Home improvement scams often target older adults, and homeowners can protect themselves by following these practices:
- Block calls from home improvement companies by adding their numbers to your phone’s block list or using a call-blocking app.
- Register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce unwanted calls.
- Be cautious of contractors who knock on your door looking for business because they are “in the area”.
- Scammers may claim they have materials left over from a previous job, pressure you for an immediate decision, or ask for payment upfront (usually cash).
To avoid contracting and home repair scams, it is important to research contractors on Google and social media, research them on Google and social media, and report contractor fraud by calling toll-free 800-225-5342 or TTY 800-877-8339.
To choose the right contractor, insist on a written contract and ask about anything. With the recent housing boom, many older properties are fly-off-the-market, requiring extensive renovations. Stay alert to home repair scams by getting referrals, asking contractors for references, reading all contracts meticulously, and only hiring professionals who provide proof of their license.
To avoid telemarketing calls, register your number on the Do Not Call List and ask for recommendations from trusted individuals. Consider only licensed and insured contractors and get contractor recommendations from people you know and trust.
To protect your business from spam calls, consider using spam call blocking apps. If your business primarily uses cell phones, you can protect them from spam calls with spam call blocking apps.
In conclusion, it is crucial for homeowners to find a trustworthy contractor with a good reputation to avoid contracting and home repair scams.
📹 Why Contractors Won’t Return Your Calls
It’s the age of DIY. There’s labor shortages, material delays, inflation and rising real estate costs across the board. But it’s not the …
How do I turn off HomeAdvisor?
To turn off HomeAdvisor leads in mHelpDesk, users can do so through the HomeAdvisor website, using the Pro mobile app, or calling HomeAdvisor directly. To access the website, log into your account at http://pro. homeadvisor. com. Click on the Lead Center button at the top of the page and select the Manage Lead Flow option. If leads are on, you can choose a date in the Pause Leads On* field to turn them off immediately. If you choose a future date, the leads will remain on until 12:01 AM MDT.
If you need to turn off leads for longer than the 14 days allowed on the homepage, you can proceed with the 14-day pause on the website and contact HomeAdvisor at 877-947-3676 to arrange an extension.
HomeAdvisor’s mobile app for iPhones and Android smartphones also allows users to turn off leads. When turned off in the app, leads are immediately paused and automatically resume the day after the next.
Is it better to ignore or decline spam calls?
Ignoring spam calls is generally better as it alerts the spammer that your phone number is active, prompting them to call again. If using a call-blocking tool, it is advised not to answer spam calls. Answering spam calls can lead to more calls in the future, potentially causing loss of funds, identity theft, or legal issues, especially if the call is fraudulent. On average, Americans receive 3 to 4 spam calls a day, but the rate varies greatly across countries.
Ofcom data shows that 3 of people surveyed receive a suspicious text message daily, 6 receive a suspicious call daily, and 23 receive at least one suspicious call per month. Despite being common, spam calls can be disruptive and harmful, so it is best to block them.
How to report harassing phone calls?
The website DoNotCall. gov is accessible via the Internet, and individuals may make phone calls to 1-888-382-1222 or 1-866-290-4236.
How do I stop a company from contacting me?
To reduce nuisance calls, register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) for free. This service adds you to a list of numbers not to receive sales and marketing calls. It’s illegal for salespeople from the UK or overseas to call registered numbers. Registration doesn’t stop automated marketing calls, as the law only applies to people. Talk to your telephone provider about how to stop these calls. Additionally, reporting scams is essential.
How do I block unwanted calls automatically?
In order to enable Caller ID and spam protection on an Android device, it is first necessary to open the Phone application, then tap the three-dot icon and select Settings. In the Assistive Settings menu, select the Caller ID and Spam option. To enable the display of caller and spam identification and to filter out unwanted calls, navigate to the appropriate section on the screen and select the relevant option.
How do you get a company to stop calling you?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is addressing unwanted calls, including illegal and spoofed robocalls, as a top consumer complaint and protection priority. To register your numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, call 1-888-382-1222 (voice) or 1-866-290-4236 (TTY) from the phone number you wish to register. You can also add your personal wireless phone number to the national Do-Not-Call list donotcall. gov.
The FCC is working to crack down on illegal calls through various methods, including a consumer guide on Call Blocking Tools and Resources. If you believe you have received an illegal call or text, or suspect you are a victim of a spoofing scam, you can file a complaint with the FCC.
How do I stop unwanted company calls?
To prevent unwanted marketing calls and messages, it is recommended that the DND (Do Not Disturb) feature be enabled on the default messaging application on one’s mobile device. To initiate the process, open the aforementioned application, create a new message, and enter the text “FULLY BLOCK” in capital letters. This message should then be sent to the toll-free number 1909. Notwithstanding the efforts of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), these messages continue to be a persistent problem. It is recommended that users of networks such as Jio and Airtel activate this feature.
How do I stop all nuisance calls?
To reduce nuisance calls, register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) for free. This service adds you to a list of numbers not to receive sales and marketing calls. It’s illegal for salespeople from the UK or overseas to call registered numbers. Registration doesn’t stop automated marketing calls, as the law only applies to people. Talk to your telephone provider about how to stop these calls. Additionally, reporting scams is essential.
Can you tell a company to stop calling you?
To report a company that doesn’t honor your do not call request, use the contact form at DoNotCall. gov or contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 877-382-4357. If you suspect a scam, report the company or organization to ReportFraud. FTC. gov. Additionally, download third-party call-blocking apps that aggregate data from the FTC, users, and other sources to identify scams and unwanted calls before they reach your phone. Some apps are free, while others may cost a small fee.
How do I stop harassment calls?
In order to prevent an individual from contacting you via telephone or text message, you may contact your telecommunications service provider and request that they block a specific telephone number. Inquire with your telecommunications provider regarding the procedure for implementing this measure.
How do you professionally say stop calling me?
