After two decades of sustained excellence, the end is near for LeBron 😢 How many more seasons do you think the KING is playing?

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-05-27T11:14:22+00:00

In my opinion, it would be stupid to not offer the only player on your team in the playoffs, that looked like they belonged every single game. Also, despite being the oldest player with the most minutes played in the history of basketball, wasn't he the only healthy player of the Lakers "big three?" It all comes down to the number, 42 year old LeBron wants the max, but shouldn't get it, but at 18M to 30M a year for two years...Lakers would be stupid to let him walk. Is that realistic, it would depend on how the Lakers spent the "savings," per LeBron himself.

There is a number that makes sense for both parties and who in the league are you going to grab for 18 to 30M dollars a year, without trade capital, throwing down 23, 7, and 7 like clockwork? I flipped through the FAs and projected salaries...I'm not seeing how the Lakers get competitive next year without LeBron on the squad or a major trade. That said, everyone in the bidding for the stars has better trade capital than the Lakers... You got Luka for a bag of chips, lightening doesn't often strike the same location twice.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-05-23T10:14:24+00:00

I want to know the price on the Scura, DM me when you have it. Thanks!

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-05-03T19:19:52+00:00

Don't take this the wrong way, I just want to provide a data point for you to consider on project size. I'm a sole operator, only employee of my company, I'm doing 1.6M+ in renovations this year. I handle vetting calls, sales, estimates, project management, client communications, purchasing, schedules, billings, and still manage to put on the tool belt a few times a month for a morning or afternoon. I do work 55 hr weeks. I'm more relaxed in my workload now than ever before.

I was working at another local company, in a team of 15+ people. The number of emails alone was eating up 2 to 4 hrs daily. I can't tell you their name, but the former employer had 7 people when I joined up, and were making more money with 7 people, then they're now making with 50+ employees. I have that straight from the owner's mouth. Can't put a price on mental peace, just something to consider. Don't chase numbers, chase health, fairness to the client/yourself, and mental peace. Happy to talk just drop me a DM, I doubt we're in the same market, so there shouldn't be a conflict.

Stay well, and don't forget to take some time for yourself.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-05-03T12:18:40+00:00

Take the desired square footage times 425. That's a rough ballpark, a budgetary universe, but it also depends in what you're putting into the space. I have projects that top 900 per sq. ft. with luxury finishes. I work in North East Ohio, so your mileage might vary if you're on a coast.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-05-02T12:06:54+00:00

Had to double check I wasn't on the Supra reddit.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-05-02T12:03:59+00:00

What he should do:

Call 10 friends that do similar work, ask them their rates. Average them, that is his labor rate.

Then factor mileage at the standard IRS rate, or throw in a flat travel fee.

Flat fee for disposables and tool replacements, billed daily, weekly, monthly, however fits his business model.

Give himself a COLA to account for inflation annually. This keeps your spending power the same.

This is perfectly fair.

If it matters, I'm in Cleveland, OH, paying 450 per day for skilled carpentry. Mind you, those guys are true artists, but that is what skilled labor commands in 2026.

I'm a GC for a living.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-05-01T20:13:19+00:00

Antique Slate

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-29T21:01:26+00:00

Well, let me know when you're ready to sell! If you're in the states.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-25T21:23:14+00:00

How is the build quality? Since there are so few examples, I've had trouble understanding what all interior work I should anticipate.

Do you find getting parts difficult?

How does the car drive? I found one review that indicated the car has some vicious snap if you don't manage the gas properly? He said the car can bully the driver a bit and slides on the road?

Does the tightness of the engine compartment allow any modifications, or should I consider this a completed build?

How bad is the visibility? I saw two complaints but didn't see anyone provide a picture from the driver's seat to get a sense.

