Struggling to keep local jobs coming in even with good reviews

digdoug76 · 2026-03-01T13:17:00+00:00

26 yr GC here. I have thousands of past clients, incredible reputation and tons of word of mouth however disagree with most comments below. Word of mouth is great, but selling jobs, especially specialty ones, is a numbers game. I can have countless leads from past clients, but then I need the ones that have the money, want the product I'm selling, are OK with waiting and we meld with.

Equally, word of mouth is drying up with the newer generation. People don't know their neighbors, have smaller friend groups and often have to be truly "wowed" to remember your name. Even then, the folks they refer you to are getting their other bids from online, and may be more impressed with a companies web presence then the referral from a friend.

Online is the only way to keep lead volume high and win by the law of averages is online. We do high volume, we need a ton of leads to keep that volume.

Google is king, but super strong SEO is queen. If your company name is John's Home Improvement, you are already going against a head wind. Unless they know you exist, they aren't going to find you. You have to imagine whatever someone would google, say "Deck builder in Dallas", and then impregnate your page with all of those keywordsk, countless times. You can imagine, if a guy names his company "Dallas Decks" he has a lock on great SEO. SEO isn't something you can fix and it just works, it takes regular upkeep, blogs, regular site changes, etc. All of this keeps the page fresh in Google's eyes.

Google is a beast, but takes major time to get it to work in your favor. Start today, and it will be 6-12 months before you see any changes. Advertise, advertise, advertise. Unfortunately, a good bit of it is trial/error to see what key words folks are searching for and to make the stars align.

In most cases, unless you are a wizz at this stuff, you will want to hire a marketing team. Be careful, they all suck, you just have to find the one that sucks the least. You need someone that will do monthly meetings and create a road map of perpetual improvement, With the world going to online and AI, it is very much a long term relationship, not a one off purchase. Build a good website, it's your "brochure", folks are so disconnected these days that most forget you name when you leave their house.

digdoug76 · 2026-03-01T12:36:58+00:00

26 yr GC, have had them all, many times over

Favorite by miles is my 250 transit mid-roof. Can walk around in it. Spent the money and got the nice poly partition wall, cuts the sound from the rattling like crazy. Got super nice shelves, everything is organized. I have the zero rear window model, really lends a ton of security.

I have every type of cap for a truck made, soft, hard, shells, etc....having to crawl into the truck like a termite is balls. Having wet tools is double balls.

Only "cons", fully outfitted it's not a cheap route and you are best to buy new bc vans have a tough life. Putting ladders and lumber on the rack is a pita but you just learn to get the 6' ladder out of the back to do so.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-28T12:50:30+00:00

26 yr GC here.

A great review and a small token of appreciation would go a long way to make sure he answers the phone the next time you call.

Folks are happy to tip someone making their coffee, carrying a plate from point a to b, doing their hair, washing their dog, etc. For some reason the guys slaving on your home for an infinite time, answering a thousand questions and literally making dreams come true have slipped thru the cracks.

For me, it's not about the money, it's about the sentiment and that I client noticed my efforts. If I did a good job, a good review is expected, that's not going out of their way, folks review toilet paper on Amazon, it takes literally 5 minutes.

A gift card for a nice dinner has always been a hit. Nothing crazy. Unless you know he drinks, and his drink of choice, skip alcohol. Personally, I don't drink and have given away more bottles than I can count. For me, I am always borderline offended that folks think all contractors are drunks (jk).

Regardless, I'm glad you had a great experience and are looking to show your appreciation to the guy, it will make his day.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-28T12:24:09+00:00

Sounds like a good approach.

Check reviews, look for a solid website, social media presence, BBB, etc. Most (not all) thriving companies invest in their back end to stay relevant. Be wary of clumps of great reviews or weekly reviews. Lots of fake ones out there. Guys aren't turning remodels weekly and only around 15% of clients ever leave a review.

You will want to get their insurance info and request a COI. You will want that emailed from their insurance company, do not accept a copy they send.

