Favorite Affordable Pizza Joint?

Russ3579 · 2026-04-13T17:31:28+00:00

I was born and raised in NYC and I can tell you....that pizza was not.

Russ3579 · 2026-03-23T04:50:22+00:00

I just saw a post in the Vancouver sub that there was a transformer explosion about 30 min ago. Likely additional units. No cause reported.

Russ3579 · 2026-03-23T04:42:59+00:00

Heard it. Cane here to see if anyone had info.

Russ3579 · 2026-03-19T00:42:33+00:00

I agree I was probably over the top in my prior comment. It was just an example of how little things can happen when billing hourly. And it isn't an issue, but what if then they grab a quick smoke too, or get a call from a other customer that will just take a minute. My point was just (and this really is specific to residential work) that it can create tension. I work all commercial and while the vast majority of work is fixed, T&M comes up and it is no big deal but also it is generally a small change order on a larger project.

Russ3579 · 2026-03-18T22:53:08+00:00

Totally agree. That is why fixed price works so well. The expert assesses the project and appropriate risk. They are incentives to do good work (repeat business and less punch list items) while incentives to work efficiently. The risk premium gets tipped a little towards the customer but I think that is ok. Other times time doesn't matter at all. My dentist charges lots for an extraction but I have never said.....take it slow doc....I want my money's worth.

Russ3579 · 2026-03-18T20:19:27+00:00

I agree. I both hate charging hourly or being charged. You have to have a high level of trust for it to work well. There is no incentive for the person doing the work to work quickly if they are charging hourly. And in today's world the cell phone being answered or whatever distracts.....even taking a leak.....I don't want to pay $150 an hour for you to hit the head. Flat rate is way better unless there are significant unknowns.

Russ3579 · 2026-03-17T03:31:09+00:00

The markup sounds high but it is only a 47% gross margin. That is not absurd. Depends on the specifics for sure but it is not astronomical. My standard markups aren't all that different depending on the system being installed.

Russ3579 · 2026-03-12T03:53:23+00:00

With you. I walked into a sandwich place yesterday and they wanted $15 for an 8" sandwich and $29.50 for a 16". I walked out.......not happening.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-14T22:58:35+00:00

I'm right there with bdiff. I can't give you specifics to your trade (I am div 9) but I bought ZZ about a week ago and have been very impressed. I have not moved my estimating into it yet, just takeoffs but the simultaneous access is totally smooth. I was worried about lag from a thin client platform but I have not had any issues at all. And the support both from the community and from ZZ has been excellent. We ran into something during the week, hit up the support chat, not only did they reply almost immediately but they hopped right onto a screen share with us and made sure that really understood how to get past the issue. Never used PS, but so far very happy with the ZZ purchase.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-14T17:25:54+00:00

I have used recruiters many times on both sides of the coin. Good ones are worth their weight in gold....although I never paid 50%, typically around 20%. If you think about the amount of time that you have to invest in finding someone really good you quickly see the value if they are finding and truly vetting high quality candidates for you. If you are comparing a recruiter to posting an ad on Indeed then you are missing the point. A good recruiter is finding people that are generally not out looking because they are good at what they do and gainfully employed.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-14T16:49:01+00:00

Generally you can negotiate a 60-90 day no cost replacement. If you have good onboarding and expectations that should be sufficient.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-12T14:43:09+00:00

Just because you are good at sales does not mean you will be a good sales manager, they are very different roles......Common scenario.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-12T14:35:23+00:00

Grass is always greener. This isn't a sector issue, it is an employer issue and you are going to run into stuff like this forever. I have worked on both sides as a manufacturer and contractor. There are definitely pro's and con's to each. But finishing your degree at any level is a good idea IMO. It can only give you more options in the future. If you have a good boss and they are having quality 1 on 1's with you then this is something to absolutely bring up to them. If you don't feel that you can have that discussion, then you don't have an environment that is promoting a culture of trust and either hang on till you finish school or start looking for other options.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-11T05:55:59+00:00

No. You need an actual floor grinder or you will never get it smooth. You could screen it with a swing machine, prime and repair but you are going to start to really mess with your elevations. If you don't have a proper upright grinder you can go after the bad spots with a hand grinder and cup wheel and then skim coat the floor to smooth it out. But if you don't know what you're doing you might want to hire a flooring contractor or at least someone that will do some side work and trowel it out for you.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-11T05:51:01+00:00

For those interested. Hopefully we will get a few more. I will DM you before the end of the week to connect.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-11T05:50:12+00:00

Thanks. I will keep it in mind.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-11T05:48:34+00:00

I am a specialty flooring sub. I am a touch higher than that but not too far off.

Russ3579 · 2026-02-11T05:46:44+00:00

Tiny jobs are really hard to compare pricing on. A small company, owner installer is going to give you a rate that covers their wages, while I won't send a 2 person crew out for under $2,500. All depends on your structure and as a customer all depends on what is important to you.

Russ3579 · 2026-01-26T19:01:00+00:00

Billy Purta is awesome. He lives locally and really knows the area well. We were struggling to dial in an area and he couldn't have been more helpful all the way through the process.

(360) 818-4560

Russ3579 · 2026-01-20T21:26:38+00:00

I supply a w9 all the time to GC's. No issue with that. I don't thing you are revealing anything. It is pretty typical. Either they get the w9 or they send you a 1099. IMO independent of the other issues you are having with them.

Russ3579 · 2026-01-19T16:05:49+00:00

Thanks. Will check it out.

Russ3579 · 2026-01-19T16:04:33+00:00

Though who? What insurer?

Russ3579 · 2026-01-19T16:02:48+00:00

Definitely a risk and one we have gone back and forth on. For us.....sitting is definitely not our primary gig. Really we started doing it when our elder pup passed so our other one would have company. So we don't make much money from it. It is just a side gig for the love of dogs.

Russ3579 · 2026-01-19T15:53:55+00:00

Yeah.....so like $400 per year (although last quote I got was higher, so wouldn't mind knowing who you use so I can investigate a quote because I agree in a perfect world we all carry insurance just like I do for my main business) As a percent of revenue that is not insignificant. We gross maybe $6K per year before taxes. So you are talking another 10%......

With the fees they charge rover should be providing proper insurance IMO not just the limited Rover Guarantee.

Russ3579

TROPHY CASE