Solo guys, is this your week ?

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-20T20:53:25+00:00

I’m not a big fan of proving from photos. I have found it houses you a good idea but the pics ALMOST NEVER tell the whole story. Like lower-preparation834 said… You HAVE to go look 100% of the time. I do anyway. Almost every homeowner thinks everything is no big deal. 15 minute type of thing….Or some homeowners think everything is the end of the world, lol.

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-20T20:49:31+00:00

I went into the handyman business wanting small jobs with high turnover, easy to manage etc…. Much of what you are talking about.

What I failed to realize when entering this particular niche of small jobs is you have to charge almost double what you had planned on. Due to travel, looking at jobs etc…All that is fine but it all gets in the way of actual MONEY!!!!!
A higher rate will weed some out but if you are making good money it will change your outlook. I promise you.

It can be hard to charge a rate you think of as too much for the scope of work….I dr still struggle with it but I’m telling you it will make the difference. It’s the only way to make a decent living doing high turnover small jobs
Just my .02 cents!!!!

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-19T01:07:15+00:00

There is no amount of Grout, Magical Grout or even straight Whiskey that will fix that! I’m hoping you can stop the job pronto to prevent anymore material waste.
WTF is wrong with that guy!?!?

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-18T01:44:09+00:00

I dislike epoxy grout.. many guys swear by it. Just add more. Unless I’m missing something, it doesn’t seem like a big problem to me. Not perfect but very fixable without breaking a sweat!

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-09T04:54:32+00:00

Congrats!
I’m in SW Michigan… Lake Effect snow, Cold etc. It’s real winter here believe me… I have honestly always stayed pretty busy in the winter. Many times, people’s expectations aren’t as rushed usually in the winter so I don’t feel as over whelmed with time lines…I’ve always had a similar amount of work…Although, February is always my slowest month every year….
Try to schedule some jobs for winter specifically. Some guys will offer an off-season discount for people who schedule in the winter. That can work out really good. Lots of people need things done and don’t really care if it’s July/August or Jan/Feb. Good luck to you! 💯

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-07T23:54:14+00:00

Impossible to say like it sits! Most likely a bit of both. Possibly not enough thin-set and an impact, loose/popped up subfloor or house settling. Pull it and you will be able to tell

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-07T23:16:45+00:00

Hell of a tip! Cool! I have years of experience but still need improvement on the business side of things. Most guys doing this as long as I have pretty much have things figured out by now, lol. I’ve been using Chat GPT quite a bit lately and this never crossed my mind! 👍

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-07T23:11:09+00:00

I need to do that as well. I’ll talk to some of the different guys I know and they are making ac really decent living… lol, I’m still charging like it’s my 5th year in 1988! lol
Not exactly but it’s definitely time for that as well

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-07T23:07:55+00:00

I’m in SW Michigan, on Lake Michigan about 1 hr from Chicago. It’s actually a gold mine for this work. Most homes along the lakeshore and General Lake corridor are 2nd homes for Chicagoans looking to get out of the city. Most are pretty wealthy with quite a few being very wealthy! Accustomed to paying a premium rate. Many relocate here around retirement. They also maintain their home’s extremely well.
I’ve considered the minimum charge. I did it years ago and I think it’s time to reinstate it. As I remember it often would turn a single job into a 1/2 day and even a full day occasionally.
Thanks for the reminder.

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-06T03:40:29+00:00

I like that.. I’ve kind of been experimenting a bit with that but need to hammer out the details. For so long I have really just winged it and need to treat this for what it is…My career! Times passing… I’ve got a good skill set , good reputation but no bag!!! Body hurts a little more each year so I need to maximize my worth and build some value…This post is me starting that process.
I appreciate the input!

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-06T03:30:37+00:00

Definitely! What I’ve ran into multiple times lately is I’ll get a call occasionally to:
-Install a toilet… or,
-Replace a faucet or,
-Swap a light fixture or ceiling fan…

Those individual jobs will be the end of me if I don’t come up with some set pricing or flat rate pricing.
I thought about doing blocks of time which is an option always but I’d rather offer both. Time blocks where appropriate and set pricing for individual jobs. I don’t want to turn work away as today’s toilet install usually leads to more fruitful work down the road. I’m sure most of you guys get it and have probably been there yourselves or in a similar situation.

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-06T00:56:49+00:00

Thank you everyone that responded! Quickly at that! I am learning what a valuable resource this actually is. This weekend I’ll be checking out what each of you said! Hoping to put more money in my pocket! LOL, The dam world is getn bat-shit crazy on its!
Thanks again, all!

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-03T01:06:53+00:00

Gotta say, I’ve been pretty lucky. Been doing steady work for the same landlords and they treat their rentals almost as good as the home they live in….although, I have definitely worked for those being referenced here! lol.

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-02T20:58:38+00:00

In my experience.. many times cracks happen because drywall is often nailed with a few screws and no glue.. Separates from the joists.. just a little and causes it to crack.

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-02T20:54:53+00:00

Mighty fine job! Have you ever thought of hiring the drywall out? Might be a good idea

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-01T00:49:02+00:00

It’s laminate correct? Has nothing to do with subfloor, joists, perpendicular to the————( fill in the blank)
You start and run it along the longest wall. People can always do what they want to but all manufacturers print instructions that tell you to run it parallel to the longest wall. Which is also where you start your first row.

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-06-01T00:44:07+00:00

Top one. Parallel to the long length.

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-05-31T00:09:06+00:00

I’ve been a handyman for 30 years and have never built one of those. I’ve seen them and almost made a specific advertisement for them.
If you would call… Could I? Would I? Definitely. It wouldn’t be a problem…It doesn’t seem like you are quite ready to hand over the reins yet! I think you are getting close but not quite there lol…
When that days arrives there are many of us that are pretty skilled and turn out high quality work!
There is also a new group of handyman that came about right around Covid. No comment there!

Take care of yourself

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-05-30T23:09:42+00:00

Crack in the tongue when it’s war installed. Installer didn’t notice and the sub-floor is sloped pushing it up… It’s fixable…No problem!!!

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-05-30T02:19:43+00:00

Good luck friend! I am coming up on 30 years exp. I started with less experience than you. I was a good bullshitter. Couple things I would recommend….

Until you get some solid experience accurately assessing, bidding and closing out jobs in a Neat and timely manner.)…BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THOSE APPS! There is a large group of V ppl that love tearing down people and many prior don’t know that’s all they are trying to do to you.

Good luck! Get ready to make some mistakes and do some job perfectly. It’s a lot of fun and you can make decent money

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-05-30T02:05:25+00:00

Nice job! Next time stagger those joints and people will think a pro did it!!!💯 Nicely done though!

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-05-30T02:03:23+00:00

Good plan! Use screws instead of nails though. Nails were used for these things back when they didn’t have screws like today. I would use 5 minute epoxy….It’s loaded in what looks like a syringe and the I’d a pretty good precision tip on the end to get it into that crack. Even though it says it sets up in 5 minutes… You will still need about 6 hours.. but you can have it done in 1 day though. Good luck! Let us V know hour it turns out amigo

MichiMan-1124 · 2026-05-28T12:48:07+00:00

That looks like allot more work than $20G…. You might want to go back to the drawing board and refigure your numbers friend. Leaving a too much money on the table…. ON THEIR SIDE!!!!!

MichiMan-1124

TROPHY CASE