To address a persistent harassing phone call, you can express your dissatisfaction with the frequency of calls and your decision to stop answering them. If you want to avoid further communication, you can state that you have repeatedly asked the person to stop calling. If the frequency becomes abusive, you may need to block the number or screen calls using caller ID. If the person continues to attempt to contact you through other means, they may be stalking you and you should report them to the police. This will help maintain a healthy relationship and prevent further harassment.
📹 Four Mistakes Builders & Home Improvement Contractors Make During Tough Economic Times
Welcome to Contractor Fight TV, the Ultimate Resource for Becoming an Uncommon Contractor! Ready to check out our …
As a 14 year union carpenter i can attest Jeff is right on. 99% of what Jeff shows in his articles are spot on and honestly more likely to be done correctly compared to some reno people. Most of the things can be done yourself, get some tools and make mistakes. At the end of the day fixing a mistake is still cheaper than paying the market value for labor. I would say the 4th answer to Jeffs board is to ask around, ask your friends, ask facebook. Someone in your area has a connect with a carpenter like myself who for friends n family will come out and do a job or at minimum give you good pointers/advice on how to do a job yourself, its invaluable. Have confidence you can do it! Cheers Jeff!
Thank you for all your effort, Jeff! Me and my wife bought our first place last year, I started to renovate it, we will move in in about 2 months. I am so proud of what I’ve done with the place, gives me joy to be there. I did everything: bathroom, kitchen, drywall, electricals, plumbing. Everything. And I learned all of that here! Thank you again!
i got a comp sci degree but had dad and an uncle who taught me carpentry and renovations for as long as i can remember. what’s missing is the engaged educational experiences for all the teens and we need to recover that with the next generation of parents learning how to do it, getting into it, and passing the skills down.
I tried for a year to get someone to renovate my house, it was going to be super expensive but I just wanted it done. Couldn’t get anyone to show up so I’m doing it myself. I’ve built walls, moved doors, installed floors, added lighting – I’ve saved SO much money, learned a lot and I’ve gained about 20 lbs of muscle lol. This website has been so valuable during my renovation, thank you so much for the help!
Use all this info to hire your own people for the renovation. This website already teaches you what everything should look like from framing to electrical. Provide the tools and materials and you’re all set. It’s basically a crash course to being a contractor. It’s still sort of DIY, but less physical hands on. Thanks Jeff for all this info, we are learning from a great mind.
You’re kind of like the ChrisFix of houses. Thank you for making every project feel “comfortable.” Anyone competent can make their craft look easy, but you have to be a good teacher to make it feel approachable. I’m putting in a MIL suite in my mom’s basement with kitchen and shower. Going to do the plumbing soon. Wish me luck!
I like the point about you being the best contractor for yourself. It is so much more satisfying to take time and do it yourself, I learned a lot and am 100% satistfied with the decisions I got to make. I know if I got a contractor / tradeperson in I would have had to compramise and potentially redo some work to fit my vision.
One of my first articles I’ve watched of your is how to paint better interior walls cutting in etc, and was excellent, this article in particular has been such an eye opener and grateful for the explanation as I’m in midst renovation with contractor frustrations despite attempt to be as patient and a good customer as we can. Always one to want to understand the other side, this is informative and helpful. Excellent vid as always.
Hey Jeff. I live in Ottawa and have learned a ton by perusal your website. Recently I bought a new home only to discover that there was significant water damage under the front door that had caused a rim joist to rot. Due to the lack of contractors available, and inspired by perusal websites like yours, I removed the front step with a jackhammer, cleared out the rotten wood in the basement, and treated the mold. Prior to this I’ve never tackled something of this scale. Unfortunately, replacing the joist is not something I can tackle myself. I’ll try out the tips you’ve provided in this article, but if you happen to know anyone that could help in the Ottawa area, then please let me know!
I bought my first house 3 years ago, and it needed a lot of renovations. I found this website and binge watched just about everything. I learned a lot, but more importantly it gave me the confidence that I could do a lot of the work myself instead of hiring someone all the time. I’ve been taking on bigger and bigger projects over time, and renovating parts of my house has become sort of a hobby. I’m in the middle of my latest project which is fully gutting a bathroom and changing the layout. It involves just about all the skills: demolition, framing, plumbing (including redoing DWV under concrete), electrical, drywall, tile setting, painting, trim. All this to say: thanks Jeff! If it weren’t for your website, I might be the guy waiting 2-5 years and paying top dollar to get my bathroom renovated.
i quoted my neighbor 11-15G for a wash room reno depending on finishes and time line max 2 weeks. He said it was to much and will look around, heard him this weekend grinding tile for 6H. I’m all for DIY but I’m not dumb your time is still worth something and to save 2G maybe that is it worth it to do it your self?Thank you your articles changed a lot for me, got me to reno a 2nd house and that got me into renos as a second job
When I need a small job done that isn’t urgent I like to tell contractors to just fit me in whenever they have some down time or they have a job fall through. So far it has worked well for me. Last time I used that approach, I didn’t hear anything for a few weeks and then all of a sudden got a call at 8 pm one evening saying he was ready to go the next morning lol. Didn’t bother me at all – I was just happy to get the work done!
You are correct. I am going to learn how to do it myself. Thank you for your articles. I bought a house on a an island off the coast of maine where contractors are highly sought after- only multi-millionaires seem to be able to get them. So I’ll do it myself like you are saying. I figure if I can learn how to do anesthesia and psychiatry- I should be able to figure this out with enough dedication and hard work. Thank you.
Also funny you nailed me. I won’t return your call right now because I’m renovating my duplex just like you said. I am using my savings for materials and regular bills. I allowed myself 3 months of time and I’m pretty much on schedule. When I’m done, I will refinance, buy a spot a little ways out of the city, and rent both of these units I’m working on now. These 2 units will easily pay its own mortgage and the mortgage of the place I’m going to buy. Then I plan on doing it all over again. So ya, it’s going to be awhile before I answer any calls. I will cherry pick a few jobs here and there, but I’ll make a killing on those. You’re pretty much spot on with this article.