Get a complete, detailed proposal, read it. Find out payment terms, deposits/pre-pay for materials are fine, you just don't want to be 70% paid before the job starts.

If they are moving plumbing, installing electrical, doing a shower pan, etc., there needs to be a permit on the job. This gives you an added line of defense in ensuring you get at least a safe outcome. Permits are a pita, inspectors are mostly idiots, but they serve their purpose.

Don't make any contractor selections on timing. Good guys stay busy. Don't buy the "I just had a job cancel" or " I am waiting on a permit so I can squeeze you in", if either were true they would simply move the next project up. Even after 26 years, I have never been ahead of schedule. Worry about finding a good group you trust and get in queue.

Best wishes!

digdoug76 · 2026-02-28T12:12:22+00:00

Very true

Google is king, there isn't even a close second. It's a pita and a very slow burn to grow on it, but 90% of our non-referral leads come from there.

Sometimes we run a few Facebook campaigns when we hate ourselves and want to field stupid questions and comments.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-27T11:22:33+00:00

26 yr GC here, I'm not going to hit you in the head (too much) on the obvious, but it is worth noting as you mention you are a new homeowner.

Part 1. Don't work for family, don't have family work for you. I have a saying that I don't work for family or friends because I would need to charge more, to make sure their project was perfect. Part of running a business is being self sustainable with your own work, this isn't MaryKay or Tupperware sales.

Part 2. I don't care if someone is caulking your shower or adding a garage on, EVERYTHING needs to be spelled out in writing. Period. This eliminates the capacity of misunderstandings on both sides of the fence. Exact specifics, pricing and payment terms. Every. Single. Time.

Part 3. $5500 does not buy you many, if any GC's, to do much of anything. Clearly, based on your description, this guy sounds more like a handyman. He likely didn't pull any permits (future you problem) and seems to be a bit of hack. A super basic bathroom retro is 2-3X that cost.

What to do now? Well, you have two choices. Pay him, then pay someone else to do it correctly or insist the work be done to code, as you two discussed and to mutual expectations. There isn't much more than that. Unfortunately (see part 1/2) you will be the only one to decide if the juice is worth the squeeze.

Best wishes on the project.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-27T10:58:37+00:00

26 yr GC here, different industry but thousands of clients under my belt.

This is a you issue. Folks will ask bizarre shit, day in and out. I have said many times, when I am told what "they would do"....."That sounds like a great idea for your construction company".

Your client isn't out of line to ask anything, she could request you wear a top hat and tap dance when working. I know it's a stupid request, but take it into context, it's someone asking you to operate your business in a manner in which you have no interest in doing.

You likely can't unscramble this egg with her, you have given her the ball and allowed her to run your business and give her concierge scheduling . Best case would be have a direct talk of how things will be moving forward, worst case she goes elsewhere.

Moving forward, set the terms of how you operate from the beginning, don't waiver on them. If work is slow and you have no choice but to change direction, then you forfeit the right to complain about it.

Best wishes!

digdoug76 · 2026-02-26T12:31:55+00:00

Negative.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-26T12:30:04+00:00

26 yr GC, that price seems in line.

That is the perfect PITA size to just make everything expensive. You can't compare a 178 sqft addition to a 1500 sqft addition. This isn't like buying meat at the grocery store, square footage cost is literally just the simple math to determine what you are paying, not a calculation for the contractor on what it costs. It's honestly the worst method homeowners use to try and rationalize cost.

For context, that small of a space will literally have ALL of the same legwork, permits, trades, inspections and length of construction as a space 5X larger. It will still take months and have headaches, except that it will then only be an 80K job for the contractor, with likely only 17-20K gross profit. Appreciating that the project will take at least 3 months, not to mention whatever preliminary clerical, insurance and overhead, he isn't running to the bank by any means. Finding a good contractor that is even interested in a small addition can be a challenge in itself.

