Do What Ya gotta Do!

sageadvice

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LAST EDITED ON Aug-03-09 AT 10:55PM (MST)[p]My little plumbing business is off 30-40% of normal this year after 4 years of being on my own. I took a Prevailing Wage job today for Commercial Plumbing outfit who are doing a total retro re-plumb on our local High School Kitchen, Gym, and locker rooms. Most of the underfloor is done, it's only 2-3 weeks work i'm told but hey, it's work and it's more than i've been bringing in otherwise.

Like i said, Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do...

Joey
 
well......I'd much rather see a qualified plumber rake in the endless state money than the $32 an hour broome jockey's on those prevailing wage jobs.....



great post/pic, thanks for sharing

JB
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My electrical business is pretty off too this year. I have 40% of the employees I once had, and that number is about to fall too. When it first started tapering off, I was kind of glad because we were bustin' balls for so long that I needed a break, but now I'm regreting being glad. If it don't change soon, I'm going to have to go cash in all my clunkers :)



Piper, how's your period?

Zigga, don't forget the knee pads!

Hdude, Lil' Jimmy wants his share!
 
Thanks 13er, i guess?? I've done this kinda work in the past. It's not bad at all but way different that the production, tract home then nice custom residential stuff i was trained on. I agree that there can really be some chumps who show up and get paid for nearly nothing. At times, these bigger guys just need bodies on the job to make a show of getting things done. The pay for us is $53.hr

Joey
 
I'm working on a couple of schools myself. Crunch time before school starts. 14 hr days ,7 days week for about a month. I laugh at the other trades when they look a me funny when i work thru their lunch time.
Not as pleased doing a state job ,but like you said,you gotta do what you gotta do...it makes me sick to see guys show up for a paycheck
 
"..it makes me sick to see guys show up for a paycheck"

Good for you N Driver, it beats not being able to pay the bills on time.

Yep!! Back before i went on my own, i actually ran some commercial work for my long time employer. As i said, sometimes he needed bodies yet because they didn't earn their keep and cost "my company" money, i wanted to fire some of the lame bums so bad... Some of them could actually accomplish minus work for the day. How the heck a guy can get 8 hours and do that must be some kinda trade secret but they did it.

This job will just be an old foreman buddy i used to work with and me. There will be no messing around, we have plenty to get done, not enough time to do it i fear, and just us two the way it looks.

Joey
 
Joey,

Hope things turn around for your business soon. Nobody needs that kind of stress.

Mark
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My hunting spot is so secret, not even the elk have found it yet.
 
Go get em Sage! They are fortunate to have you working on their job. Keep your wits about you things will work out in time. Keep those pants up there fella cuz we don't need any crack shots on a school job! :) Hang in there CA
 
Joey, Sounds like a nice little boost before the trip to Wyoming, I know it makes a hunting trip a little more enjoyable when you have a few bucks in the bank :)

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
 
Thank You Guys!! Spot on!

Today liked to kill me off but i now feel pretty good after a cool shower and reflecting on some nice complements from my leadman on what we got done today. If he's happy, i'm happy.

Joey
 
My Framing business has been down 30-40% for the last two years, so I definitely know how you are feeling! Luckily I have zero personal debt other than my house, which is only $800 a month. The last two years I've sat home from Jan 1 until mid-end March with no work, and we still have been just fine.

Things are looking up right now, at least for a little while, I actually hired a few guys this year!


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Joey who know's that job could lead to another. Sounds like the wage and timming is good. Work hard then hunt!!!!!!!!

SAY NO TO CRACK LOL!!!!!!!
 
Rugarm, Kinda funny how you and Boskee mentioned butt cracks in relation to my plumbing business. Reminds me of years ago when i first mentioned to my Mother that i was working as a plumbers helper and was thinking of staying in that trade as i liked what i was doing.

Mom's a big gal and i'm, well, i'm bigger than your average bear for sure, So Mom doesn't miss a beat, comes right back with, "Well, you certainly got the a$$ for it!"

What's a guy gonna say to that? :)

Joey
 
LOL Sage, that's pretty funny.

I work in the high tech industry and for years it's been going off shore, India, Turkey...Russia of all places.

It's gotten so bad I found myself getting depressed so I phoned a suicide hotline and got a call center in Afgahanistan !!!

To top it off I told the guy I was thinking of blowing myself up.

He got all excited and asked if I knew how to drive a truck...
 
That's funny Sage! hats off to your mom for having a good sense of humor.

Edie that's a funny joke!!
 
Joey, there are lots of plumber jokes out there, but the reality is that plumbers have saved more lives than all doctors combined.

Now get back to work!:)

Eel
 
sage , i hope you didnt think i was referring to you,buddy. I can only speak for the guys that show up to some of the jobs i've been on . Pisses me off when its crunch time and someone demands a break every few hrs and then drops their tools at 3:30 and leaves you hangin...
By the way i love plumbers. I'm installing toilet partitions on one job, solo. (62 toilets) If the plumbers arnt working , i'm not working.
 
Plumbers only have to know three things.

1-Payday's Friday

2-Shlt rolls downhill

3- don't bite your fingernails

And your Mom is really funny
 
WRONG APEX!!!

PAYDAY AIN'T ALWAYS ON FRIDAY!!!

HAVE SEEN A FEW TRY & RUN IT UP HILL!!!



SOMTIMES TO GET IN ON A PISSCUTTER IT TAKES SOME STEALTH!!!
I THANK MY FRIEND Feleno FOR THE STEALTH CAMO!!!

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REMEMBER!!!

THERE'S ONLY ONE bobcat!!!
 
Well gang, day number 2 was easier on me than day number 1. I still had some go left in me when the man came to get me to roll up. I'm liking it.

257Tony, Glad to hear that things are picking up for you. Winter is what kills my thing. It's just not a long enough work season to pay all the fees, licenses, and insurances, plus pay back any needed funds from the previous winter and save enough to get through the next... just as it goes doing business in Cali i suppose...

Rugarm, more work? Tell you the truth...i'd love to work a lot more with these guys and may off and on but they're from 85-100 miles away, down in the valley, and i don't know that i could handle being full time off the mountain, plus the travel thing. We'll see!

I've already booked two nice sized jobs for when these guys cut me loose. Setting the finish in a nice remote cabin and a large top-out remodel, master addition, and mechanical rm swap out. These new bookings are willing to wait, said the end of the month or so will be fine.

Edlebrock, Good one! yer killen me! :)

Boskee, As Always, your comments and advice is much appreciated!

Naildriver, Sounds like you can flat get it done! I never leave my boss hanging and hate it when my crew does it to me. Now, 14 hr days, 7 days a week? That's nuts!! no offense, :), but i'd be in the nut house with that kind of schedule. I put in those kinda hrs at times, but not all busting tail. We're good bud!

Apex, Payday?... for me is when the check that was mailed finally shops up 3-4 weeks later. Cash flow is all i can ask for!

##### rolls downhill,... if you ever studied and learned behind a good plumber, you'd never say that again! :)

Don't bite the nails?...I'll throw in with you on that one!!

Bobcatbess, You and me both probably seen some contraptions and configurations people put together in the name of a plumbing system! It's easy they say! Right! :)

Well guys, had no idea there would be this much support on what i figured was a pretty boring topic...I Thank You All!

Joey
 

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