A subcontractors perspective

[Benjamin Tighe]

I have been a flooring installer since 2000. I was a contactor from 2004 until 2018. In that time I worked primarily in residential but transitioned to commercial. I am still active in residential and am the "go to" guy for the residential projects my employer takes on. I have been listening to the podcast for weeks and have noticed a trend. My goal is to give the BP community some insight from a unique perspective. 

First off, I salute the women in RE and every industry as they have to deal with stereotypes and dumb **** that most of us men don't. That said, a common issue I have heard is complaints from women about how contractors treat them. Early in my career I learned that women (especially housewives) are a unique client. They required much more attention to detail, asked more questions, and overall, were much more demanding than the average customer. While I personally love the challenge of a "difficult customer", most guys would simply brush off communications or simply charge more for the challenge. When looking at a project, the scope of work is figured but the demands of the customer are also taken into account. If you come off as demanding or difficult to please, expect to pay more.

Aside from the "picky" housewife, the landlord was the next biggest pain in the *** I dealt with. The label "landlord" is automatically associated with "cheap ***". I know this doesn't pertain to everyone but, experience doesn't lie. I have worked in multi million dollar homes doing carpets that cost more than my annual income, as well as section 8 dumps where tenants kept cat feces in the freezer for some reason... I understand that investors may be working with very tight budgets ( I've worked for many landlords who are one bad month from bankruptcy) but many of them lack empathy. As a carpet layer I am sacrificing my body( I have knee and back issues) to provide the service you request. When someone tells me that the price I put my blood and sweat at is too high, I call into question their values. I have seen many DIY or rehabs done by property owners and while the work might pass, the quality is usually **** and anyone with a "trained" eye can see the flaws. Im sorry if this is you but I'd be rich if I got paid every time I told a DIY'er they did a decent job, knowing it was crap. You just can't learn 20 years of experience on YouTube. 

On the flip side, I have so much empathy for investors! I know how most contractors are and many landlords get screwed by the shady actions of tradesmen. I always tell my customers I am grateful that I don't have to hire people to perform work and PRAY they do it right! Construction is an industry that attracts people from all walks of life and there are many bad people out there.  

My biggest recommendation to everyone here is to vet your subs as much as possible and above all else, don't select based on price. There are too many scammers out there and a select few that have the integrity help you grow. 

I am a new member here, looking to transition from busting my *** to racking my brain! I have almost 20 years experience in construction, a community college education, and a passion for helping/teaching others. My resources are limited to what I know but I am willing to share what I know. I would love the opportunity to help others in the BP community as I know I have already gained invaluable knowledge from the forums and other resources. 

Benjamin