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Thefishguy77

Thefishguy77

Part time dumbass
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
271
Messages
2,084
Loc
U.S.S.A. (Washington St.)
So Covid has all but killed my home inspection business, behind just under 50% for the year with my peak season ending the first week of November. That got me making calls and landed a job as a “new guy” on an old company I used to work for impersonating a carpenter. Love working for my lead great leadership and teamwork, but the owner leaves something to be desired. Lead suggested a plumber, mutual friend and her husband run a plumbing company and pay journeymen $120/hr. Apprenticeship is 3 years at 20 or 25/hr plus full bennies. We have enough socked away to weather the 3 year income drop Especially if there are benefits.

Beside the fact that you deal with other peoples shit a lot what are the draw backs if any? I am aware of the on call employee deal, have no problem with that. A consistent income is super important for a family and the current business owner is married with zero kids and no plans to have them so he is into his toys and that's his goal. It could put a rift in a very long friendship but I have to do whats best for the family. Construction gets spotty in the winter with his company and is fine with side hustles if they don’t interfere with work...

WWID?
 
I'd double check that. I'm sure he bills at $120/h but I can't believe he's paying his plumbers that.
 
Home sales slow in WA? Everything I've been told/read is that sales didn't slow down one bit. How did the inspection side take a hit?
 
Thefishguy77 said:
So Covid has all but killed my home inspection business, behind just under 50% for the year with my peak season ending the first week of November. That got me making calls and landed a job as a “new guy” on an old company I used to work for impersonating a carpenter. Love working for my lead great leadership and teamwork, but the owner leaves something to be desired. Lead suggested a plumber, mutual friend and her husband run a plumbing company and pay journeymen $120/hr. Apprenticeship is 3 years at 20 or 25/hr plus full bennies. We have enough socked away to weather the 3 year income drop Especially if there are benefits.

Beside the fact that you deal with other peoples shit a lot what are the draw backs if any? I am aware of the on call employee deal, have no problem with that. A consistent income is super important for a family and the current business owner is married with zero kids and no plans to have them so he is into his toys and that's his goal. It could put a rift in a very long friendship but I have to do whats best for the family. Construction gets spotty in the winter with his company and is fine with side hustles if they don’t interfere with work...

WWID?
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there is a group of PNW guys i met through KOH and one is a commercial plumber and seems to be doing quite well. not sure hes making 120/hr but i wouldnt doubt hes making $120k a year
 
With alot of overtime maybe $120k. But in the Puget Sound area, $120k isn't that great unless there's a decent second income. I wouldn't move back there for $120k.
 
What the other guys said. We just had a plumber come in a month or so ago and the company billed us at $115 an hr. A friend of mine is an electrician and he gets around $50/hr from his company so I would guess it's probably way closer to that.
 
Learn how to install and fix boilers. The rest is now drilling holes and pulling pex.
 
I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say he's not making $120/hr :flipoff2:​​​​​​

The only trade I know that makes that, like RusM said, union diver. Even then, they don't make that every day.

It's something like $50/hr until they get in the water, then $100/hr after that. Having worked with union divers for just 2 weeks, I'd be surprised if anyone on here is man enough for that job. It's no fucking joke dangerous every time you go down. Theres a million things that can kill you.
 
TRINDU said:
Home sales slow in WA? Everything I've been told/read is that sales didn't slow down one bit. How did the inspection side take a hit?
Click to expand...

Covid. And with a hot market waving contingency is what gets your offer accepted vs the next guy. That and all the liberal fucks are scared to get covid so often they are buying homes with a video tour only. And the market has definitely slowed. Its still hot but not on fire.
 
Thefishguy77 said:
Covid. And with a hot market waving contingency is what gets your offer accepted vs the next guy. That and all the liberal fucks are scared to get covid so often they are buying homes with a video tour only. And the market has definitely slowed. Its still hot but not on fire.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a new market to capitalize on. Streaming home inspections. Get word out through a few realtors, profit.
 
Ted_Kaczynski said:
With alot of overtime maybe $120k. But in the Puget Sound area, $120k isn't that great unless there's a decent second income. I wouldn't move back there for $120k.
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I live in east lewis county. Bailed form King 4+ years ago. I am already driving north to issaquah for work so driving doesnt matter. I am confirming the pay.

For reference, a local electrician (friend) tried to poach my lead. The union starts at about 35/hr plus tools supplied. They just dont have anyone up here willing to work. Everyone wants to be a computer hotshot. Hell, we pay 20/hr to get labor to show up on site. Warm sober body no tools or skills, just someone is is mostly sober and not afraid to work. The younger generation is that bad up here. Another electrical outfit we worked along side at a gig bills out at 220/hr and they are over a month out...
 
