What Do You Think? Should I Take This Job?

freemason21

i emailed a job listing i found online, they are looking for a carpenters helper, the pay seemed pretty on par with what my skill level is so i emailed them. after a few emails i find out what they really need. should i take them up on the job offer? or go get my own insurance, and ask for a higher rate per hour? looking for advice from you guys who have been doing this much longer then i have. here's the emails.


Hi Craig,
Thanks for your response...I am interested in meeting with you if you can on Thursday if you are available? Preferably in the AM around 10ish.. Let me know.




sure i can meet thursday, what is the name of your company if i may ask? thanks



My boyfriend and I do antique home restorations, we are working on our own project here. It's a fairly extensive project. Sorry I wasn't more specific before...if you want to talk about it further you can call me in the morning at **********

Look forward to meeting you.
Patty




oh i see cool. are you a construction company or is this a property you own that you need work done to?



It's a property that we own. We renovate and flip properties. This is what we do for a living, we are not a construction company, we do not offer insurance or any type of benefits. Let me know if you are still interested or have any further questions.
Thanks

J F

well, if they learned from tv expect about $5 per hour

katoman

Sure, I'd take the job. But they are hiring an independant carpenter. This means you are supplying everything. Truck, tools, insurance, comp. etc. etc.

As long as they are paying the going rate, no problemo!

FYI - In my location that means about $40/hr. Canadian. What's that, about $45 American.

freemason21

this is where the problem is. they want to pay between 10 and 15 bucks an hour. i'd take 15 an hour if they are supplying everything, and it was a legitimate contractor. to me it sounds like they are just real estate investors with a litte bit of diy knowledge looking for a cheap carpenter under the guise of "carpenters helper". i dont claim to be a pro im 21 and only have about 4 to 5 years in construction, which could lead me into a big problem, if they dont know what they are doing and i get mixed up with something and dont know what to do, who's going to solve the problem?

it sounds like they have lots of work and i want to take it, but i want to do it right. thanks for the input.

mccarty.74

Could be tricky. You can't replace having steady income in these times. On the other hand if you encounter tasks you're unfamiliar with and they teach you how to do it, it could short-circuit your future success. Relearning the professional way, after time spent doing it alternatively, is a hell of a lot harder than being taught the right method in the first place. If you go ahead, I'd take whatever they instruct you on with a grain of salt.

__________________
What would you say...ya do here?

jtpro

If you need the money take the job. You should be able to tell within the first week two at most what they're up to.

E-mailing and phone calls don't tell the whole story.

You might be young but if you've been in construction for 4 or 5 years you should have a good base of what's right and wrong by what you've seen the pros you worked around do. It DOESN'T mean you can do it just the right from wrong.

The first time you get a bad feeling or can tell IT'S WAY WRONG that's when you have to decide if you are going to take morals and craftsmanship over $$$$.

JumboJack

I agree..But around here he would actually be considered an employee of the flippers.That could lead to problems...

__________________
in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

Tom R

Yeah, you guys would be callin' him a flip-flop the first time he asked a question on this information forum.

Pretty soon we'll just offer up answers and see who can get the question right . . .

__________________
http://www.tr-built.com

jtpro

Gotcha Don't know where he's from. Guess he better explore those rules and regs first.

What's the saying..Ignorance of the law is no excuse!

JumboJack

Guy's get their questions answered all the time.If you don't have a problem with any Tom,Dick or Harry asking questions about things that they are not qualified to do (remember handyman99?) and think they should always be answered with a smile,then I don't know what to say.I'm sorry you don't understand my feelings on stuff like that.

__________________
in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

freemason21

yeah i do know when something is hacked, which makes this even more difficult. if they know what they are doing, thats fine. i know people who buy houses fix/flip them, but im afraid these are hackers and dont really know exactly what they are doing, which puts me in a tough spot. lie to them about something, or be up front with them and risk being fired. the job does say carpenters helper but im very concerned with what their skill level is, but above all of this, what would be covering me if i got hurt.

Tom R

I understand perfectly, Judge Jack.

__________________
http://www.tr-built.com

JumboJack

That is where the trouble could start.If it was here in Cali. the people who hired you would be liable.Because you would be their employee.They would try to fight it saying that you are an independent contractor.Problem is you cant contract a job without a contractors license.So if the job is over 500.00 total you would either have to be an employee or a contractor.And if you are their employee then they would be the ones that need a WC policy.Whoever pulls the permits has to either show they have WC or proclaim that they have no employees.Kinda a catch 22.

__________________
in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

jtpro

Well ONLY you can make up your mind but it sounds like by talking it out and listening to the replies you kinda know what to do.

JumboJack

So you have no problem with someone asking "what wire goes where on an outlet"?You think someone should answer his question with a Coke and a smile and then we can hold hands and sing Kumbya?

__________________
in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

Metro M & L

ignorancia non excusat

__________________
"Yeah... It's worthy of a sig quote."

freemason21

well at 15 bucks an hour, i would only be there part time because i dont want to quit my landscaping job, i would only be seeing maybe 400 a week at the most, so im not worried about that. the problem with this is taxes, if i got hurt, theres no proof i worked for them. i emailed her expressing my concerns, i'm still waiting for a response.

JumboJack

500.00 total for the whole scope of the job.Remember this is for California,your state may be different.But if you are an employee then they sould have WC for you.

__________________
in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

mics_54

Word of warning...make consideration that if they offer you a "cash" rate you need to understand what they mean...will they 1099 you? If they do..your wages will be reported to the IRS and you will be respoinsible for the 30% self employment taxes. It's very common that a "flipper" askes people what they will work for on a "cash" basis to get the lowest possible dollar figure and then report the wages at the end of the year.

Also..what happens if you get hurt on the job? They don't have you covered with work comp. Do you have health insurance?

Gus Dering

I say take the job and figure it out as you go. It will be a good experience one way or the other.

On one hand you may be hitching your wagon to some good savy people and you learn a lot and have fun.

On the other hand you might really stretch your knowledge and live outside your comfort zone a little. A growing experience so to speak. You may have to learn how to be heard and understood. You may have to learn how to pick your battles. But it sounds like you may be headed for a lesson on what to do when your integrity is at risk. Thats all good stuff.

No workers comp is something that you will have to decide is worth walking over or not. When I was your age I threw caution to the wind more than once.

I'm in your corner all the way. I love that there is a young guy that wants to learn and humble enough to admit his shortcomings. I'll do anything I can to help you out as I'm sure there are others. Ignore the rest.

__________________
Every parent who has walked barefoot into their child's room late at night hates Legos