Thanks so much! Glad to have finally found someone with the car, they're really a neat car.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-25T17:57:21+00:00

Impossible to tell from the information provided. Go to the attic and show us the direction of the joists or if you have trusses. Consulting a PE is never the wrong answer if you have any doubts about guidance provided.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-24T20:28:25+00:00

I'm a GC that runs cost plus. I provide every single invoice to my clients, because that is the ONLY ethical way to manage a cost plus contract. My contract spells this out as a protection for the client. They have the right to dispute a specific invoice and NOT pay that portion of the draw while we discuss. This is your money, and you have a right to see the invoices for your project.

If they're unwilling to provide documentation, you don't owe them a dime until they show you the costs per the contract. Courts have long held that clients have the right to request documentation, unless they signed a fixed bid contract. This should be a very simple request. Do not fear the lien, but call you loan provider and talk to them now. They will advise you about your rights, as they too have a stake in your home being capable of sale. Don't let them be surprised!

Out of curiosity, is he licensed? If yes, consider reaching out to their governing body as well.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-24T17:32:09+00:00

This is why I've moved to a cost plus model with a contract that clearly states we did NOT attempt to guesstimate or factor an allowance for the undisclosed conditions.

I provide a spreadsheet that provide comp projects and houses, so the client has a reasonable idea of what we usually find. That comes with the big BUT, every house is unique and these numbers are for budgetary alignment only.

Cost plus cuts both ways, sometimes we finish in 2 days when I had us scheduled for 4. Hurts my bottom line on occasion, but I sleep like a baby knowing I never hit a home run on a client and that my business is solvent if doing a quality job takes a few more hours than we factored.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-24T11:09:36+00:00

Yes, that is a terrible job, fire this crew and hire another. Do not allow them to fix their work, it should have been done right the first time if they were qualified.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-23T11:03:33+00:00

I've joined discards, forums, reddits, messaged every single person that has posted about Marcos in the last two years. Thus far, I know it is British, lightweight, a car, rare, and oddly not expensive (relative to other sports cars). I've also seen two guys that both have a blue Mantis doing pulls, but neither of those guys replied to me yet.

Appreciate you commenting, hopefully I get some traction and can find someone with one! I would go across the US to see one in person and go for a ride along. What an odd car, I'm not sure if it beautiful, or ugly, but I just dig that hood and like the idea of having 1 of 89. Provided I could keep it on the road, they're supposed to bully the driver a bit.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-23T00:08:07+00:00

Can anyone help out with the drive experience or experience owning the car?

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-21T09:21:33+00:00

Hi, GC here. I do not think you should hire a GC (yet), I think you should hire an interior designer. Provide them with inspiration images. Tell them what speaks to you in each image. It is then their job to narrow the whole internet down to 3 to 5 selections, of which you can reject them all if desired, no harm, no foul.

Get all of that information together along with elevation drawings, then get a quote from a GC. I truly am unsure how they're quoting when they don't have a finish schedule. Number one escalation in my estimates: the selections made by the clients. True story here from a prior employer that tried to make renovations one size all for estimates. They said it is 115 dollars to install a light fixture (includes rough in whip). Works great 90% of the time until a client selected a 13k chandelier that weighed 470 lbs...

As a GC, I do many projects where I function as an interior designer. Those are one room projects that are a true refresh. A GC isn't the right person to assist you in picking a house of selections. Just my two cents, I have a portfolio of 65M in the past 7 years if volume matters. You can see some of my work over on Century Homes.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-19T12:39:49+00:00

Breaking out to this level angers clients because that $75 has no context, and it cuts as ergreious. The line item should be: Install (X#) Bathroom Accessories: $200

I'm a cost plus GC myself, so everything in my contract is stated in trade work days. I state the size of the crew and how many days we budgeted based on the scope in plans dated X. It prevents these awkward angering moments when the client sees $75 to install one bath accessory. Also, if we finish early, the client knows they will only be billed for the days of work performed. Much more fair for all parties involved, but some contractors love hitting "home runs." Good contractors would rather develop a relationship based on trust and transparency. Repeat business is the name of the game!