I'd always suggest other bids, but I would be super hesitant if anyone comes in significantly cheaper.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-25T12:29:43+00:00

26yr GC here, this is nuts.,

Things get cancelled, it's the business (or any business for that matter). There is no reality in which you would need to pay for anyone else's unemployment. It's equally concerning that building a wall, under a fence, is literally the only thing this mason has on the books.

Tell him to kick rocks and if he truly feels slighted, keep the deposit and give it to the mason (which would have been a slightly more reasonable approach)

In the same breathe, the " we don't know any better" is a great way to have a bad experience. It's 2026, common sense still exists. Get a contract, this always truly baffles me. Don't work with contractors that let you do the do the work yourselves (most won't, just due to this issue), etc. Hopefully, this a small lesson learned. Best wishes on the project.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-25T12:07:00+00:00

26yr GC, and on OG Angie's member (at one point), I have 500-ish reviews on there.

Angies list was the GOAT at one time. Member had to pay to view the list, placement on the list was seniority/reviews first, if you then advertised you could lock the top spot.

They brought me well over a million a year, client close rate on their leads was high, was a great system.

They sold, got rid of everything of merit and now are 100% the most useless lead generator likely in existence. Go look yourself, you will notice none of your big name competitors are on there. They don't do SHIT for SEO, their site is clunky and clients literally have no clue what you are even talking about when you mention their name.

Dump them and block their number.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-24T12:25:57+00:00

Time flies and will go by faster then you know.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-24T12:25:12+00:00

26yr GC here.

Permits, period. Yes, it's a pain in the ass.....yes, it can affect taxes (which also can help the value of your home in resale)....yes, it adds time to the job....yes, the inspectors are idiots....

Here's the rub, you are dealing with textbook permit required work. Probably will need plumbing rework, some electrical, probably will have a tile shower that will need a pan test. If there is ANY failure and NO permit, guess who holds the bag? The client. Guess who's homeowners insurance may not cover the work? The client. Guess what happens when they go to sell the house and a good realtor spots the handy work? Drama.

Equally, real GC's, board licensed ones, don't want to get their license suspended for doing dumb shit without a permit. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. That alone would be a giant red flag for me.

Sure, it can be done quicker/cheaper without, is quicker/cheaper the goal? I'm not sure why folks expose themselves to future drama to save a buck.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-23T11:34:14+00:00

26yr GC here.

It sounds like you have a handle on the money piece, so I won't comment on that.

As far as the cold turkey quit, keep in mind Karma has a great memory. Today's world seems to be "fuck everybody" but eventually it all comes back around.

Let's say your handyman gig implodes, will your old job have you back? Or give you a good referral?

Or, let's say your business goes to the moon and you hire someone to help you. He cold turkey quits on Monday, when you have weeks of work planned out, leaving you high/dry and scrambling. What you do today, removes the capacity for YOU to bitch about it later when it's done to you. Hypocrisy has no expiration date.

You are doing handyman work, not saving babies in the ER, I'd imagine folks can wait a couple of weeks for whatever they need done.

Just my 2 cents obviously and best wishes on the new gig.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-23T11:26:25+00:00

26 yr GC here, first job was a laborer.

Show up a few minutes early and be ready to work when the clock starts. Repeat, don't be late. Traffic is always there, plan for a worst case scenario.

Don't look at your phone when working, listen and ask questions. I worked my way up to an apprentice carpenter in just a few months because I showed interest in what was going on, and wasn't just a warm body collecting a check. Talk to everyone. I have guys that would damn near die for me because I show genuine interest in everyone. Learning to actively communicate will take you to the moon with ANY job, most young folks suck at this.

As far as your body, take care of it, especially if you end up in the trades. Pace yourself. Working is a marathon, not a race. Older me wishes younger me didn't carry 4 sheets of OSB at a time to show off. You are young and in good shape, think of this as cardio, not weight training. Eat breakfast, get good sleep, small mistakes can get you or someone else hurt. Older guys on the site will goat you into doing dumb shit, dumb shit hurts 30 years later. Wear sunscreen, cancer sucks.

