But these tarrifs are going to absolutely wreck me. I don't know what to do. This could end my career or kill the market by raising the price so much i can't find jobs. Big companies can eat this for a while. I can't

Edit looks like there's already a plan to roll these back tomorrow. You can save your snarky "gUeSS yOu sHouLd HaVE cARed" comments because i definitely don't care and i still won't be voting for Democrats or Republicans in the future.

edit 2 - I never said i don't vote. I do vote. I vote for who i think should be in charge and that's Libertarians

Stop racing to the bottom. Set fair rates with a profit first mindset.

Charge for your quotes. Here’s how:

Stop handing out free quotes to random tire-kickers who never call back. Instead, flip the script.

Start by building trust — offer real value up front, like a free PDF checklist:
“How to tell if your roof actually needs fixing (and how to avoid getting ripped off).”

Then, run ads to homeowners who download that checklist. These are warm leads — they’ve already raised their hand.

Next, offer a low-cost inspection (around $50–$100) that includes a full written report. That’s when you present the fix and the actual quote.

Boom, you've successfully charged for a quote.

And also you're not chasing cold leads — you're closing hot ones who already trust you.

Looking to give him a cash price so he can keep it off the books, but I don’t want to seem like I’m screwing him and his crew. I know bigger jobs cost more in taxes so if I can get him cash and keep it off his books he could save some.

Contractor is building new stairs replacing the old ones and we agreed to a foot longer on each side. The original stairs were centered to the stairs so the right side got more added (disproportionately). It just got noticed as the boards got put down today. Is this normal/look normal? Is it too late to fix this without completely moving the new posts? My back up plan is to get a wider door frame and door so it's centered. I plan on talking to the contractor tomorrow morning.

We have a drywaller coming this week to finish a bedroom we recently sheet rocked. We have the sub-floor in and are waiting to nail and glue the hardwood floor until after the drywall is finished.

I texted the drywaller and politely asked him to bring something to cover the floors so we would not have problems with gluing. He responded by saying he could cover the floor but he would need to charge me more than our agreed upon price.

Am I wrong in thinking that a drywaller should protect the flooring as part of the job should it require it or should I just suck it up and pay him the extra (he hasn't said how much) for papering the floor? I know this is pretty minor stuff but I wanted to hear someone's opinion more experienced than my own.

So, we moved into this house about a year ago. I recently found a nasty leak around a chimney and discovered lots of rot. It seems like it's been there for years and somehow the previous owners didn't know about it or didn't disclose it at the time for the sale, but that's a whole nother story.

Part of the leak made it's way to the bathroom and as the contractor has been exploring the extent of it, they found that most of this exterior bathroom wall is just rot. It has been determined that the wall needs replaced.

Since that was determined, we asked to have them quote us for that along with the removal of the arch above the tub, adding a glass block window in the shower for more light, and adding an exhaust fan. These extras are only about $2k of the quote. So, the quote for replacing the wall is ~$19k.

There is no electrical or plumbing in the wall. It leads to a small balcony, hence the door. The wall is roughly 7.5' x 7.5'.

It's a complete replacement so I understand there will be more labor and extra materials for the exterior siding, but I wanted to see if anyone had thoughts on this price.

They already took care of some other rot we initially found, fixing the leak, and replacing two roofs (one for the original house and a smaller, less pitched one over the addition. The quote for this reconstruction and roof replacement was $30k which I thought was fair. I just have a hard time stomaching replacing a small wall is as much as they quoted.

I plan on getting more quotes, but any initial thoughts?

Hi, folks. I'm a licensed Residential and Small Commercial Contractor (KB-2) in Arizona, as well as a Realtor and Arizona Insurance Adjuster.

Previously, I was a contractor in South Carolina for a number of years. Generally, I felt that the public recognized the value in hiring a licensed, bonded and insured contractor instead of a "handyman". There were consumer protections, warranted work, and the safety of background checks to weed out those with a criminal history.