This is basically what I’m going through with my dad’s 1968 mobile home right now. It’s in a terrible state and in another 5 years it would’ve been unsalvageable. Mostly I do everything myself. I was lucky a few years back to get an electrician to come out in ’19 and redo the pole wiring. Since then, anything I’ve needed help with, I haven’t gotten it. I advertised for someone to come help me put in a single slider window cause I’d enver done one before and the only guy who called me back said he could come out in September. (It was June.) So… i thanked him for his time, applied the grit and did it myself. Again.
Man, this is so true! I’ve been waiting on a contractor to do the framing and drywall in my bedroom for about a year and a half. It’s a kinda small project but I really wanted this guy because he does great work. But it’s taking so long that I have nearly done all the work myself DIY. I really wanted to give him my business but he’s either been booked or not interested in my project. But unfortunately, I can’t wait much longer. I really need to be back in my bedroom. so I can get started on the rest of the house. I really have had a hard time finding another contractor because I wanted just a handyman but none of them will really respond. The ones that do I always find out they actually work for a company with many employees and that usually means they want ya to get financing which I don’t want to do.
For those of you on the edge of considering DIY, go for it! We completely gutted and redid an old house. Hired a carpenter for major building, an electrician to rewire, an HVAC guy, and a friend to put in carpet because he had the tools. Everything else, we watched Jeff and did what he told us to do. We did wall demo, plumbing, insulation, drywall, trim, paint, put in lamps, tiled floors, and did a complete replacement of the bathroom. The value we built was phenomenal, we have all the tools we need to maintain the home, and we k ow how to fix stuff because we built it. You can do it and this website is a reliable source of how to information.
I’m a contractor in Toronto. I only work referrals and repeat customers, I have a Google page and homestars, yelp etc. Just to make my business look better, but if anyone calls me that I don’t know I won’t respond. Too busy and too many cheap/crazy people Usually referrals from existing customers are good customers So if I get an email or message saying hey I’m a friend of so and so then they’ll get a response from me everytime, and I’ll prioritize them if it’s a referral from a high end customer cause usually they refer you to other high end customers
The “flips” today are not quality renovations. You are better off building a new home from scratch than discovering what a bunch of hacks did to a cheap foreclosure where they try to save every nickle by cutting corners. I won’t even look at buying a home anymore that was owned by an, LLC. I agree with Jeff on this… fix your own home, most of the contractors want to be in and out and never bother to learn new products, techniques, etc. Nobody cares about your reno as much as you will.
What a timely article. I just had a walk in shower installed to replace an original one piece fiberglass tub/shower in my condo. Overall, they did a great job but internally, they lack communications between the salesmen and the actual installers. Because I live in a condo, I told them three time, three different people, I did not want sharkbite connection between copper and PEX. I have no problem with PEX but am concerned with sharkbite fittings in a condo common wall. On top of that, they arrived after a long wait, with the wrong pattern for the walls! The first installers could do PEX but didn’t know how to solder on the copper to PEX connector??????? The second “special” installer that could do soldering, couldn’t do PEX installations so completed the job doing all copper. WTF???????????????????? Edit: The first installers said that they weren’t completely comfortable using solder but could do the job. They just didn’t have the copper to PEX union and soldering equipment. I called their bluff and pulled out my map gas torch, solder and flux. I also told them that Home Depot and Lowe’s are right down the street. Oh the excuses came flying.
Body. This is so funny. I thought you were talking about me. I have been in the business as a contractor for more than 25 years as renovator and new construction and what you are saying is so true. But I will give you one more thing you did not mention in your good article why most of the contractors won’t pick up the phone: In my case in these 25 years I have been building a huge network of pleased owners that their referrals only will keep me busy until I die
Just at the end of our DIY. Hired pros for the work we couldn’t do. Did the rest ourselves. $20k got us 1 full bath and 1 powder room with high-end fixtures and a Schluter shower system, 500 square feet of old tile removed and new tile installed, new hardwood solid oak staircase with new railing and hardwood hallway, new baseboards and paint in all renovated rooms. Thanks to you Jeff and other awesome DIY YouTubers we were able to learn new skills or improve on existing skills to finish the job properly and professionally! Couldn’t have done it without you! 👍👍👍
This is so true! But I like my contractor so much I put up with him not always calling me back! He’s that good! I just have to wait till he has the time to work for me! There are just some jobs I don’t want to do because it usually takes a few times to get it right! But perusal these vides does give me some confidence to try it myself.
I’ve been renovating since 2016 and pretty much done at this point. Last on the list is kitchen countertops. Its a simple kitchen, one slab does the trick, but because of the weight this is the one thing I cannot do. I had the HVAC replaced, that was the other task I didn’t try on my own. So now I”m trying to figure how to do the kitchen countertops. I have the cabs prepared with plywood on the top, leveled, sink in place with a sink setter, been to the slab yards and know the “slab lingo”. Anyone has any ideas let me know.
I think your prediction is spot on for the younger generation, I’m in my early thirty’s but a lot of my friends switched to the construction industry the past 2-3 years. A lot of them worked in the food industry as chefs and it just couldn’t pay the bills and they got tired of poor job security during COVID so they swapped to construction. I have to say it was a good move for many of them as they were spinning their wheels with no where to go and awful hours and pay. That said with global warming displacing large populations in the coming decades I think we will see a big spike in the next 10-15 years.
Great article, and so timely. My wife and I are in the process of finding contractors to renovate a bathroom and our kitchen. Just got a quote that made my eyes pop out of my head for a bathroom. Now I’m not a newbie at reno projects, as I’ve renovated my basement and many other smaller projects through the years. I’m fully confident that I could do the bathroom. My only concern is getting it done quickly. In my previous projects it didn’t really matter how long I took as we could live with the space being in a bit of a mess for a while. For us we have more than one bathroom, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if it took some time. However a kitchen needs to be done relatively quickly otherwise you’ll spend a fortune on take-out. Wondering, how others have approached this? Have you used all your vacation time, working on projects, or evenings and weekends or all of the above?
