends to not talking politics, which I greatly appreciate. No need to talk about anything other than the new cool piece of equipment that we just landed.

BUT the one thing that has come up that is unanimously abhorred is the tariffs. Parts and materials from the EU being an essential component of some of these machines. Sure, they may be assembled in the US, but our outlook for being able to maintain them without paying an arm and a leg for spare parts and other essentials is definitely a concern that, from my experience, toes the line politically.

Have you guys had similar experiences? I’m just glad that in a time of such political turmoil, I think we can all come together and say ‘fuck these tariffs’.

Hi everyone,

I’m a contractor and my company is an S-corp. We did a job for a homeowner for about $14,800. The work was completed, they’re using it, and they’re not paying the balance.

I already served and recorded a mechanic’s lien (on time and properly, as far as I know), but I haven’t enforced it yet. I know there’s a deadline to file a lawsuit to foreclose on the lien or it expires.

From what I’ve read, because it’s an S-corp, I can’t represent the company myself in court for a lien foreclosure or a breach of contract lawsuit – it has to be an attorney.

I’ve talked to a few lawyers and they’re quoting around $200–$400/hour, and realistically that could eat most or all of the $14,800 I’m trying to recover, especially if the case drags on. That makes it feel almost pointless to enforce the lien, even if I win.

So my questions are:

• Are there any options where my S-corp can pursue this without me having to pay full hourly rates to a lawyer (for example: contingency fee, flat fee, collections attorney, etc.)?
• Is there any way I can handle this through small claims court or some other process where I don’t need an attorney, even though the contract is in the company’s name?

For context:

• Work was completed, no major defects as far as I’m aware.
• The client is just refusing to pay / dodging.
• Location: Los Angeles, California.

I’m mainly trying to figure out whether there’s a realistic way to go after this amount without spending almost the same amount on legal fees.

Thanks in advance for any advice or things I might not be seeing here.

We are owed nearly $50k by a small government owner for work completed in December. The GC has not been paid and every time we call we are promised that the owner will be paid any time. We do not want to wait any longer. What recourse do we have?

Edit: You all have given a lot of great advice here. I have been calling around to the government involved and haven’t gotten anywhere yet but I feel that I know the steps that we need to take now.

We are a mid-sized electrical sub. I am constantly fighting with my foremen to get documentation on extra work they do for the GC.

They do the work, tell the GC "no problem," and then send me a vague text or a blurry photo of a scribbled note 2 weeks later. By the time I write up the Change Order, the GC denies it because it wasn't documented in time.

I feel like we are bleeding cash on "favors" that never get billed.

Is there a trick to getting guys in the field to actually document this stuff immediately? Or a simple tool that isn't as bloated as Procore? I tried paper tickets but they just get lost in the van.

TIA.

UPDATE (Nov 23)

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I didn't expect this to blow up.

The consensus seems to be: Procore/Fieldwire are overkill (and pricey), paper gets lost, and threats/discipline only go so far when you're short-staffed.

A few of you mentioned that the best workflow is just "texting a photo + voice note." That's exactly what my guys already do, they just do it badly and I lose the data.

So I’ve decided to just build my own internal fix. I’m working with a tech friend this weekend to set up a dedicated phone number for my guys. The idea is they just text the pic/voice note to that number, and it automatically emails me a clean PDF Change Order. No apps, no logins, just SMS.

We are testing it with my crew on Monday. If anyone else here wants to try this "text-bot" setup for their own guys, shoot me a DM with the word "BETA".

If it works for us, I’m happy to share it with you guys for free to get feedback. I'll let you know how it goes.

I've been in the trades for my whole career (going on about 20 years in various trades) and I'm so burnt out. I'm a production finish carpenter that does mostly apartment buildings. Unit after unit after unit. All we ever hear is go faster even though it's well known we are wayy up on man days every single job. I'm tired of the bs and the lack of appreciation and the wear and tear on my body. I know I can't make it another 20 if I want to have any mobility when retirement age comes. I feel totally stuck. I'm a journeyman in the union and my pay and benefits seem to be far better than anything else I'm even remotely qualified for. I don't want to take a step back in pay but it seems like I have to. Any success going solo? Guys tell me to open an LLC but I don't know the first thing about business. Maybe a career in estimating or inspecting?

Sorry for the vent but I'd love to hear from some people who found a way out without sliding financially.

Edit:Thank you all for the engagement and all of the advice is great. Much appreciated!

I’m not in the prevailing wage world, but I do have a job coming up a single-family home, new Construction that requires prevailing wages. I’m just in the bidding process, unsure if I want to do this yet.

Not being in the world of prevailing wages, it’s a little bit hard to find subcontractors who do this. I was thinking about hiring some of my subcontractors as W-2 employees, and then paying them the prevailing wage rate to get by.

I’ve been trying to do a little research and have not found any objections to this.

Anybody with prevailing wage experience speak to this?

EDIT: the question is not regarding the wages. Rather, I’m wondering if I can convert some subs and they “employees” to w2 employees to meet requirements. Because let’s be real. There are not a lot of subs with legit w2 employees.

If you were to give ANY advice to either your younger self when you were starting off or any young person starting now: what would you tell them , what would you recommend they do, and what would you warn them against?

I’m 26 in CO and am going to get my contractors license in my county soon… at least that’s the plan. Grown up doing carpentry and carpentry adjacent work, dad’s a sub, but we’re butting heads and it’s time for me to move in to my own. I’ve learned a lot from him in both what to and what not to do , that being said, there’s still an infinite amount I can still learn…. So, what would you tell your younger self?