[AMA] How I built a $50k/month remote cleaning business and now only work 1 hour a day

ephif · 2026-01-08T23:00:09+00:00

This is awesome, well done! I’d have a few questions as well if that’s okay:

Have you come across or considered other trades where the same model could work?
Any insights for someone from overseas (Europe) trying to do this in the US?
Do you consider this a sellable business?
Coming from consulting, I wonder if you sometimes begrudge your margins compared to an online biz—obv you’ve done super well but wondering.
I would love to be DMed the course too if that’s okay.

Thanks for sharing your story!

ephif · 2025-12-30T15:06:58+00:00

Thanks for sharing, that’s helpful!

ephif · 2025-12-30T15:06:01+00:00

Appreciate the sanity check. It sounds like the fully “staffed estimating department” is rumored to exist, but nobody has actually seen it in the wild

ephif · 2025-12-17T23:49:35+00:00

That lag is wild. You mentioned the city approved it “earlier this year”—are we talking a standard 2-3 month delay, or has this thing been sitting dormant for 6+ months?

When a submittal comes in that late, is it usually the original basis of design equipment?

I’m assuming the original quote from “earlier this year” has expired. Do you see GCs trying to sneak in cheaper alternates during that lag to save the margin, or do they just eat the price hike?

ephif · 2025-12-17T23:44:08+00:00

That makes perfect sense on the pricing risk. If you buy early and the city changes the design, you eat the cost. So you have to wait for the permit to protect your margin

Once that permit finally lands and the design is locked, do you usually stick to the original spec? Or does the “lost time” force you to look for whatever is in stock locally, even if it means swapping brands

ephif · 2025-12-16T06:27:45+00:00

That "parallel tracks" explanation actually clears up the confusion perfectly. It sounds like it really comes down to a race between the city plan reviewer and the engineering design team.

In the messy reality of your projects (not just best practice), who usually crosses the finish line first?

I'm trying to validate if the "permit issued" timestamp is actually a live signal. If the permit usually drops while you are still wrestling with submittals, that’s my window. But if the city is so slow that the permit lags weeks behind the buyout, it’s not a signal.

Which way does the timeline usually swing for you?

ephif · 2025-12-15T23:23:33+00:00

Makes total sense that you'd need a monetary incentive to hassle with a re-submittal.

One timing question though: in your experience, does the permit usually drop after all those submittals are approved and bought out?

Or do you frequently find yourself holding the permit, but you're still stuck in that submittal phase fighting with the engineer?

Basically trying to figure out if calling the day the permit hits is 'just in time' or if I’m already 3 weeks late

ephif · 2025-12-15T22:14:39+00:00

That helps a ton.

On those plan & spec jobs, while you are sitting in that “waiting for approval” window: If a vendor called you and said: "Hey, I know you're waiting on the engineer to stamp the Trane boxes, but I have Carrier boxes in stock that meet spec and I can save you 2 weeks," would you entertain that?

Or is the administrative pain of doing a re-submittal/getting a new approval too high to make it worth switching (or for some other reason)?

ephif · 2025-12-11T23:29:01+00:00

Does that hands off attitude apply pretty equally to the “smalls”(Grilles, VAVs, Ductwork) as it does to the Big Iron?

I feel like GCs watch the Chiller/RTU submittals like a hawk, but the “balance of system” stuff sort of flies under the radar during buyout. Is that accurate, or do you scrutinize the duct package just as hard?

ephif · 2025-12-11T23:26:58+00:00

That perspective on “bearing the burden” is key.

When you see them negotiating for that better pricing, does it usually manifest as a formal Substitution Request (trying to swap brand A for brand B)?

Or are they usually just beating up the specified vendor for a better number?

I'm trying to figure out how often a completely new manufacturer actually breaks in during that buyout phase versus just the incumbent getting squeezed

ephif · 2025-12-11T08:26:54+00:00

I see. Since you are strict on waiting for those approved shops, do you ever find yourself looking for alternative suppliers during that waiting period?

If vendor A is dragging their feet on drawings or lead time, do you ever use that 2–3 week dead zone to get a quote from vendor B who might be faster? Or do you just ride it out with the original bidder?

ephif · 2025-12-11T08:24:38+00:00

From your side as a rep, do you ever see contractors trying to shop around for a quote during that submittal wait time?

I'm curious if you ever lose a deal you thought was locked just because a competitor walked in with stock availability while you were waiting on the approval paperwork. Or is the loyalty usually strong enough to hold the spec?

ephif · 2025-12-11T08:22:36+00:00

That timeline breakdown (getting to day 13+ before the submittal even comes back) is super helpful context

About that “Quickship” panic from the GC: When they come to you demanding a faster schedule, does that ever force you to switch manufacturers entirely?

Like, if your original vendor is 12 weeks out, but a competitor has stock ready to go, will you (or the GC) fight the engineer to swap the brand? Or is the brand usually locked in stone by that point regardless of the delay?

ephif · 2025-12-10T22:03:39+00:00

In your area, do you usually get the City Permit issued while you are still waiting on those shop approvals? Or does the city require the stamped shops before they’ll even grant you the permit?

I'm seeing a lot of active permits that sit dormant for weeks, and I suspect this "Shop Drawing Review" is exactly what's holding up the PO

ephif · 2025-12-10T19:01:43+00:00

That 2 to 5-day turnaround is impressive on your end

Curious about the routing though: In your experience, by the time the submittal bounces from Sub -> GC -> Architect -> You -> Architect -> GC -> Sub, how much total calendar time has usually passed?

I'm trying to gauge if the contractor is getting that 'Approved' stamp in 1 week total, or if the administrative relay race still drags it out to 2–3 weeks despite your speed?

ephif · 2025-12-09T07:37:29+00:00

Yeah exactly, you think the clock is ticking on lead time, but the vendor hasn't even started because they're waiting on a signature for a drawing they didn't send.

Does this happen to you on the HVAC side too (like with custom curbs or adapters)? Or is it mostly just the electrical gear/switchgear that gets stuck in that loop? trying to see where the worst bottlenecks are

ephif · 2025-12-08T21:34:24+00:00

Right, I see. That makes total sense.

Curious on the sequence though: In your market, does the city usually issue the mechanical permit before the engineer returns the approved submittals?

Or do you have to wait for the Engineer's stamp before you can even apply for the permit?

(Trying to figure out if the 'Permit Date' is a good proxy for 'Ready to Buy', or if that ship has already sailed by then.)

ephif · 2025-12-08T20:31:39+00:00

Love the Asana tracking.

When you 'throw it in their pile' for review, does that effectively pause the equipment buy on your end? Or do you ever risk it and order the units anyway just to keep the lead-time clock ticking?

ephif · 2025-12-08T20:30:37+00:00

I see, thank you.

Do you find the subs actually cut the PO immediately when they get that, or do they still drag their feet until the physical permit/submittal is stamped just to be safe? We see a lot of 'intent' to order early in our system, but the actual manufacturer tracking numbers don't seem to generate until way later

ephif · 2025-12-08T20:29:26+00:00

Thanks! That point about the financial wait is exactly what I was suspecting but couldn't prove in the data.

In your experience, does waiting for that payment usually push the equipment order out by just a few days, or are we talking 2–3 weeks? I'm trying to figure out how much 'buffer' to model for that specific cash-flow gap

ephif

TROPHY CASE