I’m a current student doing handyman work. We have a inner circle of other students at our school who also have their own businesses, we always refer each other, and warn each other of who not to work for. Especially class is in session, I’m very picky with who I do business with. A common theme I see with potential customers is discussing what needs to be done over text, then stop responding mid conversation, Sometimes after this ordeal they will respond back a week later, but I will respectfully decline. I can’t afford to do business like that, if you stop texting mid conversation then it becomes a problem. I’m part of Gen-z, we’re always on the phone, if you need to get in touch then you will have no issue, just keep in mind I’m busy and your not going to be high on the priority list.
“It would be a lot easier to run my business if I didn’t have customers.” This is the zeitgeist of the building industry right now LOL. If you’re cultivating this mindset because your goods or services are in extraordinarily high demand right now, I have a news flash. It’s not going to last forever. When the market trends downward (and any industry has ups and downs), it’s the ones who appreciate and take care of customers that will thrive. If you don’t get a return call or email, that’s my perfect indication that this is a person I would never want to hire anyway.
Found this website a week ago and have watched so many hours! I’ve been wanting to renovate my small co-op apartment but there are so many hurdles in the way that might be outside the scope of your articles which typically deal with detached homes. After getting labor quotes in the 50-100k range for a 400sq.ft apartment, I am handy enough to want to DIY as much as I can, but then I know there are things I can’t do, like moving the electric panel or updating the plumbing branches. Would love to see tips or advice on more surgical DIY things for prewar buildings from plaster and lathe patching to dealing with red tape!
I’m a 63 yo grandma and I just changed my own overflow gasket on my tub that has been causing a recurrent leak for 10 years and was “fixed” by plumbers in the past who failed to find the leak and or did a bandaid job instead of fixing it right. Now after perusal DIY articles on your website and others I did it myself! 🙏 teaching me this stuff.
Wow awesome articles thank you so much for your professional advice I’m new back into the building contractor business again from recently retirement from big government building inspections as a NM state combination inspector doing electrical, building, plumbing and heating, hvacr, inspections for 25 years service with about 60,000 building knew completed during my career, I love your advise
Part of the problem is that in 2009 the banks got bailouts but we let the construction and homebuilding industry suffer. Had we had fewer conservatives in government, we could have sent more executives to jail, which they deserved, and provided more continuity and assistance for the people struggling to get through the hard times in this industry. Now, we are all paying the price. Over and over again we do this.
Most insightful. Great job on the research. I fall into the over 65 category and have built my DIY confidence perusal your and other websites like it. The real teacher is when I actually tackle the project and learn how to correct my mistakes. Next time around I approach the project with more confidence and learn new mistakes to correct. I enjoy the work and keep it fun and educational. I appreciate your help along the way.
I usually prefer to DIY for cost reasons but sometimes my time is more valuable. I had a reno guy that did great work but unfortunately(happy for him, haha) has become successful and now I’m in the waiting game for any serious work that needs doing. Recently renovated my own kitchen and living room and love it. I see my mistakes everyday but boy did we save a boatload of money.
This was extremely informative and it gives you a bit of insight into a contractors mind. I am fairly handy and I do most things myself, except for electrical and I have enough sense to know when something is beyond my experience or ability. I found it incredibly difficult to find a contractor to do a bathroom reno in my apartment building. I am not as young as I used to be and its not easy ripping out an old tub on your own and I’ve never installed a shower stall. The answer I got was too small of a job or we are too busy. I think these contractors lacked the foresight to see that I have 11 other units in that building that I would be willing to do to and make it worth your while if I liked your work. Eventually, we did go with one of those bath fitting places 😉 just to get it done. It was still pricey though.
Jeff, I just started perusal your articles in the last 2 months. Man, I am blown away. You Sir have an excellent portfolio of articles than can help even a seasoned professional like myself. BUT this article is off the scale (in a good way) great and truthful insight to what most of the public is unaware of. Great Job Sir! Steven Piedmont Oklahoma.
I do consider myself pretty handy. But my career is digital marketing. The company I work for builds websites and marketing campaigns for these fellas. I LITERALLY know every question to ask these guys to keep them from starving. We rely on them to know their market space and we make sure their marketing puts food on their table. They have issues with labor. Mainly because these jobs destroy your body. No one wants to break down in their 50’s. The young kids are not lazy. They are smart. This is also regional. Because it relies on career options. Would you rather work 2 jobs for 40 hours at $15 or 60 hours in the heat and cold for $25 that relies on so many variables and destroys your body?
Funny you should mention building a shed in the backyard. Which is what I just did. I’m putting on the roof shingles later this week, then it’s done! I was quoted $6k-$7k for the shed. I’m in $2k including a new nail gun! And I’ve enjoyed doing it myself, without waiting on anyone, depending on anyone, and not having to listen to hard luck stories why they can’t come today… Great analysis of the whole screwed-up working world. By-the-way as a boomer myself, I decided to retire from the rat race a few years ago and it feels Great! Good Luck!
This is a constant headache. I can’t get any work from as cheap and simple as lawn maintenance to as expensive and complicated as roofing and/or patio installation done. I’ve called probably a dozen guys over the last five years for various types of work. Only three contractors showed up even for the first estimate. One is the contractor that installed my sliding glass patio door, no complaints, five star review. One is a ‘landscaper’ that told me he would solve all my landscaping issues with gravel and 16″ x 16″ stepping stones. The other is a roofing contractor that went to jail about a week later for killing a guy in a hit-and-run and the whole company shut down.
Seriously, if I wasn’t able to DIY stuff myself it’s seriously scary out there. It’s a lot of work don’t get me wrong, but it’s sooo worth it. I know and trust all the work that I do and thank god for YouTube articles that explain everything step by step. I just bought a house and I’ve already DIY’ed enough that it would have cost multiple tens of thousands of dollars in only 2 months of being here. That’s insane. And now I have pride, I look at the things I have done and I can be proud that I was the one that did them. No one can take that from you.