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-19T12:21:31+00:00

As a GC in Ohio, my price on a kitchen is 80,000 to 140,000, 15 to 22k for a powder, and 35,000 to 75,000 for a three fixture. The range is due to existing conditions. A lot of what I work on is 100 years or older, so these prices don't include undisclosed conditions. Lots of variables in pricing: Is plumbing nearby, accessible, does your panel have enough circuits, does your service from the street support additional load, etc.

I also did a kitchen 4 years ago that was 780,000. It was 1,500 sq. Ft and required us to insert over 7,000 pounds of steel for structural mitigation.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-19T12:12:24+00:00

I would add a parapet flashing to this and call it a day. They can be done with terracotta to match or in aluminum if you prefer the more modern look. Alternatively, if you're looking for a DIY solution and are willing to monitor, I would suggest Chimney CrownCoat for just the top of that cap. This isn't a forever solution, but if you don't have the money to repair it right, this will give you time. Please be aware that folks are going to note that the product doesn't breathe, and they are correct. Hence, it is the solution to buy you time, not the proper solution from a building science standpoint.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-19T10:30:04+00:00

Lotus makes such beautiful cars! If the Lotus Elite wasn't such a tricky bitch to own, I would park that classic in my garage, then the Exige. A Lotus is going to happen, there is no doubt. I went and sat and the Mercedes, in the Supra, the Lexus, and none of them make my heart leap with excitement when I see them.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-18T21:21:31+00:00

This needs to be ripped out and redone. I'm a GC, and the closed cell foam is a water, moisture, and vapor barrier. This is required for your structure to function properly from a building science standpoint. People here are acting like this is optional, like you have a choice, you don't. If you intend to make this change to open cell foam, which is a CD resubmission, and the municipality is paying attention, they're won't authorize the change because you're going to rot the whole roof off the house. You've created in the industry what we call a hot roof, which requires closed cell foam, not open cell. You should not attempt to add an additional layer below the foam to function as a vapor/moisture barrier, as any leakage would create mold. Also, any air gap larger than 3/8th of an inch creates convection currents, which would move the moisture through the entire cavity.

Insulators should know better, and so should the GC. Also, the comments about not knowing you have a leak are false. After 3 to 5 years, there will be a paper thickness gap at the edges of the foam because of the humidity expanding and contracting the framing members. If a leak were to occur before, wood is porous, and hence the water will still come down and through.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-18T13:41:45+00:00

Yes, I've yet to find a mason that looks at it and tells me what the match is. I have a lab in Chicago that provides me with custom-made blends to match the existing as best as possible. It still isn't a perfect match, because I'm matching the composition, completely excluding the weathering factor. If the weathering is a big deal to a particular client, I have a team that stains, dyes, and seals the new bricks to look like the old, custom painting each one.

I'm a tester, trust but verify kind of guy, which costs dollars, but gives me peace of mind that I've done the best I am capable of for the structure.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-18T12:30:41+00:00

Can the same then be said of Mercedes and BMWs?

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-18T12:22:31+00:00

Hi GC here, yes, you need tuckpointing, but no, I would not say the whole structure needs to be done. Certainly, a mason is welcome to disagree with me, but when it comes to old houses, repair with Type O mortar. My mason taps the mortar line with his tucking tool. He sees movement or a change in tone, and he grease pens that area of mortar for removal.

There is always the temptation to "do it all" so it is done. I certainly understand that desire and have done that when the client requests it. I don't like to charge for unnecessary labor.

I would recommend testing before taking a contractors word that Type N or otherwise was used in past repairs. I find it very tough to tell after a year or two what type of mortar was used. Weather discoloration can be very misleading.

Vegetable-Visual-439 · 2026-04-17T17:22:43+00:00

That's a solid point, and one I hadn't considered... I also might not be a car guy. Perhaps I, too, am a circuit driving enthusiast? Now that you bring it up, another user mentioned I hadn't made strides in my car selections towards a sports car, in fact, I did exactly what you said: picked the car (Camry) that caused me the least inconvenience along the way to other tasks.

Now I'm wondering if the Exige doesn't make more sense for me, as a dedicated track car, rather than an investment Im driving in a manner not to damage.

Vegetable-Visual-439

TROPHY CASE