I tried, but I cant stay out
Question -
I quote $275.00 to repair a broken pipe, at the Ho side of the water main. It is Me, a shovel,Primer, glue, fitting and iphone for 2 hours on a Sunny Saturday. Job done, nice profit.
The licensed Plumber quotes $650.00 for the same job, Why? I know he has higher overhead, I operate from my house, have no employee's, no shop expenses, No unnecessary expenses. My business is lean. A cellphone, Van and a fairly smart guy that can do multiple repairs.
I am not a licensed contractor, I will be in the future because it is required in California and I want to do larger jobs, or at least have the ability to do larger jobs.
I look at licensing as BS in some ways. I worked for a company that had a "qualifier", WTF? It was residential remodeling, specializing in kitchen's and bathrooms. The owner didn't know anything about the trades, I was 20, with no experience and 3 months later I was rewiring attics around skylight "openings or installing tons of can lights. I was not an electrician, licensed or anything, but I was the one doing "All" of the work, does that make sense?
I believe the licensing is flawed, but it is required and it is the law, so I try to abide by it. I am guilty of doing a few jobsthat would probably put me in a bad light by the CSLB, but I try to play by the rules.
This is why I believe there should be a "Handyman" license. There are many People that are "good enough" to do work in all trades and have that work be above average or better. It is not hard to pass an inspection on a job site, even if you do it wrong, you get to redo it (and often the inspector will tell you how) until it is correct.
Oh boy, this all got way off topic, but I joined here to learn to be a better business and trades Man. Even as a "Handyman", I deal with guys that do not have a business license (remember, we are not required to have a Contractors License if jobs' are under $500), insurance, or even the proper tools.
But, this is America, it is a "Free Society" and there are always People expressing their rights to choose what they want. If people want to hire unlicensed People, they have to be prepared to deal with the consequences. The same as if I choose to do a job I should be licensed to do, it have to be prepared to deal with the consequences!
Oh yeah, I have no idea if tile in a closet will cause a moisture problem. Ask bwalley, he is a sharp guy and can probably help.