.#3 Contact Local Contractors for Labor PricingCall local Subcontractors and get budget pricing for common repairs on your typical rehab project.For example, call a roofer and ask what their average cost per Square of Architectural Asphalt Shingle Roofing would be on a 1,500 sf house, with a 6/12 pitch.Note: Some contractors will be reluctant to share pricing without seeing the property, but tell them you are just looking for a rough budget number you can use on future projects.#4 Compile Your Prices into a Spreadsheet or Estimating SoftwareOnce you start to get a better understanding of Labor and Material costs you will want to store this data into a spreadsheet or software that you can use to help you streamline the estimating process.The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs comes with a spreadsheet that you can use to help you populate your own database of labor pricing and material pricing.

I have a lady friend that was scammed out of $4 grand with a roofer who wanted $$ upfront.

Another friend needs to renovate his house but can't get anyone to do it, it's brutal.Plumbers, roofers, lawncare, there's no one available to do this work bc there's waaayyyy too many Airbnbs for the local labor market to support.Not to mention the dire shortage of cleaners and handymen.

However, a licensed professional is still necessary for some tasks (plumber, electrician, roofer, etc.)After years of frustration with licensed contractors, we now use handymen when possible and licensed people only where needed.

So in Indiana that means if you paid the roofer $10k.

My brother is a roofer/sider and my other brother is a healthy younger carpenter/mason.

Are you looking for a General Contractor who'll provide you with one stop service or are you looking to be able to hire contractors who provide a specific function such as a plumber, electrician, roofer, etc?

Hire a roofer for the exterior, plumber for the plumbing, and then good luck finding someone to do the ceiling as the only task.

For example, in Florida, I contract to have a roof installed; a Notice of Commencement is recorded in the public records; the roof is installed but I fail to pay the roofer; I sell the property to third party; the roofer files a mechanic's lien. 

We are zoned R4 and have a commercial roofer right behind us and commercial buildings across the road.