Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Somebody forgot to tell a whole generation there is no instant gratification. Some things in life still take more than clicking a button to get what you want. Some things can't be tracked. And sometimes, Lord have mercy, we can't get what we want. Ask Mick Jagger :cool:

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I said I wasn’t going to pick up any more wood this fall . I guess it’s just like saying no more trucks . Two loads of black cherry had to use the little trailer as the dump and Dodge are both full of split wood .

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Good firewood is hard to turn down when it finds you. They say it's supposed to get cold this winter :lol:

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

What did I do today??

Well I was going to try to get my S10 running. That didn't happen. But I did think about working on it. That's something. So I did that. I thought about it. Then I took a nap.

I talked with my lawyer. That was fun and it only cost me 90 bucks. :rolleyes:

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Sorry to hear that. Always tell people to never pay someone up front for a job. 10% to 20% max. Not even a friend, I will not take any more than that. Always stay on the back end of the work that has been done. Hope he comes through for you.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Not me. I take 30% down for any job I write a proposal for or unwritten job I'm supplying hundreds of dollars of materials to. There's a thing known as protecting ourselves from rip-off homeowners. Contractors are people, same as homeowners, and should be judged the same. And when I am the financier I am the one who sets the terms. There is no shortage of homeowners wanting the work we do for free.

Here in MD we are allowed to take up to 30% down and that's what I do. That's 30% prior to commencement. As soon as I drop equipment or materials or drive a nail the job has commenced and we are entitled to any amount. So, if no 30% deposit taken, the day I drop materials I am entitle to ask for over 30%. I never do. I take 30% up front, 30% at a pre-established halfway point, and final upon completion.

I also tell people not to pay for a job up front and won't accept pay before commencing. A deposit is to finance (usually partially) the job, not my paycheck. I'm not a financial institution. I invest in tools :cool:

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Good luck with that. The contractor is going to want at least enough to cover materials.
Around here its pretty common for a contractor to want 1/2 down & half on completion.

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Since I had the saws out I cut up some of the logs I had .

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I've never been askeert of work. I can lay down, rat next to it, and go to sleep.

LOL!

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$90? Lucky dog. We're having to evict the renters who haven't paid rent in six months. On top of the lost revenue, it's costing us thousands in legal fees. Should have sold the place to begin with, was my call. We're looking to sell now, and the moochers had the nerve to say the new owners could rent it to them. :crazy:
:mad:

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People tend to suck.
When they don't I am pleasantly surprised.

I do all commercial work. Never get a dime up front. Often I am completely done before getting anything.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I manufacture equipment for the plastics industry. Orders approaching $ 7,500.00 I get 50% down, Balance Net 30....unless i know the customer pretty well. Then Just Net 30.

Orders over $ 20K, it's 50% Down, 45% at Ship Balance Net 30.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I’m in the same boat as you except the majority of my work is residential. I often don’t bill until I’m done and even then, it’s typically a week or two later. In 21 years, I’ve never been burned- yet:)

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90 bucks for 4 minutes? I've known hookers that gave better deals than that. :lol:

I know what you mean about renters. My wife wants to retire. We have the house in San Dimas rented to her cousin. The money from that house is her retirement. For 6 years we have charged him half of what we could get for it for that place. Now he's mad that she's selling it and he's dragging his azz. The trouble is that the housing prices are going down. The longer he takes the less it's worth. It's gone down about 25K since this started. He should be happy that he rode the gravy train as long as he did but he doesn't see it that way.

And don't get me started with my brother. He lives in my mom's house. I own 3/4 of that house and he owns 1/4 (long story) But he owns just enough to keep me from selling it. He doesn't want to move. He pays no rent. He won't buy me out either. He just hires a lawyer instead so I had to do the same. This has been going on for over a year. We don't speak to each other. Our lawyers do. I'll never speak to either of them again.

Never deal with family. (especially mine :rolleyes: ) It just a bad idea. I tried to be nice but that didn't cut it.

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A very wise man said friends and family will take advantage of you long before a stranger will. It's pretty much always bad bidnezz financially dealing with family.

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Truth!

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Yeah I should have known. But I try to be nice and help when I can. and it just ends up blowing up in my face. Never again.

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Pulled the motor!
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Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I pulled my finger. My wife got mad and called me a bad name. :lol:

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:lol: The dad with the most cred ever told his kid to pull his finger at 4:30 AM on January 17th, 1994. (The Northridge earthquake, for you non-California folks). I don't need a finger pulled. My son's beagle/dachshund mix can drive people out of the room without my help.

After I had my (ruptured) appendix removed in '74, my insides were pretty rotten for awhile (like they've improved). I ripped one off at my sister's house in Idaho in the dead of winter, and they opened the windows when it was below freezing to get the stench out...a personal best. :lol:

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Mine smell like roses. And if you don't believe me come over and pull my finger.

If I cut one my dog looks at me like "You're not blaming me again buddy'. :lol:

Today I lit my mouth on fire or should I say my wife did. She brought home some tamales I'm not sure what chiles that they put in these things but they were angry little guys. WHOA!!! :eek: They were really good but they packed a punch. I was seeing dead relatives with smoke coming out of my ears.

I have some left. They'll be my lunch tomorrow. Bring on the pain!:metal:

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

You may want to fasten your seat belt when you go to the toilet next. ;)

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That's how new construction is. That's mostly what I did until '07. No money upfront. That's business to business. Business to homeowner is another world. Homeowners are highly protected by law from the contractor. The contractor has little to no protection from the homeowner. If a bad deal goes to arbitration, it overwhelming goes in favor of the homeowner. That same system allows us to take 30%. No brainer.

Subcontracting siding supply and installation from builders I never got the first penny till weeks or months later (or not at all). I'd have to walk away from builders who wanted me to start house #2 before being paid for house #1. I had one say, "I'm a small builder, I can't operate that way". My reply, "I'm a small contractor, not a finance company".

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I've been working on the summer Kitchen since the sawmill got my lumber made.
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But then in business it's not what you know it's who you know. Most of the successful home improvement contractors I know have gotten to where they are by working for family and friends... and friends of family and friends. Who you know can be a financial or other business connection, but for most of us who we know are friends and family. The key to a good turnout on working for homeowners is communication. Whether written contract or verbal. I make sure my work is well defined, leave nothing assumed. I make sure they understand the extent of the scope and have that to refer back to if there is any misunderstanding. I think the whole "never work for family or friends" thing comes out of people being familiar with each other and leaving a lot to be assumed. The guys I know who say they don't do work for family or friends are not totally honest. It would be a smart move for a dishonest person to not work within the circle of family and friends. If they do, they won't be for long.

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Little over 3 cord of wood in the basement . Need 3 more to be safe I hate going out in the cold and bringing in frozen wood .