There are three types of renovation contractors. 1. Cheap and fast, available most of the time. There are plenty of them but they are taking advantage of most people’ lack of knowledge in construction. Building metal flimsy frames you can’t hang a heavy mirror on, installing vinyl laminate directly on unlevelled concrete, only allowing for two power lines for the whole basement, building showers with zero waterproofing (essentially installing tiles right to the green drywall in the showers), etc. 2. Moderately priced and knowing what they are doing but still avoiding clients who as they understand are capable of challenging their construction techniques and quality. 3. Super expensive running fancy 5-star businesses but still taking advantage of utilising the cheapest construction techniques and materials while making everything look nice. The common characteristics for all of them – renovation contractors DO NOT WANT to work for the clients who are subscribed to this website and know what they want and how work needs to be done. LOL. I spoke with so many framers who were SUPER interested in the project up to the point when I told them how exactly I expect them to build my project and what materials I want them to use. Nothing fancy – just do carpentry right the way it should be normally done. Never coming back because there are so many people out there who don’t understand that they are being sold a Mickey Mouse quality for the real price.
One of the reasons why there are less younger guys in house renovation/construction is because they (government or older people in general, idk which) have drilled in our heads that we need to go to college to have a happy and successful life. At least, that’s what my education in public schooling was like.
55 year old single mom here. I just bought all my rain gutter parts from Home Depot after perusal your article on installation. Got every item you recommended down to the stand out bars for the ladder. I’ve already removed old gutters and will save myself $$$ installing them myself. I’m learning as I go and pretty dang proud of myself! 🦸🏻♀️
I’m 46. I’ve been licensed for 22 years. When I started, construction was cool. You wanted to be a construction worker. The girls were checking you out, you were tough, you knew how to create cool things, and you were your own boss. Now, you’re looked at like a looser. ESPECIALLY where I live in Silicon Valley you’re perceived as someone who couldn’t hack it in the “real job world” or you werent smart enough to complete high school and 4 years of bullshit I mean college. Construction lost it’s cool factor. There aren’t any 18-25 that are even interested in construction. I think your estimate of young people entering the trades are way off. Just my opinion. Prove me wrong. Great article though
Looking at my body at 35 and have been in the industry from 22…. People think certain things are not that difficult. No, not for a week but when you do tile for a few years. Framing for a few years. Drywall for a few years. Electrical and plumbing for a few years. Your body starts to tell you about it. At my age so many people literally are in awe at the skill set I have . I know it’s rare, they know it’s rare and they fall in love with the fact that I can do everything under the sun old tech and modern tech until they pass away and their grand children move into their homes.. that’s 30 years left. I however look after my body and even I cannot find good help. Too many drinks, addicts, obese people to pick from. I literally can’t even give out my number because I am so backed up in VA, DC, Maryland. I also refuse to over charge so it’s just the waiting list game right now
Called 6 patio places, 3 did not answer, 2 only did new decks. The one place I got an answer from quoted 6000$ to strip a small deck and restain it. 6000$ for a single guy to come in on two days. I get it, it’s the free market at play. My response to the market is to do it myself vveeerrrryy slowly (but hopefully right) for less than 700 worth of tools, consumables and stain. Hopefully it’ll be a learning experience for more complex projects down the road.
Thanks Jeff, I was wondering why nobody called back, I started my deck in 2020, the price of wood was crazy, so decided to put it on back burner, the price has come down, restarted my 16×12 deck, I don’t think who built this got a permit, don’t like how the power wire is going thru deck, it was way too close to joist hanger, hopefully there’s enough room to adjust. Wish me luck
I’m having the hardest time finding someone to level our basement floor with self leveling concrete so we can put down Vinyl flooring. I’ve called flooring companies who say the floors need to be leveled first. I’ve called companies who came to give an estimate and never got back to us with the estimate. I’ve called people who were referred from other contracts who said they were coming and never showed up. At this point I’m frustrated and tired of calling people who don’t show or don’t do it, so of course I thought about your website. I came here to find your article on self leveling floors, and this is the first article I see. I started perusal, got to two years and must admit I’m a bit nervous. Looks like I really may have to do this project myself…
What a great article. I’ve been a remodeler for 20 years and you just explained my world. I’m in CA and its a goldmine and word of mouth only. I strongly agree with your assesment that young motivated guys should start this career. I’ve trained many guys who have become their own boss and have great careers that pay very well. Put in 5 years with a good boss and learn, take the test, (its easy) and make 200k a year. Its real. Though you have to want it and you have to take HUGE pride in the product you deliver to your customer.
Last year I called a painting company in my area of Cheyenne WY and got an immediate reply. I had to take time off work to meet the guy at my house. I detailed what I needed and we spoke for about 30 minutes looking over the house. He then told me he was booked up for the next 8 months and gave me an off the cuff “quote” for the work. I won’t be calling him back, a professional would have given me a real estimate and let me know beforehand how busy he was. I’ve decided to go bigger than just paint, new windows, patio door, fiber cement siding and trim. Company over 100 miles round trip in Colorado is willing to do the job. Maybe it helps that I told them I’ll be paying in cash.
At 18:39 – in both in my job as a software engineer and in my DIY home projects I need to perform a new skill 3 times before I feel confident that I am doing a good job. After several DIY plumbing, electrical, and drywall jobs I strongly prefer to do them myself because I know the end product will be of higher quality and 1/5 the cost or less. I’m now planning kitchen and bath tile and vanity projects. I know on my first attempt it will not be so great, but I am unconcerned because I know by my 3rd attempt I’ll be as good or better than hiring an expensive contractor. I live in a nice neighborhood in the San Francisco Bay Area so I’m pretty sure I get charged the “rich neighborhood” tax too.
We wanted a small addition put onto our utility room going into our garage to move our laundry there. That was mid 2021. My contractor was so backed up, and eventually was forthright with me about when he might even get to think about the job. He told me almost all the work for any contractor at the moment is commercial because commercial pays better. 90% of his work was commercial. We had to change our laundry plans to put it in the basement, which is a job I am able to do myself.
