If you are capable of managing the job, why would you want to pay two or three times as much to have a contractor do it? Do you really think there is much recourse against most small contractors if they botch your job? You probably find yourself at the end of a fairly long line if you sue.
Most contractors take down payments and draws that ensure they are covered if you don't pay them at the end. Lots of people give them a shitload of money and they go out of business without doing much of anything. There are always stories on the news about things like that. That is another reason why I always buy my own materials and pay for the labor as we go or in most cases when they are done. These are always people we know so there is a greater level of trust that the cash will be there when they finish. I have paid guys in increments if I knew they were working paycheck to paycheck. That was really only a thing during the lull after the housing crash when skilled trades were mowing lawns to pay the light bill. They were happy to have my job to work on and I was happy to pay them well for doing it. Cash was just another bonus to them.
It sounds to me like you don't know what you're talking about. Where did two or three times as much come in to the conversation? Try to focus.
I have not had much contract work done,but did come out very well on the cement pad for the garage.
Because the ground sloped about 4 feet there was a lot of work do be done. Cost was about $ 15,000. The company ws basically 2 men and another person or two they hired to lay some block. I asked them about how they wanted to be paid and they said just pay by check when the job is finished. It took about 3 weeks of off and on work due to weather and some of the work had to set up before more work could be done.
I had a painter to do about $ 5000 of work and he did about half the job and asked for half the money,then finished the job and asked for the remainder. He and his helper had a good reputation from several other people I know,so ws not worried about him and his work. I let him get the paint as he said he got a discount on it. I am not much of a painter and the last gallon I bought of good paint was about $ 20 over 10 years ago. It was about $ 70 now from what the painter said. He told me what he paid and showed me the bill,but I forgot the price.
On Thu, 1 Jul 2021 19:27:56 -0600, rbowman posted for all of us to digest...
Don't know any of them. We had Alterus when I was at the school, The boss said the board wanted all sorts of reports. I worked my ass off and set up queries. Never got asked to produce any reports. New boss comes in and same malarkey. The new boss portrayed himself as a db xspurt. I asked him to help me with a query. Complete failure. BS detector maxed out so I kept me spidey sense up. He just wanted to see if people were working. Another asshat who loved his buttlickers and set everyone else for failure.
After you build 100 houses or so I will pay attention to your expertise on US contractors.
I spent around $20k on my addition and about the same on my pool. Similar jobs around here have come in around $50k-$60k when it was contracted out. A lot of my neighbors had to abandon their addition because it exceeded the FEMA threshold of 50% of <tax> appraised value of their home (the down side of the SOH law) Maybe you have the focus problem.
That is another case where the owner buying the paint would save 6% in sales tax on the labor in Florida. "Parts and labor" is taxable for the whole nut. "Labor only" is tax free. It isn't cheating, it is just the way they wrote the law.
As an individual buying the paint I believe it would still cost me tax in NC. Even if I saved the 6% it may cost the painter 10 % less due to him buying in volume or a professional discount.
I don't know how it is now,but up to about 30 years ago my mother was a book keeper for an electrical supply store. They had several prices depending on who or how much someone bought from them.
I told you before, when it comes to bullshit, I bow to your mastery of the subject
You pay tax on the paint either way but the biggest part of the total cost is labor and if he buys the paint you pay tax on the labor plus the paint. That is the Florida tax law. It may not be the same anywhere else but I am not anywhere else.
From
The ?one drop of oil? rule uses the example of an oil change. If you bring your car to a mechanic and he examines your car, checks the engine, and checks the oil levels, he?s performed a pure labor service and no sales tax would be due. However, the second he adds ANY tangible personal property, even one single drop of oil, the ENTIRE transaction, including both oil and labor, becomes taxable."
No, I just didn't expect you to use your limited experience to declare some kind of a general rule.
That sounds as stupid as it does every time you post it.
Do you know someone who didn't save a shitload of money building "Owner builder" or is it that you just don't know anyone with that skill set.
What I objected to was you using your limited experience to make a general rule.
What are you using to make a general rule? It doesn't sound like you have ever built anything.
Did I make a general rule? No, I did not. That was you, and like I said, what I objected to was you using your limited experience to make a general rule.
I was relating my experience. I never said it was a "general rule".
This is the quote "OK maybe you don't know what you are looking at while they are doing the work. I am going to be there at every step and I buy the materials. I know what I am looking at".
Are you saying I am specially gifted? I will accept that.
That's not the quote. This is the quote:
Sound familiar? Neither of us is trimming, so it's still up there if you need to see where you got confused.
What part of "if you are capable of managing the job" confuses you?
It is clear you just want to argue.
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