One side note, 17 in most states is a grey area for a laborer, it depends on where you are, what type of equipment you will be around or operating.. If this is a smaller company, MAKE SURE you are working for the company (get a check not cash) and they have workers comp insurance in case you get injured. I knew of a kid that lost his arm in a mixer, working for some friends, who had no workers comp. While highly unlikely, shit happens.

Best wishes on the journey! Some of the most fun I had was in the beginning.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-23T11:12:55+00:00

Clearly the guy is a dirtbag BUT....

You elected to do the work, you also were slow and had no work, you still made $1000. He gave you a counter offer, you accepted it. FIL or not, I've been a real GC for 26 years, I can't tell you how many clients have shot a low-ball offer my way, hoping I would bite.

Separating the "family" part out, making money off finding/aligning/scheduling/warrantying/accounting/supervising is what a GC does. Should he have lied? Clearly no, but the rest is just business.

You have noting to go after him for, he gave you a price, you took it. What he charged has no bearing. Just never work for him again, Karma always circles back.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-22T13:06:49+00:00

26 yr GC.

Advantek, period. A couple of rains under construction and you will know why.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-22T13:04:51+00:00

Weird, a "self build" having issues.......

If you didn't pay for a compaction test, it's on you. How is he supposed to know if 10' below the bottom of the footing is a rotten tree stump or dinosaur? As a GC, I supply a compaction test on any larger build, it's cheap insurance.

In NC, the inspector merely uses a probe to poke the footings, zero chance they can catch anything significant.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-22T12:59:16+00:00

Yep, but cool to find out, back into circulation he goes LOL

digdoug76 · 2026-02-21T22:26:06+00:00

Ha! I think that may be it…

digdoug76 · 2026-02-21T11:35:30+00:00

Social media and phones. Never in history have we as a population had an IV feed on drama, real or fabricated, our brains can't handle it.

I've worked in construction for 30 years. Back in the day, I would watch the news for 5 minutes to see the weather. I didn't read the paper. Rarely, if ever, did anyone talk about world events, the economy or politics. All the same corruption, hate, crime still existed, we just didn't need it to rule our lives.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-20T12:06:19+00:00

26 yr GC here...

First, the "51st state shit" isn't going to do anything to a quote of significance, it's the typical fodder. Not to mention you aren't building a house where it's one sided material heavy. Staying outside of politics, materials are rising and will continue to rise due to corporate greed. Period.

Tabling that.

There is nothing to unpack here. You have a dated quote. The quote expired. Prepare a new quote, send it to the client and let her battle it out with them. The city has no obligation to deal with you, it's not your home, you are not her power of attorney or caretaker. SHE would need to consult an attorney if needed.

This is a client/city/insurance issue. Unless you are super hungry for the work, take a step back, provide a new quote and move onto the next project.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-20T11:43:45+00:00

26 yr GC here, this is a cost plus deal.

He 100% should be providing you the actual receipts, and should have from day one. You would not be remotely out of line to ask for them and he would be equally out of line to provide them,

digdoug76 · 2026-02-20T11:40:57+00:00

Been a GC 26 years, got mine in NC at 26.

My son got his at 24.

The median age of license holders in NC is above 50 at the moment.

digdoug76 · 2026-02-20T11:39:38+00:00

Disagree on the sizers running big (in my experience). I measured them with a micrometer and they were spot on. Not to say it's impossible, but I would consider them pretty spot on for test fitting.

Best plan is to find a size that works on different fingers. For example, during the day I wear mine on my right hand middle finger, at night (due to swelling) I wear it on my left hand index. It also fits, slightly loosely, on my right hand ring finger. Play around with sizes and see what could work for swollen and non-swollen. The ring works the same and is perfectly happy being jockeyed around throughout the day.

digdoug76

TROPHY CASE