OK, So Now What?? Where Do I Find Help?

fathersonfab

OK, So I passed my contractors exam! YEAH!!!! But now what?
I have been doing small handyman jobs, but now I want to move into bigger more profitable ones.
My big question is, where do I find help? I have been working by myself for so long, I'm not sure what to do. My big goal is to move away from doing the work myself as quickly as possible. I want to focus on building and running my business.
Where do I find labor and subs? I don't feel comfortable just rolling up to the local Home Depot and picking up guys in the parking lot. I know a few subs, but I need more. but most importantly,I need laborers.

Do any of you guys use BluBook for subs?

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fathersonfab

Wow, all day and no replies? Nobody knows where to find legal day labor or subs???
BTW, I'm not asking about hiring employees... I need day labor.

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mdshunk

Do like the Amish, and grow your own labor.

MALCO.New.York

I thought that was what the East Indians do????? Or is it import them?????? Indentured...............

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Mike Finley

Labor Ready. Do you have one in your area? Hire 3 for the day. 1 will suck, 1 will be okay, 1 will be pretty good.

You're talking day labor for demo work right?

Day labor for installing a kitchen? Don't even think it. You do know why they are working as day labor right? and not flying airlines or running fortune 500 companies instead? There is a reason they are working for $6.00 an hour as day labor.

When I buy an investment property, I hire day labor to do the demo, but that's all they are good for. I hire 5-6 of them and let them go for it.

Now, depending on where you are you might have a more specialized labor company around. I've gotten calls and mail from a local company here that says they have skilled labor. I haven't used them though.

genecarp

place an ad on the bulletin board in a local colledge , or high school.

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mdshunk

I know a plumber that stops in the nearest fraternal club or bar room to get his day labor. I don't really advise that methos.

BKFranks

Labor and Sub's? I'd be more worried about where to land a good client/project. You can find laborers anywhere.

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rbsremodeling

Here is my .02 cents land you a few extra jobs first then worry about help. You can work 60-80 hours a week if you had to. So get the work first

Start looking for subs now find out who is the best in town and there rates so you can have an idea in advance what they charge.

Sub most of the work out to good subs. In house labor suck when you try to grow I don't care what anyone says subs are the way to go. just make sure they are good and honest and pay them on time.

Use a temp service for laborers only, hire subs for skill work period if he is worth anything He should not be at a temp service.

as you go through the temp service find you a good laborer you can train and bring up in the ranks and who will watch out for you when your not around. This guy will be invaluable when you can't be at the sight.

Ask your best subs for additional laborers. or find a handy man that will work at a decent rate and pay him for his laborer time he will probably do the work of two unskilled workers and have his own tools. two unskil laborers 30 bucks and 5 hours of work but you paid for 8. Handyman 35-40 bucks but you got 8 hours of work and less f ups

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EricTheHandyman

You've got to be busy in order to have workers, spend your laborer money on advertising and make that phone ring. Hire subs when you need to to pick up your slack. I'm in the same boat as you are--trying to expand beyond myself. Talk to your subs, they might know some good workers for when you need them.

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wellbuilthome

I get lots of guys off of the board at shop rite or a help wanted in the truck window. I like to have 2 guys all the time. One guy that can cut and nail and a helper I like to pay around 35 per hr or 300 a day. I lost my helper today he was crying in the dumpster and went home , his mom called me looking for his pay . I told her to pick it up on pay day! She got real nasty with me . Wow

Mike Finley

You pay $35.00 an hour for a helper.

Are you hiring? I would be a helper for $75,000 a year.

bujaly

Go back to rebuilding bathrooms old man..

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AtlanticWBConst

If you build it, they will come...

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ameliapearn

We sometimes get extra labor from other contractors we know. There always seems to be a couple people floating around working for different guys. It is kind of nice that way since you can get an idea of how they work ahead of time.

brooksh

You are in California, there are a lot of day laborers at your local Home Depot. Oh wait, you said legal. I'd go to a temp agency for that. Plus they pay worker's comp.


I really thought it was just a joke about guys hanging out, jumping in pickups at Home Depot, until I saw it for myself in San Jose.

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milancole

You can get temp labor at Labor Ready in most cities, but the quality varies dramatically. I am a small biz too and my plan is to use subs and to try to network and hire other one-man licensed contractors when I have a bigger job that I need more help for.

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