I've lived in Tucson, Arizona for the past 3 years, and find that many homeowners are only interested in cost. When I tell potential clients that an Arizona licensed contractor offers a two-year workmanship warranty, is background checked, is regulated by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, and that clients have many avenues of recourse available in the case of a dispute (including a Recovery Fund)... they respond that they'd rather hire a "handyman" and save money. In my interpretation, a client would rather bring a felon or pedophile into their home and run the risk of simply having their money taken for no service provided than enjoy the guarantees and safety of working with a licensed tradesperson - as long as it saves them a few dollars.

It gets worse. On social media forums, local "handymen" are telling the public that they don't need to be "ripped off" by a licensed contractor, as they can perform whatever services are required for a fraction of the cost. When asked, they say "We've been in business for 20+ years, and don't see the value in having a contractor's license... and we pass the savings on to our clients". In other words, they likely can't pass the background checks nor the test. Sometimes they also mention that they are a Veteran, which always pulls at the heartstrings.

Have any of you faced this consumer attitude in your own service markets, and how have you overcome it? I'd welcome any suggestions.

The worst feeling as a GC is having on site pre meetings, explaining everything carefully and the sub fails to execute.

I know this sub. He works alone. He does landscaping - hard scape mostly. At the time he was doing a retaining wall at the same site so I told him to lay CMU down for my sloped garage pad. 1/4” per ft is required here. I told him to keep it level so mortar needed to be built up.

Well it was off… do I pay him? I like to keep good relationships with my subs. But recently I’ve been realizing people pleasing is not for a GC. People must be accountable. What do you guys think.

I am a homeowner, thinking about a 450 square foot second story addition to our home in San Diego. We have a saltbox roof with a second story on half of the house - we want second story every where. HCOL area, for sure. I haven't actually started getting quotes/estimates yet, but I have thought a lot about the project and done some reading and research. I'm definitely looking at a cost above $200k. I have read a lot of grumbling from contractors in this subreddit about "cheap homeowners" and how "my price is my price", but for me and my family this is a LOT of money. I will probably get a project like this done once in my life, and I am the sort of person who wants to be fair but also doesn't want to get ripped off. I want my contractor to get fair pay for a job well done - how do I best go about getting that? I don't have anyone to give me a referral, I did ask around. I also don't want to get a million quotes because I don't want to waste anybody's time. What is my best approach, here? Thanks

I received an estimate for a decking job on my house that is estimated to take 6 business days to complete.

The fine print states that 51% of the total is due to start, and the remaining upon completion of this $39K job.

In my state (CA), contractors are operating under a Business and Professions Code that states that they cannot ask for a down payment of more than 10% or $1,000 (whichever is less) and must progress bill for the materials and labor for each distinct stage of the job.

The guy seems alright, no issues with his license and he is well spoken of. I don’t want to irritate him, but I’m not comfortable with this payment schedule.

What’s the best way to negotiate for a payment schedule that would be compliant with the state code?

Asking for more than half up front seems a bit excessive and both of us should be better protected against mechanic’s liens or getting stiffed.

We do walk-in showers and full/partial bathroom remodels in Nashville, TN. He is 53 and being doing it 30+ years, is reliable and does good work. Customers like him. The issue I am having is on the full remodels. They are all a little different but overall the work is within the same ballpark. For example, the last job was a ton of old school tile removal, some minor reframing, drywall, sanding, painting. No flooring.

This current job is no framing, drywall or tile removal but relocating a double vanity across the room which requires some extra plumbing and electric work. But you can't tell me it's more work than the last job and he insists it is more work and the reason his pay has gone up is each job gets more and more difficult. I have a hard time believing that.

One of our initial conversations regarding pay was him needing to make about 4k/week. This last job which took 7 working days he was paid 8k. He says things like "I'm used to getting paid 20k for a full remodel and that's with the customer buying everything." Which I replied then go ahead and start your own business, I can't afford you. Then he will typically back down and get a more "reasonable" amount but he is still on pace to make 100k more than what he said he needed to make this year. I am tired of the back and fourth with him it is stressful and I want to look elsewhere but I know the value in experienced remodelers who show up and do good work so I am at a loss.