Omg, I watched with hope all the way until you got to #3. I need to replace a false wall with a real one. I need to put studs in place. This house has a garage conversion and we just realized the wall where the garage door used to be is just a big painted slab of wood on the outside and drywall on the inside. NOTHING IN BETWEEN! 😣😩… its insane. Who does that?? The baseboards and ceiling boards hold it in place. I pressed down hard on the edge of the carpet and saw SUNLIGHT! You can make the wall flex by just pushing with your hand. I’m so nervous about DIY’ing this but even if you chase down contractors and shove money down their throats, they still may not show up in Texas right now. Are there going to be spiders in there? Will something collapse that i definitely can’t fix? Do you need special permission or permits for a thing like this? It’s so stressful 😕
I did a complete ground up deck overhaul/enlargement to 50ft long over a basement walkout, plus a fully finished and insulated 12 x 16 3 season room built on it, designed and permitted myself, after nobody would answer the phone in 2020. My building official was fabulous. He said, ” I don’t need an engineering stamp if you do your own drawings, just follow OBC”. I have maybe 25-30k in materials into it because I bought all the materials just before the insane price spikes. Did everything solo, only hiring out a guy to do 8 helical piers. My neighbour is a commercial contractor, and says the project that cost me 30k tops would cost 100k+ as a turnkey contracting job. The great thing was I could afford to go top grade; 5/8 ply for the roof, 3/8 ply for the exterior walls, all code approved structural screws instead of nails for the 3 season room, and all exposed fasteners in the deck structure and planking are stainless steel screws. Added maybe $500 to my construction cost (I use stainless screws for all outdoor projects now, after noticing that the perfectly good PT lumber of the old deck had most of its screws rotted out).
bought a house in a small rural town over 3 years ago. It had a poorly constructed addition added on to the back of the house over 60 to 70 years ago! The front of the house is brick built in 1909! I’ve gutted the downstairs bathroom for the last 18 months! I’m doing it myself I’m not hiring anybody! I can’t find anybody and if I could find somebody. They would be incompetent, with a terribly work ethics they would not know what they were doing because all the people who know what they’re doing live 60 to 120 miles from where my house is located! In cities of over 40,000 people! I’ve watched a lot of Jeff’s articles! Obviously he knows what he’s doing and does great work. I’ve never done any tiling and that’s my greatest fear with my DIY project. This is not my first rodeo!
In Sept. of 93, I had a house fire. It was a total loss. I hired a contractor and his sons to rebuild my home. After discovering the fraud/theft they were committing, I fired them. I was always handy but worked a full-time job. I had no choice but to become my own contractor (changed work shift). Hired a new crew and supervised from 8am to 3pm. I educated myself in the trades. Weekends were spent checking the work before I called for an inspection. House was built and obtained a C/O. If the drug-addicted/scoundrels who were initially hired could do this work with 1/2 a brain, I could do it myself.
I’m sending this article to my wife. She wanted a good reason why I’m learning how to build cabinet carcasses from Ana White and a few others. Because I want to save 30k so she can get a professional Quartz counter (something I can’t do) for the same difference as “2×4 carcasses” (as in take some 2×4’s and put plywood between them and doors on). So My contractor is going to frame the inside of the shell of the house and I’ll work with my Son In Law and make her the kitchens and bathrooms. Projected equity? 30% on a 5b5.5bt house.
Wow! You really got me with that “the contractors are working for themselves flipping houses!” It’s true. They’re flipping them by selling them to people who are going to rent them out. That causes too sad things for the middle class: fewer affordable homes for rent or for purchase. 😢Thank you for your excellent articles!
I started perusal your articles 2 years ago when I purchased a house in the middle of the pandemic that needed renovation and I couldn’t get contractors to call me back or come give me a bid…the ones that did were nuts on the prices they were charging…so I started perusal your DIY articles and even though I had never built anything in my life, I was able to demo and completely remodel my own kitchen, I built my own cabinets, drawers and doors, installed & painted them myself. If not for articles like yours and others who share their knowledge I may still be waiting on a contractor…my kitchen turned out fabulous and today I still sometimes can’t believe I built it myself…I had not worked with tools since I was a young teen and my dad who is very much like you, can fix or build anything, used to make me help him around the house…so I thank you and of course my pops who even though I hated it then, passed on his knowledge that came in very handy later in life…
I was one of the ones who went and got an engineering degree, but didn’t really find a job I liked. So I went and bought a bunch of tools and have been learning as I go (i’m a very fast learner). I have always been one who loved taking stuff apart and working with my hands. I love perusal your articles, you explain it so well I just have to watch it once and I know exactly what to do. I don’t really like working for others I have learned, so I’m trying to get something going for myself. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Everything you said made sense to me until you started talking about DIY. For the majority of people perusal this and the audience you were targeting with this article, DIY is a great and doable option, but it doesn’t work for elderly people who can’t do the physical labor DIY requires. So for the elderly, the only choices are advertise or wait 2-5 years (something older folks may not be able to do)? I love all your articles and especially appreciate this one since I’ve been dealing with this very issue for over a year.
Ive been a residential remodeling business owner for 20 years . I do the work myself and dont have to babysit shoddy work from sub contractors. I like dealing with the customer personally and making all their renovation dreams come true. I dont answer my phone ( rings 2-5 times a day) and only call back referrals or jobs im interested in that are quick one or 2 day turnovers. My voicemail says “IF i dont call you back its because im booked for 6 weeks or more. Its nothing personal”. I dont start a job until im finished with my current job unless its a small handyman repair in between doing a kitchen, bath, or basement.
Met a guy a while back, he dropped out of college and started working as an electrician. Stayed in that for 5 years until he realized that he could make money just handling admin for other reno peeps. He schedules clients and aligns with the electricians, covers their insurance, and takes 10% off each job. He works with known self owned. The whole group is making a killing. That said, man i wish i could head over to the local IBEW and post a job. The unions need to do more for the members on reno.
