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Originally Posted by 4X4
Sorry, man. I think you don't understand construction contract work. The cost of crown moulding can be a buck a foot, or it can be 20. That doesn't really matter too much when you're looking at whether it's being installed around the perimeter of a gymnasium, or into an early 1900s house with 12 different rooms. Linear feet is not always the way to measure.
Tools aren't free, and neither is skill. For that matter, skill isn't cheap.
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I am kind of aware of that considering it was my father's profession for over 25 years and mine for almost 8
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I'm not trying to say that there are no con artists in the contracting business. I'm just saying that your insinuation that many or most contractors are way over charging is BS. I bet I could walk into the house you're finishing (are you clear on what that word means), and tell you that an amateur did it, as opposed to one finished by an actual carpenter. Same goes for a basement framed by some guy that went to a Home Depot DIY Saturday, or a taped and mudded rumpus room.
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I am working with my father, who was instructing me on the correct procedures on how to do things that I hadn't prior, like landscaping with proper drainage, or plumbing etc, and him being a pro at it with decades of experience, and working with me, I'd assume that it would be considered pro work, not amateur hour. Also, when you're getting "quoted" a price and the guys quoting it are laughing at what they are charging, that tells me it's a little ridiculous. The example I shared with the moulding was for a square room with 12 total cuts (all ends) (it was actually a 13 X 20 room with 9 ft ceilings and was quoted $25 a foot to install without materials. )
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It's all fine, if you, the homeowner is ok with an amateur job. I've been known to paint my own vehicles, and I feel no shame. It's just a matter of whether you want it done properly, or if 'good enough' is good enough. I wonder how good an electrical job needs to be to be good enough.
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Yep, and electrical work is the only one that I'd personally pay for, and even then I'd assist with running the cable. I'm not saying that everyone is a crook and ripping people off, it's just unfortunately more common than not in my experience. Some times it's a few hundred bucks, sometimes it's a lot more. There are great guys that do quality work and charge appropriately. Those are the types that I try to suggest to clients if they ask for it.
It's a frustrating industry at times because there are no standards like in other industries. I believe that you should go to "builder's school" and have to actually pass before being able to begin working, just like a normal degree, instead of "you have hands, here's a tool get to work"
It would also help to get rid of the "bad" that is prevalent.
The main reason why I don't do contracting myself, and I could, is that I find it boring and monotonous, and I'd rather do anything else. At least the decorating has challenges and is fun.