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Moving into a niche from remodeling

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#21 ·
Remodeling is great. Great up to about a month lol. Then stir crazy. The responsibility doesn't match the income with average working class customers. Becomes what ever it takes for however long. Been many times I thought the subs did better getting in and out.

Sometimes it all depends what's coming at you and from who.
 
#22 ·
andyoraz said:
I would never be able to do that lol, I think dragging the tools out for tiny stuff is such a drag. at least when it's for multiple trades, always forget something dumb like the inside pipe cutter or jigsaw etc. and putting it all back too. but there's money to be made as a small job guy like that.
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Yeah it’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, I do like the ones where I can post up in a place for a week or so, I’m almost never under a day at a job. The bigger jobs weigh on me though, I did one full house remodel solo, felt like it would never end, constantly on the back of my mind, this stuff there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, just the way my brain works.

I do carry tons of stuff in the van, I know exactly which packout drawer the jigsaw is in (same place as the m12 micro pinner, multi tool, mini angle grinder and accessories for all that stuff), huge assortment of screws, bolts anchors, scrap plywood, tubs of drywall mud, you name it, still have to run twice for most jobs but I can usually wait until the drive home.Never needed an inside pipe cutter on my own jobs, if there’s plumbing more complicated than putting a sharkbite cap on something I’m demoing I get a real plumber involved.
 
#23 ·
Another angle....my girl says I need a niche instead of being everything to everyone but.....the dilemma is that with all of its hassles a competent well rounded carpenter doing remodels makes something on subs. When your a niche I feel you then need employees and marketing...shrug....that's my opinion.

Employees bring another stress I don't miss
 
#24 ·
Keeping in mind, my background is large commercial ... I hired a company to do a bath remodel on a house I owned that was about 2 hours away. He had good recommendations. He basically had 3 guys -- all pretty skilled guys. His guys did everything (and yeah, he didn't get a permit). Problem was what should have taken maybe 2 weeks took 8. The Owner ended up with some problems. He was starting a divorce. Apparently ran into a cash flow problem on another job. One of his guys had a death in the family (out of country).

Similar issue now with a guy trimming my trees. He has to take care of his disabled brother, so he doesn't get here until maybe 9, goes home at lunch, and has to leave about 4 or so. I'm OK with this, but now his lift blew a hydraulic hose, so that cost him another day or two.

What I'm pointing out is being a very small contractor has it's bad points as well.
 
#25 ·
Ohio painter said:
, i am 56 and plan to retire at 65. What that looks like i am unsure but i will be ready.
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A good friend of mine is a painting sub. He wants to retire now. Trying to sell the company is tough. A company is mostly only worth their ongoing work. Does he have some good people? Yes, but for a pay increase, they would probably go somewhere else. What's a reputation worth? Something, but let's face it, the key today is price. His problem is he can't let go and allow anyone else to do anything.
 
#26 ·
I think I would be fine doing nothing but shower doors. I can easily make a good days pay and they average 5 hours each. Some more some less.

I can do most alone and only need help on the heavy glass units. And once you are done you are done.

Remodels solo are never done.

They just tend to drag out forever, until you finally just say, "I'm done", and drive away.
 
Discussion starter · #27 · (Edited)
I don’t tend to have these same issues (dragging out). I do set crystal clear expectations on scope, and welcome change orders that expand if it makes me money. I charge appropriately especially if it disrupts the most efficient order of trades

I have good employees one great skilled multi trade and a helper (not quite laborer). have a handful of guys who also do their own remodels but work for me when they can’t find their own jobs (often). And kickass subs for every trade even ones we self perform, if it means I make more $$& faster

So even if im sick or whatever and even if my right hand man goes to jail or whatever ill run my jobs short term

I don’t spend more than a few hours a day on the tools, most of my day is getting business, materials, operations, and supervising tricky parts/progress and guiding when we have headaches

That said, it is a lot to manage and I think short of finding something like a super or pm I may burn out from juggling it all. Have a hard time giving that much responsibility away too, margins aren’t high enough to F up very much. Lots of different pitfalls when dealing with so many trades in a remodel setting

It’s appealing to me to have one set of guys that I train up once and have them do the same thing while I just sell sell sell, getting physicallly involved only when it gets interesting
 
#28 ·
I have 2 employees and I am also running the job sites. I'm probably at the job half th time.

I've found a couple things we just can't do. My employees are too slow at them to make money. It's drywall and roofing. So I still do a lot of things, but I'm slowly phasing things out that aren't profitable for me.
 
#29 ·
Started out as strictly a framing sub for residential new construction. About 2008, we started doing more additions, structural changes, and exterior trim. Same tools needed, and the economy dictated the shift. Used to hate remodel, but now I actually prefer it. The bigger the job, the better, as I like to plan and get totally set up on jobs.

Have also flipped a few houses, but the money was the same, but with greater risk and more headaches
 
#30 ·
Warren said:
Used to hate remodel, but now I actually prefer it. The bigger the job, the better, as I like to plan and get totally set up on jobs.
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Agree if you're only doing one trade/aspect. On smaller jobs, it seems like I basically have to take on more phases of the job, otherwise I'm at the mercy of other people's schedules and craftsmanship and it ends up not being worth it
 
#31 ·
Where are you located? We sell hurricane shutters, and contractors love that most of the installs are outside on the exterior; so installs can be scheduled easily without owners having to be onsite the entire time. Now we're selling shutters in Texas & Louisiana as well as the Southern East Coast States. Also, we have impact Bahama Shutters and Colonials, which homeowner love the look of with extra wind protection!
Good Luck!
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
Caroline@Maximum said:
Where are you located? We sell hurricane shutters, and contractors love that most of the installs are outside on the exterior; so installs can be scheduled easily without owners having to be onsite the entire time. Now we're selling shutters in Texas & Louisiana as well as the Southern East Coast States. Also, we have impact Bahama Shutters and Colonials, which homeowner love the look of with extra wind protection!
Good Luck!
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arizona (phoenix), shutters are very rare here but send me a dm if AZ is in your target market, I can start pitching as an add-on and see if we can make some money together.
 
Discussion starter · #35 ·
JoeStanton said:
Does Arizona get hit with hurricanes?
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severe monsoons is as bad as it gets. there is no need for impact glass etc, shutters are optional and more for aesthetics than anything. or people moving from severe weather areas and thinking it's crazy not to have them.
 
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andyoraz
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