I started in Feb. trying to get a contractor to redo a secondary bathroom. 4 of them never replied, one could start only in November, of them came over and refused the job unless he could do a 10K gut job, which was not necessary. Finally found one in March and he was worth the wait. Project finished in early June. I understand very well the problems and shortages and was just grateful to find someone!
I joined the union carpentry and stayed for 1 yr and I have never been so broke in my life. The union was a bunch of BS they are like a mafia. They are only after money and they don’t help. All they had me do was cleaning and tossing dry wall. So I left and joking the trucking industry. However I love working with my tools and working on projects. I prefer to do diy based on my experience. No one treats me like crap and I can learn from Jeff without him yelling at me lol
I’m in this predicament currently. I’ve learned a lot from Jeff and some other articles and fixed a lot of the things I didn’t like about this place. Now we want to do a bathroom reno and I don’t like the quotes I’ve gotten; unfortunately I’m in a condo and can’t DIY it because of the tight work schedules and the fact that I’m not, uhhh, licensed.
Thank you for your articles Jeff. I bought a 50s house a year ago, and within the first few months the shower failed. After taking it down to the mortar bed I realized they used concrete. When we took the stuff to the dump, they asked if we had got it tested (I hadn’t) now I’m trying to figure out how I can get rid of the rest of the cement board, or if I should just leave it up, and just replace the corner shower? My original plan was to turn the corner shower into a curbless shower. I don’t have a lot of money so I need to make good decisions with what I spend. Thanks for all you do!
We just bought a house, and we have several big things we’d love to get done. However, it’s all expensive right now. The biggest thing we need to do is insulate the laundry room, which is about the size of a hallway. I’ll need to learn how to install the insulation, hang new drywall, texture it, and paint. I have to do all of that by myself because my wife has a heart condition, and can’t do a bunch of lifting. I have no idea how I’ll be doing any of this, but it has to be done so we don’t freeze in the winter time because the laundry area leads to the master bed, and bath. We’ll have to demo the shed, and replace it because it’s basically one giant wasp nest waiting to happen, we’ll need to put in crown moulding in the 2 regular rooms, and we have to replace the hall laminate flooring because they oriented it across rather than with the hall. There’s soooo much work to do it’s overwhelming. Thank you for your articles because I’ve learned quite a lot from them.
Yes believe it or not the art market is exactly The same. You save up your money you have a commodity to sell still but the market can be wiped out in overnight and then if you have your savings in the stock market or mutual funds they got wiped out with that financial crisis. And it hasn’t really come back and then we had the pandemic. So in that respect contractors for building have recuperated and so have a lot of other other industries but there are segments of the US economy that are just limping along. I know I am because I read up and learn before try something. Plus I learn new skills so I can apply that to new things as well.
Advertising a renovation project is wanted or needed is a good idea. Angie’s List, Bark, and Thumbtack are a few sites to find companies. I know Bark and Thumbtack charge pros (and often have inconsistent prices for similar sized jobs) and it is appreciated when customers Google the pro to find their contact information on their website or social media accounts. Sometimes I am able to pass that savings onto my customers when they contact me outside of those platforms for photo sessions.
I’m really hoping that someone can help me out here, I’m 30 yo, and want to get into Drywall, from installation to finishing, i once helped a friend with a project he had and we both were shocked on how well it turned out, and i enjoyed every minute of it, i felt like an artist taping and skimming those walls. Now i really want to take this on as a proper career, but don’t know how or where to start, i would love to work with an experienced drywall finisher as an apprentice and just learn and learn but I don’t have anyone like that, for the first time in my life i feel like I’ve found something i love doing and pays really well. Any advice will be awesome.
’06 – in the US, that is when mortgages were being given to anyone, and they were phony mortgages to people who shouldn’t really have a mortgage, but the administration wanted homeownership to go up. In ’08, those mortgages were called and values went down due to people losing their houses and the whole economy fell apart and went into recession.
I fully understand the economy, population demographics, and supply and demand for skilled labor. However, even with a two year wait, I expect any professional to use basic customer service skills and call me back within a day or two. Even if to say “sorry I am too jammed to take on new work”. I may try to chase one more time, but otherwise I don’t want to work with anyone that can’t communicate promptly. This is basic behavior we all should have learned from Sesame Street. With rising rates and a recession ahead, now is the time to be more professional. I am DIYing as much as I can (tile, flooring, paint, light plumbing/electrical) but still need help for the difficult stuff.
Staying at home is not financially lucrative. Cost of gas can easily be offset by cost of electricity to heat/cool house and pay for powering your gear while you’re home. Insurance is a constant if you wfh or not. A lot of people pack or eat cheaply for lunch so that’s a scratch for some. Not nearly as lucrative as it initially sounds. Now if you want to talk about it being lucrative for the company to let you wfh, that’s a much more arguable conversation.
I have a old house that needs some soffit and fascia repair. If it weren’t for my husbands fear of heights it would have been taken care of already. We’ve had two company’s come out to give us quote for repairs and a little replacement guttering….neither one of them has called us with an estimate and neither one has returned our phone calls. My husband would be willing to pay more for someone to do it.
I like that doing my self because I am cheapskate and I would love to put in high dollar faucets and toilets and bathtubs and other things like that and do real good quality work and do it all myself so that’s why I watch your website I know how to do a lot of this stuff I grew up doing it it’s just not easy and it’s not fast I mean you just got to tear things apart and go always start over and use good quality stuff not cheap crap thank you you’re helping me a lot because you’re showing me a lot of tricks and tips to get professional results but I would have never learned by doing it myself
DIY here. I built the 10′ x 12′ patio you had made article for. Built it in a weekend, used pressure treated wood and did not stain it, Thank you for that tip! Added a motorized retractable awning to my house to cover most of the patio. Might sound weird, but my new favorite thing is grilling in the rain. Well, the grill and I stay dry. My house did get shot 11 times, a few months back. I have insurance. I had an interior guy and exterior guy come look at the damage. I had called them out to give me estimates on the repairs. After looking at the damage neither called back or took my calls. I was able to “mostly” fix the damage myself. Not to many DIY articles on repairing bullet holes through a house. I did find plenty on patching holes. After a tub or two of spackle, you can see’em if ya look for’em.