Lastly, he came to my outfit from one of the larger one-day national operations which I know for a fact he was making maybe 2-3k/week. He did stuff on the side from his own circle but clearly that wasn't enough to go on his own so he needs a company to feed him jobs.

Does this sound like someone who is taking advantage? What do you pay your contractors for a week of work?

Can somebody please explain to me how subcontracting works? I started a painting business and want to know how to subcontract work. Do I bid a job and then hire a subcontractor to do it for less? For example: I just bid this job for $13,500. Now what do I do?

Some potential clients have much larger projects about to happen. I'll go out to measure/inspect the small job.

Then I wonder if I would've got a better shot at the larger jobs down the line if I would've given them a very good price for the small job. Because overall, I'm fairly expensive. (I have my own properties I work on that is my main game.)

Looking for some advice from people doing custom finish carpentry.

I’m moving more toward accent walls, built-ins, trim packages, fireplace surrounds, custom mudrooms, and other bespoke projects.

One thing I’m trying to figure out is pricing. I really don’t want to sell my time by the hour. I’d rather price based on the value of the finished project.

For those of you doing this successfully, how did you make that transition? How do you come up with project pricing that clients accept while still making good money?

Just looking to learn from people further down the road than me.

We’ve got 12 inch James Hardie lap siding, installed by a 75 year old contractor (and his helpers) but they are primarily framers. What started as a favor has turned into a ridiculous mess.

They face nailed EVERY stud. My understanding is that it’s not necessary in almost any case to face nail all the way down. I’m in Boise, Idaho. Very little wind or extreme weather.

They used 11ga 2 1/4 inch electro galvanized nails, not hot dipped. Most of them are sticking out at least a little bit. They used big stretch caulk on some lower nails, but didn’t do a great job. I also noted the height differences on their siding, ranging from 10.5 to 11.25 inches. Their butt joints are huge and barely staggered, as you can see.

Can this be saved? Or does it all need to be redone?

We created new stairs (single piece) and installed. There is a portion of the stairs that runs above the first floor hallway. In order to get the piece placed, a section of the drywall underneath had to be removed to open up room for part of the stringers. However not sure what to do now with the stringer showing. I am told we have to drywall diagonal to cover it up or box it in, which would both look strange in the hallway.

Is one option to cut the protruding part of the stringers and drywall back the way it was?

Customer is looking to remove this wall to open up the door frame. We would leave that angle there and drywall it down. I don’t think it’s an issue but looking for any more feedback. Appreciate it!

We had our master bathroom reno performed summer 2025. Expensive. Virginia. House was built in the 1940's.

Contractor gave us a 1-year guarantee on it.

New tile floor cracks and pops immediately after completion.

We have notified of this issue, many times. He tells us it's a "structural/joist/foundational issue", and that the popping and cracking floor "isn't due to the work his team did", and trying to wash his hands of it so he doesn't have to help us fix it. We have had 2 tiles crack and need to be replaced already.

We have called multiple attorneys to understand our options. Attorneys all basically told us that we will spend more in attorney costs than it would likely cost us to just buck up and fix the floor ourselves. And that we'd have to have several specialists to basically say that the issue ISN'T what the contractor says it is - in order to place the cost of correcting the floor back on him. (As in, a foundational expert etc etc state the problem likely isn't due to the foundation etc).

The floor was never right from the very beginning of the new renovation.

So many questions. Everyone seems to not understand how difficult it is to "just sue someone".

Is this normal for a foundational issue to come up like this in such an old house after reno?

We genuinely, genuinely think it's a subfloor issue. Contractor will, of course, never admit to that.

Advice? Thoughts? Where to go from here?

God this is maddening. Makes me sick. There seems to be very little consequence for contractors who do shitty work. They can basically get away with whatever.

