How Do You Compete With Illegal Labor???

cueball707

Besides the fact that the work of a professional is going to be quality work that is done to code, how do you compete as a licensed contractor with all the illegal labor? There are contractors that stop by Home Depot every morning to pick up a crew. I checked into the jobs they are doing and they are doing it for half of what I'd charge. I've had customers tell me flat out that they were not going to pay a contractor $70.00 an hour to do work that they can get done for $10 -15 an hour elsewhere. Why don't they do anything about this problem. Here in CA there are literally 25-50 guys standing out in front of HD at all times. And no one does a thing about it.

POOLMANinCT

segment your target markets to the higher end..
call your ins agent for cert of insurance for bidding purpose, put those in your bid folder....

10-15 an hr thats the bottom feeder market, good chance they spend more than that at the movies on friday nite

dirt diggler

i would say the same as poolmaninCT, lol (took some doins ta come up with that name )

honestly, if I could give you the solution to that problem --- I wouldn't be sittin here

even in the high end ...

yeah, there's some people that will refuse to work with someone who employs the illegals.

then there's some that don't care --- they just want it done!

some just won't say anything -- they just think "well, that's the way it is"





It's more or less a sociological problem, and definitely - as you know - hurts your business. This thread almost even works better in the poly-rel. section

I wish i had a better answer - and I hope someone comes along with a "zinger"






then again ... whether someone's illegal or not ... you're always gonna be fighting with the lowballers.

Ed the Roofer

If homeowners are picking them up to do the job, they were not going to be your clients anyway, so let that go.

If your competitors acquire their workforce in that manner, take some photos with their company name on the truck with the immi's getting loaded up and put them in your photo album.

Do you want your project to be handled by skilled professional tradesmen or a wet behind the ears unskilled work crew?

I personally would not use it, as it seems too negative to me, but your circumstances may be different.

Ed

dirt diggler

better yet ... send that photo to the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Homeland Security ...



problem solved

Tom M

They cracked down on the Home Depots and buses for about a week or 2 then let it go. I personally think its far to out of control and if they do anything extreme it will hurt the tax paying local guy who has no choice but to consider the day labor. It effects landscapers,roofers, pool people anything for that matter. 10 years ago I knew an area around here that would have 3-4 blocks of illegals hanging around looking for work no one ever did anything about it now like you say there at home depot it just took some time for them to become part of the equation they are a big part now. Like it or not.

RobertWilber

illegals?
you don't need illegals to have these problems
every handyman thinks he can do electrical work
the only time anybody does anything is if the inspector happens to blow a tire in front of the house where the guy is working
We get this all the time, "we need a new service installed" and they are gutting the house.
you know that they are having some jackleg rewire the place.

....then you get a call from some homeowner crying "I don't know what's wrong, I just moved in, and the house is newly remodeled, with all new electric and all, but the toilet flushes and shoots out sparks every time I turn on the kitchen light, and the builder's phone is disconnected .... his name is Harry One-Eye ... and the electric company is here saying they are going to shut the power off ... Can you come right out?"

Tom M

Your absolutly right Robert. These things are constantly happening. I am on streak that is forcing me to consider getting out of this line of work. Its the house flipping, do it your self generation that is killing me every job. Every job cant be a big reconstuction " which slowed enormously" the small jobs pay bill and with out permits that hacks are out in full force. "I dont want a permit it will make taxes go up", my cousin is laid off hes a union carpenter, my father in law is pretty handy its out of control.

dirt diggler

really??

are there THAT many skilled DIY-ers in your market out there that they are takin your business??


Or does it just seem that way?

dirt diggler

now that I think about it ...


are there THAT many companies out there still hiring illegals even though the penalties for doing so are severe??


I myself wouldn't dare touch that. Like I was saying with the crossing the black/white lines of employee/sub --- I would much rather sleep well at night.