The few times we hired renovation contractors it left a really bad taste in our mouths over the years! It’s one of many reasons that now we are retired, we decided to renovate our fixer upper retirement home ourselves. Thanks to you and many like you we’ve been pretty successful so far! I’ve actually been shocked at how good sometimes! Lol! We did have to hire an electrician for our upgraded panel box and some additional 20 amp and two 220 circuits we added. Fortunately we found a retired electrician that did it for what he called “extra money”,I can’t say what he actually called it! Lol! But he did a great job and was very professional.
Now we stuck with terrible contractors, those who won’t callback, overcharge on supplies and labor and they wonder why everything is DIY now. I’ve totally gutted a kitchen n bathroom and only contracted out necessary things. That includes getting this all done on permits. Thanks Jeff for all the confidence i needed to do these projects.
Thanks for the article. Definitely struck a cord with me. I am trying to build my own home, however I have zero masonry experience so I don’t feel confident enough to tackle something as important as the foundation without proper training. I have been trying to get a block mason to return my calls for just about 2 years now. They tell me to send the foundation plans then I never hear from them again. Incredibly frustrating.
“How much do you charge per square foot for tile”. My 2 cents, don’t start the conversation with your contractor like that. He’ll just know you’re shopping for the best price and won’t waste his time with you if he’s any good. Also don’t feel that because you’re holding the checkbook you’re in control. You think contractors are competing to get your business and should be kissing your butt. BUT what you don’t realize is that you’re competing with plenty of other good, easy to work with, rational people who also hold a checkbook to get their renos done.
Some people should NOT DIY. If they tend to cut corners, aren’t good at instruction following, not physically and or mentally capable, don’t have the time, have never worked with their hands/tools, okay with “kinda close”, don’t have the financial means, like their marriage, not willing to get inspections, have absolutely no help (you will need some) and more!
Great article. Yep..got tired of looking for an honest dependable contractor to do things so i have learned to do most of the things on my own. Love YT articles for that. I am 61 and lots of health issues…terrible joint pain..BUT..i dont let it stop me. i just take alot more advil. I may not know a thing about what i am doing..but I am sure not afraid to try. it never turns out perfect but that’s ok. ..if i like it and its FUNCTIONAL..i am happy. I can put lipstick on that pig..LOL..and make it cosmetically pleasant looking…I have done bath remodeling in my home, roofing over my back porch. installed windows in that back porch, replacing 8 ft board on board fencing right now..ugh…plumbing, electrical,..basic stuff..nothing behind walls, gutters, built a desk cause the crap you buy these days falls apart, built a coffee table cause i needed a custom size for me, made paper towel holders, towel holders, toilet paper holders all out of wood. Built planter boxes, stairs for my dogs to get on bed, a bunk bed for two of my dogs. I go to Facebook alot of times and ask people for recommendations on guys needing some extra cash in their pocket. I prefer to help people in need. these are no name, no business name guys..just your local handyman guys. they charge less and find time for you. but of course..i have to supervise. LOL. What i have seen ALOT OF…contractors getting jobs…are pretty much done but need to do a few small things..sometimes bigger..and they get paid and you never hear from them again.
I have spoken to you before on my DIY. Well, I ran out of money. (My home is paid for), I have applied for a home Reno loan and have to get an inspection! My house is tore up from the floor up, now I have 1 week to pretend my house is livable. So, tomorrow I will hang drywall and since I don’t have time for mud, tape or paint, I am sticking contact paper to walls. That’s the tiny bathroom. In the master, I am going to put a jig saw of paneling on ceiling and walls. Hopefully pass inspection, then take it all apart again, and do it right. Who knew you could not get a Reno loan during Reno. By the way I am 1 female who is 55 and I will make this work! Please pray for me!
For some people, being a DIY may not be a valid option and Advertising or Waiting 2 to 5 years for some are the only best option. DIY ers might end up causing damages or failures if they don’t know what they’re doing. For example, I accidentally caused water damage to my neighbor downstairs while trying to renovate my shower area. And yes the water damage happened after I carefully watched so many DIY articles on YouTube. Also good luck being a DIY er while doing that on top of a 40 to 60 hour week job.
I earned my journeyman carpenter card when I was in my 30’s. I was the 3rd female to get the card in my state. I love putting things together with wood. I worked for 12 yrs. before I decided I could not put up with the vicious verbal attacks any more (I think I have been called every sexual deviant name an evil man can come up with). I am renovating an old “69” trailer home and am enjoying doing most of it myself. I’m mostly down to electric and Painting–I hate painting! If I were to counsel a young woman who wanted to take up carpentry I would say do something else for a living! Even if times have changed there is still a lot of soul damaging meanness from the arrogant men out there.
One point of note that really gets me. People who invested at the very top of 2008 didn’t loose everything, if memory serves me correctly it was at peak of peaks to depth of depths 50%. So at worst you lost 50% … that is terrible, but that isn’t everything. you would recover you losses from the peak by mid-2011. it certainly kept lots of about to retire guys/gals in jobs. But in context, the SP500 from mid 2011 to now is still up 300%, it was up 400% pre this last correction.
I’ve got an 1880’s 4bd/2ba farmhouse in NW Wisconsin, with about seven additions over time, all done by drunks. Nothing here doesn’t need something. Do I start with the roof and work down, or start with the foundation and work up?.. or just call a bulldozer? How do I know if it’s just not worth putting anything into it and I’m better off scrapping it and rebuilding new, or selling it to a flipper and buying something else? I don’t owe any money on it and being mid 50’s, I don’t care to start another 30 year mortgage. I’m on 2 acres of land, I’ve toyed with the idea of building something new on the other side of the property… smaller as the last of my kids are off to college in a few weeks. I’m a few hours south of Thunder Bay, ON, you could pop by on your way to Minneapolis… Just saying.. ;^). Thanks for all your great articles!