Home Depot Installer

wolffhomerepair

Anyone have experience being a Home Depot installer? If so what are the ins and outs? I saw the sign the other day at the local and before I look farther I want to know what I would be looking at.

Mouldings&More

They tell you how much you are worth without knowing your overhead, I have heard that they do not compensate for lost time due to there mistakes. I guess if you are not busy it would not be bad fill in work and you might be able to spread your name to prospective clients. I do not think they allow lettered trucks though( I might be wrong on this, again all from what I heard)

RobertCDF

Ask Josh (IHI) if he does not come along here soon to answer your questions. I know he does some install work for HD.

__________________
Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

Melissa

I know someone who does blind installations for HD and 3 Day Blinds. All I know is they do very well.

IHI

Suppers just about done, I have a long post on the board somewhere's with alot of the questions already answered so I'll dig around and see if I can find it.

In a nutshell, I think it will be very area and project specific to weather or not it's worth looking into along with your stores actual volume. Our store doe'snt do a huge amount of outside sales so the times it does come up they do make for nice fill in work, and like mentioned I get paid to advertise our work. All my trucks are lettered and we all wear company logoed shirts as well, if they ever said I'd have to remove lettering, they'd be finding another guy to do it. I make enough money to say I make some when it's all said and done, but if I had to make a living off HD, I'd be bankrupt. BUT, they do have stores up north they've tried to get me to take over installs for that 1 stores literally does double the business of the one I work out of so then you could just focus on that, or have a seperate crew for that.

I'll look around after dinner and see if I can find the old post I had up on this issue.

__________________
Hot Rod Work Van
Car video clip
Web
The Photo Gear- Type Josh into Contact name when ordering

IHI

Here ya go, starts on post #16

If you do a search there are quite a few things that come up with this issue so it'd be worth reading around a bit if your considering.

Only thing I can really think of to make this easier would be for me to write up a article based on my experience with it and make it a stickey since the issue comes up quite frequently.

Yes I'd make more money if there was no middle person, but HS does not want to keep track of multiple installers-they want to hand off paper work to one entity and let them deal with the hiring/firing and paper work with subs-simple as that and it will not ever change from this point on.

All pay is "flat rated" and you will get a price sheet. ALL prices are set based on "basic" installtion. We all know basic installation is very rare. The only "basic" installation fee I ever got was replacing a entry door in a garage with no inside finishing, the existing fell out and new one was in in less than 30 minutes....that is their basic install-anything above that you get paid extra for. I was accussed of "padding" estimates a few weeks ago since my bids were high and customers were walking. I laughed and told HD gal accussing 1. things are never basic like the way you have flat rates figured for so all jobs get custom labor to make anything fit/work. You guys set the prices-I just fill out the form using your prices for each aspect like you have written down and given me 2. Did you ever think that by cutting out 2 of the 4 entities involved in the HD installation department the price would be ALOT cheaper??!!

__________________
Hot Rod Work Van
Car video clip
Web
The Photo Gear- Type Josh into Contact name when ordering

Teetorbilt

I looked into the flooring part a few years ago and found out this:

A) They want more info than a gov't job.

B) They do their own measures and schedule the materials, most often incorrectly.

C) You tend to be blamed for all mistakes such as material shortages, transitions, etc.

D) A job that should take a day will knock all kinds of holes in your schedule for a week as they reorder and make corrections + paperwork.

E) They were charging (at the time) $2.75 sq.ft. and paying $1.10.

Nowhere near the hassle for me.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Gordo

HD + installing at their rate = bankrupt.

__________________
Looks like some pros were here.

TimNJ

I used to install for them "Pre-middleman" days and it was definitely worth it. I did all my own estimating so I knew the job and what to expect. All I would install for them was doors. Anything else and it wasn't worth it. There was some paper work but once you were in it was pretty much self renewing. I already carried more insurance with my company than they were requiring so that was no big deal. However, now it isn't worth it. The Middleman in this area wanted approximately 30% of what the piece rate was so I told them that I wasn't interested. Also, now with middleman, if he has financial problems, you can get screwed because HD is only worried about paying him off. You are nobody to HD.

Speedy Petey

All I can say is in my area if you mention "Home Depot, or Lowes, Installer", eyes go a rollin'.

__________________

IHI

It's obvious different stores have different set-ups for different aspects. I've heard flooring has issues with outside salesmen measuring and I made it very clear I measure my jobs period since EVERY job is different and if somebody with no real world experience does it they WILL miss alot of issues, so I can see the flooring aspect elsewhere being a pain.

I already had insurance that was what they wanted $1M so that was a non issue and aside from multiple faxes and paperwork, it's like any other job, you just learn the trick and deal with it-not my favorite aspect, but it just comes with the job like anything ele we do.

I'm lucky also in the fact at the "sit down" with this new middle company I made it clear I will dictate when I can get to the job. This was my biggest problem area with last middle company that I walked on since they thought I sat by the phone waiting for HD work LMFAO!! So I have a bit more freedom than it sounds like most have/get, but I would'nt have it any other way. They wanted a great installer so I volunteered and made sure they knew they would have to be flexible as well to have me/us do the work for them. The store and managers love us since they can rely on us for trouble free installs and I hear form them many times they wish wwe could just work together 1 on 1, but corporate is'nt having it...but once I got back at it I was granted "clout/respect" due to knowing wtf was going on in the feild and having a good repour with all I'm in contact with from homies to HD so it's been working very well for me.

Make no mistake, I'm not trying to talk them up becuase there are multiple issues with the long chain of commands screwing stuff up, but if you know what your doing you can make good money for what your doing also. I'm only in the millwork area and they have asked us about branching into other venues that I am interested in, and when they get serious about opening up those markets I will be there at the sit down, BUT if things dont work in my favor, then obviously I wont be doing them and sticking with these little fill in jobs that help promote my business for things that HD does'nt offer and I can. Get paid to advertise is the only way I look at it and I've installed stuff for dirt poor folk that just got a HD credit card as well as very high end homies in high dollar homes so it really helps me promote to a wide audience.

__________________
Hot Rod Work Van
Car video clip
Web
The Photo Gear- Type Josh into Contact name when ordering

hauoli63

Installers don't get paid much .... Lowe's will pay only $110 to install a dishwasher ... this includes the time it takes to wait around at the store to pick up the dishwasher .... call around to any plumber and see what they would charge to install a dishwasher.

__________________
~~ Lisa ~~

www.chantillyplumbing.com

IHI

If I wait over 15 minutes at the store I get paid for it...they have a nice sign in sheet for contrators at the door so your wait time is documented, anything over 15 mintues is an automatic $33.75 in my pocket.

I'm only assuming, but would think HD's idea of installing a dishwasher is under the "basic" install. "pull out, unplug, disconnect water lines, slid out, then reverse process. Any customizing such as making opening larger to accomodate new washer would then be under custom labor, then he nows turns his install gone bad into a measure fee for a job site quote, then goes back to make an estimate for what it will take and up the actual cost so that washer will fit with added material/labor-presto you now get $200+ for that job deepending on issues needed to be resolved. Last one my plumber did for me on a job I think he was there a total of 15 minutes and gone. I know they're not all that easy, but with a properly supplied truck/trailer/van with fittings on site I would'nt think it'd be too difficult from the 4 or 5 I've personally changed out over the years and i'm noooo plumber, I'm just forced to pay what they want when they're on my jobs .... aint no wonder I've never seen a plumber with ANYTHING over 1 yr old from trucks to trlrs to clothes

__________________
Hot Rod Work Van
Car video clip
Web
The Photo Gear- Type Josh into Contact name when ordering