Thefishguy77 said:
I live in east lewis county. Bailed form King 4+ years ago. I am already driving north to issaquah for work so driving doesnt matter. I am confirming the pay.

For reference, a local electrician (friend) tried to poach my lead. The union starts at about 35/hr plus tools supplied. They just dont have anyone up here willing to work. Everyone wants to be a computer hotshot. Hell, we pay 20/hr to get labor to show up on site. Warm sober body no tools or skills, just someone is is mostly sober and not afraid to work. The younger generation is that bad up here. Another electrical outfit we worked along side at a gig bills out at 220/hr and they are over a month out...
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I just moved from Pierce county in 2017. Plumbers aren't making $120/hr.
 
I actually loth the job. People buy a house because they love it and there is nothing wrong with it in their mind. Then I come along and hit the with the reality that the 20+ year old wood house has issues that will cost money to fix. I fucking hate only giving bad news, I enjoyed it for a while but I was in a dark place at that time,..

edit: Video inspection only work if someone is not waving a contingency... at least half the home I hear of selling are zero contingency sales.
 
In my experience this is the hierarchy worker quality, (with apologies to Woody).

1. Fire sprinkler installers
2. Plumbers
3. Landscapers
4. That guy that wakes up, smokes a bowl then gets in his 1988 Chevy S10 pickup and comes to your house to fix the pool filtration system.
 
Ted_Kaczynski said:
I just moved from Pierce county in 2017. Plumbers aren't making $120/hr.
Click to expand...

This outfit apparently is...

edit: just checked in with an old buddy in pierce and he just made journeyman with a private shop and is 70/hr with full bennies and 2 weeks paid vacation.

2017 we were paying 12/hr for labor we cant get now for under 20/hr. Times change and stupid people love to spend money.
 
Thefishguy77 said:
I actually loth the job. People buy a house because they love it and there is nothing wrong with it in their mind. Then I come along and hit the with the reality that the 20+ year old wood house has issues that will cost money to fix. I fucking hate only giving bad news, I enjoyed it for a while but I was in a dark place at that time,..

edit: Video inspection only work if someone is not waving a contingency... at least half the home I hear of selling are zero contingency sales.
Click to expand...

Just think about it as you're doing then a favor by at least letting them know what they're getting into.
 
TRINDU said:
Home sales slow in WA? Everything I've been told/read is that sales didn't slow down one bit. How did the inspection side take a hit?
Click to expand...

Not WA but in CA we did just sell a house to someone from out of state for cash without a RE agent or any inspections for more than we were planning on listing with the agent we did talk to. Strange times...
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Just think about it as you're doing then a favor by at least letting them know what they're getting into.
Click to expand...

thats the only way I have been ok with it for about the last 4 years. Shit was starting to drag and with the covid BS I am looking at it as an opportunity vs a problem Doors have to close behind you before you can open new ones.

I am much happier working with my hands. I am a simple man.
 
Lil said:
I'll never go to work with/for a friend again!

It just doesn't work out.
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I knew better. He was begging me just as much as I needed a income. He tried to get me part time last fall at $30 and I had enough work to keep me happy with working part time and being a stay at home dad. I am not wired to be a stay at home dad and with distance learning the only way for school, its going to take a full time parent to make kids pay attention. We were always on the fence about public schools since we both had bad experiences and I went to one of the best districts in the state... So she is going to quit and be a stay at home mom and home school, along with like 10 other families in town. The school is mediocre at best and after they tried to fire the principal last year several parents basically said if he’s go e we are gone. Well he knowing his career is going to be on the line took a job running a nonprofit because, we are all working for tge money and hour employer tried to fire you for zero reason, cited budget issues and got proven a liar, then fuck it go for the money. So the elementary school will go back to shit again. Teachers are quietly pissed off.
 
Ted_Kaczynski said:
Sounds like a new market to capitalize on. Streaming home inspections. Get word out through a few realtors, profit.
Click to expand...
:lmao:
clean your house out real good and start selling meth trailers to idiots
"but but but the video inspection showed 3 bedrooms and a finished basement"
 
Holy crap 70 a hour for a journeyman what the fuck do they pay a master plumber? I have a master plumber card. In the state of wi a person with a bs in engineering can sit for the 6hr master plumber test. I can take tests like a mofo. Passed it in my first try ;).

I didn’t want the master card just a journeyman card to lay the pipe from the road to the house when dad digs the basements. The state told me it was master of nothing.

It’s kinda comical now my dad is apprenticing under me lol. I might need to sell the pits and put in a easy 40 for $70+ a hour.
 
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