I would think that reputable companies are thinking this way as well .... for the most part

tkle

You can't tell the illegals from the amnesty guys.Some are even getting to be pretty good tradesmen.Same with the hacks.As long as the government passes laws then refuses to enforce them,law abiding citizens will be the ones who get screwed.

Gordo

Those early years HGTV videos taught me everything. I will pop one in every now and then to see if I can learn something new.

__________________
Looks like some pros were here.

Gordo

Oh. To keep on topic.....the illegals are here to stay....like it or leave it.

Nobody in the gov't is doing anything about it.

Its time to stop crying and accept the fact.

__________________
Looks like some pros were here.

dougchips

If you have a good product and can not sell it because your competitors are better at selling the same job:
1. Change your product
or
2. Change your market

Sucks how they sell the exact same job for a much better price.

JustaFramer

**** all the residential contractors are using illegals here. That is why I quit before I started this time around. Illegals are all that call the employment ads for work. Very few english speaking crews anymore. I remember Cali Carps taking about illegals 10 years ago down south. Now like cockroachs are every where.

dirt diggler

again ... if so many (especially you guys in CA and the Pacific) companies are doing this


maybe I am mistaken in thinking that the penalties are a big deal.

MKamis

Maybe a solution to this is a little more roundabout. I know it won't solve the problem, but it wouldn't hurt to start complaining to Home Depot as if you were a customer, and you find it intimidating that there are a bunch of guys hanging around outside trying to get you to buy their services.

If anyone in marketing at Home Depot has a clue, they'll realize that these guys may be taking away some installs from Home Depot too! Maybe they'll at least kick these guys off the property and make it harder to be seen for work.

It's really disgusting that the local cops can't take these guys in isn't it?!

faber307

Illegals? In my neck of the woods it's the AMISH!
Homeowners pick them up by the truck load. work 'em, feed 'em take them home.

You get 4 of them for the price of one tradesman. AND there not doing to bad a job from what I've seen.

It's just terrible

JamesNLA

Well this topic is a mess. If you voted Demacrat just reach around and pat yourself on the back as your business goes down the toilet.

Los Angeles is a total mess and over run with them. And they ARE learning the trades and will work for 1/3 of what a licensed contractor charges. The one that managed to get a car and can speak spanglish is the general and he pays his guys dirt, but they do it, because it's a hell of a lot more than they will make in their country.

Police arrest them????? Please, boarder patrol isn't even allowed to chase them let alone protect themselves.....see: http://www.johnandkenshow.com/

Want to talk about total rape of the american legal system, read up on those poor guys.

I don't have a solution that doesn't involve nuking our neighbors to the south, and it's sad to say but it's only going to get worse. And for those who think because they do quality work they will be OK, that may be true for a while, but not forever. These people don't have a mortgage - car payments - tools up the waazoo - kids activities - insurance - TAXES - or much of anything else the civilized american has....and they don't care. They couldn't give a shyth about this country or putting their money back into this economy.

Every job that involves using your body will go to a mexican, unless you use your brains to make your money.....

There is power in numbers, and that is the sad truth. They come here and have their anchor babies and demand that you and I pay for them to sit at home all day and exist....again, target practice our nuks on mexico, then turn them East to Iran.

Just wait till 08 and a demacrat get elected to office...think it's bad now, wait till they are given amnisty and more tax money. They are here for one thing and one thing only, to bleed the american money machine dry, once they do that, THEN they will go home.

As sad as it is, I have actually considered ways to make money off them. I won't do it, but have thought about it. I like this country and most of the people in it. However with the numbers comming across the boarder it's going to get bad, maybe not for you or I, but our kids. What a mess they are going to have.

Remember folks, there are 3 kinds of people\

1. Residents
2. Legal Residents
3. Illegal Aliens

Someone mentioned calling the Dpt of homeland security....haaaaa
may aswell call the local cops....not that it matters, neither will do anything. The government is thinking it's going to cash in on all of them paying taxes....haaa

This is gonna suck!!!!

tkle

Didn't know Bush was a democrat.