New Age of the Hired Hand!

[ZeroEm]

Just me again pouring my mind out like that crazy killer in "Seven" the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Getting more disabled or lazier over the last 15yrs. Needing to hire people to do the things that I have always done myself. Electrical work plumbing, AC systems and mowing the grass (still try). I'm not used to hiring people to do this work but now i'm having to and i'm getting Sticker Shock.

My Uncle used to pay $15US/hr for work. Now they want $1000US/hr they don't ask for that much but want to put a price on the job and it is to high and when broke down to the hour it is a crazy amount. No way they have the experience to charge this much. The last two offers to mow my front yard was $200 and then $100. A good lawn mower will cut my small front yard in 20min or less. Is it me or these people.

Installed two mini splits this last year. The AC companies wanted $10.000 per AC unit. I asked them how they justified it. Just for the Electrical like was quoted $4000US. Hired a man to hook up the copper lines and wire them for $3000US. He hookup the copper and never came back. So hired an electrican to wire them and that cost $1000US. I did the AC work, pulled a vacum to check for leaks and charged the system and monitored the low side. Working good now. for $4000US for two units. but that was to much.

Going to swap out my 7yr old mini split (still working) with a new one. Have a HVAC man and Electrician coming at the same time, should take less than an hour for $600US for both.

Is it me or has everything gotten out of Hand with the charging for the Job.

 

[Zambam]

Going to swap out my 7yr old mini split (still working) with a new one. Have a HVAC man and Electrician coming at the same time, should take less than an hour for $600US for both.

Why do yo need an electrician? The power wires are already there wired up to the old mini splits? The HVAC guy should be able to do that with a screw driver in a few minutes.

 

[scianiac]

This is partly due to supply and demand, there is a shortage of trade workers in the US so that means higher prices. This is what happens when you push everybody to get college degrees whether they want them not saying saying if they don't they'll be doomed to be poor and now they have those expensive degrees (and the debt to prove it) and can't find jobs or the ones they do find pay less than if they just when into the trades (again supply and demand). And these are just the common trades, many of the real niche ones are in much worse situations where everybody is just the old guys who can't quit because there is nobody to replace them.

 

[slaphappygamer]

I worked with one contractor that charged extra to clean up the mess that they made. The customer didn’t want to pay, so the mess was left alone. The contractor did HVAC, but they said that they couldn’t fix the holes in the sheet rock that they made because they don’t do sheet rock work.

I don’t know if this is normal, but sounds shady and I would ask “Do you charge extra to clean up your mess?” when hiring a contractor in the future.

+1 for Gwyneth Paltrow

 

[ZeroEm]

I worked with one contractor that charged extra to clean up the mess that they made. The customer didn’t want to pay, so the mess was left alone. The contractor did HVAC, but they said that they couldn’t fix the holes in the sheet rock that they made because they don’t do sheet rock work.

I don’t know if this is normal, but sounds shady and I would ask “Do you charge extra to clean up your mess?” when hiring a contractor in the future.

+1 for Gwyneth Paltrow

Had a leaky faucet in the bathroom shower/tub was charged $3000 to put a new one in 45min. left a hole in the shower wall. Told me they did not do sheet rock/tile. That was my first experience 3yrs ago with the new way they over charge and don't finish the job.

 

[ZeroEm]

Why do yo need an electrician? The power wires are already there wired up to the old mini splits? The HVAC guy should be able to do that with a screw driver in a few minutes.

The HVAC guys don't do electrical they will call out their electrician and charge you for it. I know my uncle was HVAC and did all his own electrical work. Them days are over. You need to have an electrical license to work on it now. One of the things that prompted me to do this thread.

 

[neptronix]

I hear this from basically everyone. Both in pre and post trump era.

You can thank generations of blue collar work being unfairly looked down on, i think.

I like Mike Rowe's thoughts on this topic.

 

[gromike]

The kids graduating from college are now having a difficult time finding an entry level job. Not so with skilled blue collar jobs.

 

[ZeroEm]

I hear this from basically everyone. Both in pre and post trump era.

You can thank generations of blue collar work being unfairly looked down on, i think.

I like Mike Rowe's thoughts on this topic.

View attachment 371697

Was not pointing the finger at Republican's or Democrats, including trump. It's more about changing times and me not keeping up with it. Now i'm trying to navigate it and thinking where was I when things changed. Think inflation is much higher than we are aware of the last 10 or 20 years and not just in the last year or three. I have never bought a new Car or truck mostly 5-10yrs old. I'm the guy who could rebuild his own transmissions or motors. So light or heavy maintenance was not an issue. It is now!

My grandfather had his own shop but when they came out with automatic chokes and electronic ignition. he hung up his hat.
I made it to about 15years ago. now it more about computers than valve jobs.

 

[neptronix]

I'm not either, i just figured someone would throw out the idea that they deported the cheap labor.

Have you tried these gig platforms for hiring this kinda stuff out? i imagine some exist.

 

[ZeroEm]

Lol, always one the in the bunch. I'm not even thinking cheap labor.

Would offer to pay them 1-200 dollars an hour like a Lawyer or doctor. RN nurses only get around a 100. That would be a lot less than what they are asking. Trying to hide the cost in a per job charge. The guys working for these companies are not getting paid that much.

 

[neptronix]

Oh, you're going straight to companies. That explains it.
Service companies typically have huge markups, do the tricks you're describing, and there aren't many exceptions.

You should be calling up individuals on a gig site probably. That's where you get good prices.
More of a hassle to find someone, but a lot cheaper.

 

[docw009]

I had several rental houses and sweat equity helped me turn a profit, I fixed everything myself, if I knew how. My last house, I was rehabbing the kitchen when an inspector must have followed the delivery truck that brought the dishwasher. Stuck his head thru the open door and issued a stop work order.

We're not allowed to hook up dishwashers without a plumber/permit in that town. When I paid the fine, I met several other homeowners with the same ticket. However, I also got nailed for having open electrical boxes and a kitchen sink without a permit, It cost me over a thousand bucks to hire an electrician and plumber to finish hooking up the water lines and put in a GFI box, Bummer.

A few years later, time for a water heater in my own place. I've put in about six, but no longer can muscle the old ones out to the curb. Home Depot charges $600 labor. I can't lift it so no problem if someone else does it,

 

[ZeroEm]

I had several rental houses and sweat equity helped me turn a profit, I fixed everything myself, if I knew how. My last house, I was rehabbing the kitchen when an inspector must have followed the delivery truck that brought the dishwasher. Stuck his head thru the open door and issued a stop work order.

We're not allowed to hook up dishwashers without a plumber/permit in that town. When I paid the fine, I met several other homeowners with the same ticket. However, I also got nailed for having open electrical boxes and a kitchen sink without a permit, It cost me over a thousand bucks to hire an electrician and plumber to finish hooking up the water lines and put in a GFI box, Bummer.

A few years later, time for a water heater in my own place. I've put in about six, but no longer can muscle the old ones out to the curb. Home Depot charges $600 labor. I can't lift it so no problem if someone else does it,

That is where i'm at now, just can't do most of it and what I can do takes me weeks. San Antonio, TX just adopted or updated codes.
Need a GFI in every outlet in the Kitchen not just by the Water. LOL.

 

[ZeroEm]

Oh, you're going straight to companies. That explains it.
Service companies typically have huge markups, do the tricks you're describing, and there aren't many exceptions.

You should be calling up individuals on a gig site probably. That's where you get good prices.
More of a hassle to find someone, but a lot cheaper.

I know now and learned but have not had anything done in 7 years the last HVAC and electrician have retired. Using the Electrician's Son.