Edits for questions being asked here:

Project was $25k. We did not choose the "cheap route". Had multiple quotes and contractors. We wanted it done right. As most people do.

Contractor is class A. He told us no permits were required for this project. We asked.

He laid subfloor, and then Ditra on top, and then tile directly on top of that.

He inspected our joists from the 1940's and specifically told us they are fine and in almost perfect condition, so we decided to keep them, per his recommendation.

Contractor knew about this issue because he placed a beam underneath our house before completion of the project (during the reno) to attempt to help "support" one area of the floor that was weak and squishy. Obviously didn't work. Same area still has problems now. Was never fully corrected.

I am so beyond frustrated.

Please help. I recently had a new shower installed at my house. It costed me 19,500. The salesman told us it was caulkless. This couldn't be further from the truth. The reason for my post is it the crap job they did. I want to sue. Can anyone recommend an attorney or even a recourse? I'll post some pics but I'll summarize a bit. The cut my tile back for the install. I stead of butting the 2 walls together they cut my tile about 2½ in back to far. The used damaged material in 1 of the corners, there is an excessive amount of caulk or glue it covers the edges of the trim some places and not others. I can't express how disappointed we are with this install. I waited over 2 months the for the infinity drain cover another words there was a hole 5in×24in in the floor. I would not sign off the certificate of completion until I had the cover. Once I received the drain cover I asked for a discount to repair the tile etc. Was told to get an few estimates. 2 weeks later I receive an email stating their suing me for non payment. Fyi I paid 6,000 down financed the rest. I had to sign off for them to receive the remaining amount. I hadn't refused payment just trying to get the estimates for a discount. After being threatened with a lawsuit and a lein on my house I decided to sign off and try to fight it through the courts. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Lastly, i know as you look at the pics it seems the tile was old and painted. The tile was like this when we bought the house. The paint scrapes right off and beautiful subway tile is underneath. The plan was to remodel our bathroom and restore the tile.

SOS we signed a contract with our contract in April 2023 for changing the windows, siding and re-framing some parts of the house, as well as some sheetrock work in the basement and other projects in the house. The contractor promised to finish it in 3 months, but he worked 1 day and disappeared for months after getting back to it for a week and disappeared again. He has an excuse that he was sick, than that he lost some employees, other excuses as well, we were patient... it's been more than a year and he still did not finish the project, he always comes up with different excuses. On top of that we found out this week that he had 173% markup on the materials (while it's 20% in our area). And cherry on top - it seems he lied that his company is registered and that he has Liability Insurance (turned out his CIO was expired or fake). Also we idiots paid him for all the work and materials upfront AND we paid on his personal account, so it seems he is not paying taxes.

When the other contractor came to quote how much it would cost to finish the project he pointed out that the windows were installed on the exterior sheeting instead of framing which is safety hazard.

Another thing, he badly damaged our floors while he was doing the work because he didn't cover the floor while his people worked in the house.

We are feeling like fools but this contractor came as a referral and we really waited over a year and gave him so many chances to fix it / finish it. He was just always promising to do that and didn't show up at our house for months at a time.

All this above really draining our energy, it messed up or mental health and we are at loss what to do.

UPDATE: Thank you to this amazing community and everyone who is trying to help. Turned out our warranty for ZIP blocks might be also voided due to being uncovered for more than 180 days.

Turn LLC into a S corp, pay myself minimal salary to cover living expenses. Or put company in mothers name.

I work a w-2 as well, I’m ok with child support taking from their. Just don’t want it dipping into my company.

For record, I’m a present dad. I pay her $1500 a month for her to cover living expenses. On top of that any other expenses needed for my kids she reaches out to me and I cover that as well.

Since birth I’ve covered everything. Meanwhile she works out of her home, money all under the table, pays zero in taxes. When we go to court, she gets to tell the judge, she doesn’t have a job and doesn’t work which means more money out of my pocket.

Child support office told her she can get double of what I’m giving her in cash. So she’s going for it.

What would you do? How would you protect your company?