Is It Just Me Or.....

ParadigmShift

Is it just me or when you're looking at a job and the HO knows your a carpenter / roofer / drywaller / (fill in the blank) they want you to do something that is completely out of you're scope of work, then you end up on these boards trying to figure out how to get the job done and the HO wants you to do it cheap because they know you're out of you're element.

I became a carpenter because I love to build things made out of (surprise) WOOD! I can't remember the last time I touched the stuff. When it's not a drop cieling, blowing a hole in a block wall to install a steel door or installing some foam molding I find myself dreaming of good old fashioned WOOD

mics_54

It's because people tend to be amazed at the total genius of carpenters. IMHO..who can blame them?

Willie T

I LOVE it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

ParadigmShift

I guess I never looked at it that way I fell better already

cranbrook2

I get asked to build everything from castles to the taj mahal or White House . Nothing is impossible if you have the will and a whole lot of money .

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John in Belgrave

http://www.extremebirdhouse.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=112698715866#!

ChainsawCharlie

I'm a landscaper, and, last week, one of my customers asked me if I could install track lighting. Commercial. Roughly 40 50 watt bulbs. He wanted me to run the lines, conduit, install the tracks, four dimmers AND tie in to the panel.

I told him I'd prefer to live past next week, and got him a licensed electrical contractor that I've known for years. All the way back to my steel building days.

Inner10

For me it was a little different, I expanded my horizons to simplify things.

It was almost as though I got fed up everytime I tried to sub someting out. I had to install an access control system so I got a locksmith to install the strikes...the job he did looked worse then my hack install, so now I do em myself.

I'd give spects for racking or insetting a TV etc. And often it wasn't exactly what I wanted so now to avoid screwups I just do it myself.

I don't plan on ever getting into remodeling or anything, I just like to have my part of the job look good and go off without a hitch. As I say I don't need anymore help looking stupid.

Cdat

I'm always ready to try something new. Got a hammer? How hard can it be?

21gun

good stuff guys... again, my thanks button has dissappeared>>>>>WTF?

i get it a lot too... but i am always appreciative that they thought to ask if i was interested.

Always love it when they ask you to come do a door screen install and you end up puttin in a toilet too. My fav is when you get done under the house with some poopy drain ooze all over your knees and they want you to level their refrigerator or their bifold doors and you have to come back another day when you're cleaned up. Then it's the garbage disposal and , and , and ,and , and , makes a guy feel special...sometimes wanna hand em the keys to the van and say ya know what.... here... try some of this easier stuff yourself...be back once you have the house remodeled. Try not to use all my sand paper tho ok? And put all the tools back where you found them, clean and dusted off ahr-right?

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carpet? no, we dont do carpet.
No sir... that spells CARPENTER.

Celtic

The proper term is: Wtf!?!?!?

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Astrix

I think that the problem is that most people who know nothing about construction, consider "construction" as one job in itself. They don't realize "construction" is an industry and is comprised of 100s of different jobs. So, they assume if you know roofing, then you must also know plumbing, wiring, paving, etc.

I may have been guilty of that line of thinking myself but with other industries. For example, I remember once asking the lawyer who was handling my mortgage re-finance some questions about my cousin's pending divorce.

I think one of my favourites though was because I have a European last name, I was once asked by our receptionist to talk to a Hungarian client that came into the office and couldn't speak English well enough to be understood. She just assumed I would be able to understand Hungarian because my last name wasn't Smith or Johnson. ?????

strathd

good stuff guys... again, my thanks button has dissappeared>>>>>WTF?


They (mods) are trying to tell you that your too thankful. One guy here had his taken away for six months ! They're watching you.........

Tinstaafl

OTOH, I'm a remodeler. I love customers like that, because I DO do it all, and I can offer them one-stop shopping.

But before anyone gets his knickers in a knot...

I'm also smart enough to know when that little oh-by-the-way project is actually an enormous can of worms for a non-specialist, and have no problem with getting a sub in to handle one of those. But it's still one-stop shopping as far as the client is concerned.

thehis

I think it just speaks well for you when someone asks you to go out of your way. They like your work and trust you- sometimes hard to find in our industry.

RebelNY

I try to take care of all my customers needs. I try not to give them a reason to go somewhere else looking for workers. I do most things myself but will sub out what I cannot do or dont have time to do except all carpentry I always do myself. Im a carpenter first and everything else second