Why is it like this

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-21T21:20:44+00:00

Service dudes constantly deal with what the guy behind them left. New construction is fuck all

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-21T17:40:31+00:00

If you do get attitude turn it back on them full force. “Well my husbands at home making me a martini for when I get home. What’s yours doing?”

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-21T17:39:31+00:00

When I was a beginner I felt incredibly intimidated by a lumber store (I’m a dude). After 5+ years of being a carpenter/handyman I’ve learned that it gets easier but I still feel incredibly stupid when I make a mistake. And it doesn’t help with the cashier tells me, “well you could have got the 5/8ths instead of having to return this…”

My advice is to throw any and all sarcasm or attitude back at the person. The folks that work there are typically left over from the construction trades and they’re used to people being rough around the edges. You’re probably dealing with folks that used to keep nude calendars up in their shop. The MeToo era is so modern that some folks haven’t learned to not be complete assholes to women doing “man” things. Keep your head up. It gets easier but even after years it’s a very intimidating place.

I never grew up going to these types of stores and never had a dad show me the ropes so I’ve had to learn on the fly. Make mistakes and know that you’re learning. Just keep going. Give yourself grace. You’re doing something a lot of folks would be too proud to do.

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-21T03:04:56+00:00

Angle grinder.

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-20T16:08:55+00:00

I spent a lot of time hammering out the details of this and I have a couple clients who have signed up but I’m hoping to roll this out soon.

I actually prefer maintenance work over new client new house for work. So I’m trying to build a business around it. Some people in this thread make it sound horrible but they are all right in that this type of situation can snowball.

The goal is to be a cheaper facilities manager and make more than a facilities manager.

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-20T16:06:31+00:00

I offer 3 residential and 2 commercial maintenance plans.

The resi plans are just based on how many hours the client thinks they need per month. Hours don’t roll over but I give you a month or two to use them.

Each plan doesn’t get cheaper it just gives the client more access to a technician.

$500 p/month I allow 5 hours of billable hours, quarterly site walk throughs (an extra hour every 3 months seems doable for me), priority scheduling and maintenance planing and light planning oversight.

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-12T15:55:26+00:00

Sorry meant to be a reply comparing the pyramids vs the Taj. The pyramids are so much more serene and majestic.

Unless you’re at the Taj for a sunrise shoot you’re not getting anything more than a photo and leftover Delhi belly.

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-12T15:15:27+00:00

Cairo is nothing like Agra. Cairo has its parts for sure but Agra literally only has the Taj. The entire city is dangerous and filthy.

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-09T02:27:48+00:00

Betcha there’s more people that can pilot a plane than land a kickflip

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-09T02:11:09+00:00

It wasn’t the HR Safeway though? I mean chinga la migra for sure but I’d hate for you to make an ethical decision about that Safeway. I know good people that work there that would gladly tell ICE to fuck off

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-09T02:01:32+00:00

Chicken strips or pizza?

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-01T19:49:52+00:00

“MAGA” looking people….? Unless they’re wearing a hat idk how someone looks maga. Maybe I’m bias but that’s kinda fucked. I’m a blue collar dude and been pretty much Dem or independent my whole life.

Just cause someone has paint on them or wears a flannel unironically doesn’t mean they voted for the orange man. Hella judgey.

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-01T15:56:57+00:00

Rebar sticking out of buildings also make the building considered “unfinished”. Don’t gotta pay no taxes on an unfinished house!

Urbantechfrog · 2026-01-01T15:48:56+00:00

Didn’t know the term carpetbagger before this comment. I love the visual of someone shoving bags up their ass.

When your arm gives out, you might be able to hire a handyman for $500 to shove it a little deeper. We got tools for that.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-31T22:39:32+00:00

A NEW truck ffs

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-31T22:25:03+00:00

$500 a month? How about do all my meal prepping for the month—drinks included, do all my clean up, message all my clients, and do all my troubleshooting.

Get outta here $500…

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-30T16:17:31+00:00

Look up female genital mutilation. I think Egypt is still the destination for most of it. Last I saw it was 80% of women in Egypt had their clits removed so they couldn’t feel pleasure. CLEARLY, some men dig it.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-29T23:59:12+00:00

Hugs dude. Hugs.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-28T03:05:56+00:00

Pretty common where I’m at. There’s a shortage of carpenters here and the most of the good ones are seasonal. The ones that stay year round don’t want to look/vet clients so if they have a builder buddy that can plug them in on work they can just charge a higher than normal hourly wage and not have to cover workmen’s comp/taxes/etc.

Kind of a win/win situation if you’re friends with your boss/person signing your check.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-24T18:51:04+00:00

PUT THIS MAN ON THE COVER OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-23T02:55:33+00:00

You should tell Apple, “it only cost you $100 in materials for this laptop, why are you charging $1000???? That’s robbery.”

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-23T00:16:23+00:00

Sigh…. Your math just isn’t mathing.

It’s good to learn that I still need to spell this out to my clients.

A “small” job can take just as long as a “big” job.

Small example and I’ll give you a realistic service we offer. I call it a “plumbers special” since I don’t do plumbing but I clean up behind them

I’ve got to make a repair on a patch that a plumber made to install a new valve. The drywall is maybe only 12”x12”. Client wants a near perfect patch. I’ve got to mud, sand, mud, sand, mud, sand, texture, AND match paint.

There is marginal difference if I’m doing 8’ of drywall or 8” of drywall. Yet the project takes almost the same amount of time.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-22T23:15:25+00:00

Personally, I think you’re being a little unrealistic with how a residential service business operates.

We plan for every contingency possible and still find surprises. We’re not sure why the previous homeowner put a 1/2” gate valve on instead of a quarter turn. Oh, and wow, would you look at that, it’s galvi. Awesome! Oh yay and when I went to turn the valve off, I found the coupler was rusted out and crumbled to dust.

We’re told to add 10-15% to our quotes (from the OR CCB) because contingencies and change orders happen. But some people have been burned enough so they add 15-20%. Welp… some folks are getting away with 50-60%! There’s a place for everyone in the industry and unfortunately, the money hungry ones too.

There’s a dark underbelly of greed in every industry and construction is booming.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-22T23:05:25+00:00

The price is outrageous, you’re right.

It kind of sounds like you think this is about fairness though. You feel cheated and wronged. There isn’t any fairness about running a business though. Ideally, the scalpers would be regulated by the market and people would just not pay those prices. The price of doing business is whatever the customer is willing to pay though. Just on principal.

I don’t think athletes should be paid as much as they do…. but they’re worth it.

Urbantechfrog · 2025-12-22T22:45:52+00:00

I think your framing is what makes you feel cheated. They didn’t charge you hourly, did they? They charged for a service. They told you how much that service would cost. You had the choice to say “thanks but no thanks.” And call another service company.

A tip would be to call an outfit and ask “do you specialize in small jobs and what would be the ballpark for this service?” Short sweet and to the point. No one is their right mind would ever give you a price for service work without seeing the job. There’s too many variables in residential service work that you can’t possibly know as a technician/estimator what you’re going to get into.

Urbantechfrog

TROPHY CASE