Hey, We Subcontractors Have Some Beefs, Too

Boy, have we subcontractors taken a beating in the Remodeler’s Diary!

I have never read so many derogatory comments on the specialty contractor’s character and work. So many writers have the “look-out-for-the-subcontractor” attitude. Please don’t lump us together with the flakes. Some of us work hard and take pride in honest work.

I immediately become suspicious of the “out of money, el cheapo” questions. So many times we have had a homeowner attempt to suggest, “Come on! How could it cost that much?!”

Or, take the general contractor who knows he’s out of money and strings you along, not for weeks, but months. One guy even took more than a year to pay me.

Another one?

Take the homeowners who thought they knew what they wanted, and once we had it in, had the nerve to ask us to dig it up and move it all around.

Here’s my Subcontractor’s Diary, subtitled “Wise-up Tips for Subs,” for whoever may be interested:

1--Look out for the “end-of-the-project job” when the cash has run low, and for the “you’re expected to do it for next to nothing” attitude. Learn to say no.

2--Watch for exhaustive questioning along the lines of “How do you do this?” or “What would you do here?” Mr. Do-It-Himself is getting an education.

3--Hope that Mr. or Mrs. Potential Client will notice that you dress decently and drive a clean, organized work truck. They just may trust you to work on their utopia.

4--Be leery when they recount their harrowing experiences with previous subs. They may next to impossible to please. And check with your subcontractor associates. We do talk to one another. You may be able to find out what your “maybe” client is like in advance.

5--Be careful when you get Jack Benny answers when it comes to prompt payment. So often it’s “Well!! So you wanna get paid? How do you like that!”

6--Learn how far “free estimates” should go. Hours of talking, calculating and typing up proposals don’t seem to mean anything to some people. Keep your free estimate to the point. If you’re dealing with good people, they should know you’re sincere and honest.

Most homeowners and remodelers are ignorant as to why we are licensed by the state in the first place. The license, the $5,000 bond and the insurance don’t say anything to some.

The next time Mr. Homeowner wants to cry over so many crooked and suspect subs, let him ask himself what it’s like to be on the other end, running a business.

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