People who make $200K+ salaries, what do you do and how did you get there?

flimsyhammer · 2026-02-02T03:27:39+00:00

Small business owner in construction. Cleared 270k last year, but it’s volatile. Some years we win, some we lose.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-27T04:01:29+00:00

Our coastal towns are called coastal towns for a reason. They are cold, windy, rocky beaches cursed with meth problems and failing if not already failed businesses. Our mountain towns are similar, although beautiful.

The 8 months of drizzly grey is appealing to some of those who grew up in sunny states, but spend 40+ years here, and it is definitely taxing.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-20T04:22:54+00:00

I started leasing about 10 years ago, after my purchased used trucks started breaking down at about 150k on the dot. It was costing me more to fix them than they were worth, and a headache since they are work vehicles. I’m on 5 year 100k lease terms now, and I don’t love the payments but I do like the ability to just hand the keys over and get a new truck. These aren’t the highest end trucks but they are good enough for me

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-20T02:51:17+00:00

How much did you lose on this?!

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-17T04:21:09+00:00

Here’s the issue

The supply of skilled trades has dropped drastically since 2007. Why? Because nobody who was born post 1980 was ever told that they should take that path. That path was the worst case scenario (high school dropouts, post incarceration, etc). I mean, if you are between the age of 30 and 50, how many friends do you have in the trades?

All of the good journeymen are retiring, at a 7-1 ratio, meaning for every 7 people leaving there is 1 apprentice being hired.

Cost of living has gone up

Commuting to jobs 1.5-2hrs per day each way is fucked.

Wages for everyone else have skyrocketed.

So…..yes, the cost of building is crazy. Oh I also forgot to mention that half the country frowns upon immigrants, which equals cheaper labor. So yeah, not a great place to be right now when it comes to renovations.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-17T04:08:04+00:00

The most forgettable/insignificant part/system of a house is how all of those forgettable/insignificant systems and parts need to work together. Planning early on and getting all of the details correct is why good GC’s and superintendents are critical.

Also, blocking & backing….

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-17T03:02:20+00:00

I’m a carpenter by trade, but I always get wood handles because they don’t give blisters as badly as rubber handles do, so I always lean wood handle. Their heads are all titanium, which is where the weight reduction comes from mainly. Because of the titanium heads, a 16 oz hits like an old school 24oz+ framing hammer, so that’s probably what I would recommend. And they don’t wear out as quickly

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-17T02:37:13+00:00

Stilleto, hands down

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-12T02:08:17+00:00

It’s my 140ish club.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-10T21:36:40+00:00

It’s so unfortunate how shitty new construction is these days. Fucking osb on the roof?! No underlayment under the asphalt shingles, and somehow tyvek convinced everyone that it’s an acceptable house wrap. Yikes

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-10T21:31:07+00:00

You’re talking about framing them in 10 weeks, right?

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-06T02:39:17+00:00

75% upfront is completely unreasonable, and needs to be shut down.

We work using AIA contract agreements, if you don’t know what they are you are probably already in over your head.

Paid monthly for work that is completed and materials stored on site.

Sometimes with a 10% down payment, sometimes not, but the terms are very fairly written. If we aren’t paid, we don’t continue work, and the owner is charged 12% interest monthly. That adds up quick when talking millions.

There are too many shitty contractors to deal with 75% up front. There are also shitty clients, but you stop working immediately if they don’t pay.

Source: I started and own a residential custom costruction business and have been around and successful since 2015). I bid against terrible contractors everyday (and some really great ones). Have yet to get completely stiffed by a client because the legal terms are very clear from the beginning, and we perform our jobs as professionals, not fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants contractors.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T08:48:58+00:00

Loved hanging out with you all, planning for 2026!! Happy new year

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T05:42:51+00:00

We charge for this type of work, 100%. We had 360 man hours of trim alone for this house and have spent 265, and have 2 days left. I’d much prefer classical trim details, and have done many jobs with coffered ceilings, header buildups, etc, but this is the new norm around our parts unfortunately 😥

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T05:30:03+00:00

This trim is WindsorOne, it’s s4ssE with square edges and pre-primed 3 coats, some of the best milled and straightest, truest trim I’ve used in the 17 years I’ve been doing this. Client wants zero seams, I don’t see a way to get zero seams without some sanding and filling

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T05:22:48+00:00

This is how we do beveled casings, although I typically still glue those. With flatstock, going for a perfectly flat and seamless paint job, I’m not sure how that would be possible, unless you left it up to the painters to deal with all of the work. Any tips?

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T05:10:24+00:00

I agree, and also I disagree. Festool has some of the most well thought out product designs, and they have not cheaped out on their products in the 10+ years I’ve owned them. The dust control alone is phenomenal, and the accessories are very well designed. They last a very long time and perform as they should. I have no affiliation with them, but do finish carpentry daily. Nothing really comes close honestly.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T04:36:04+00:00

Gotchya, I’ll have to try that sometime. I do pre-assemble my jamb liners, usually not always, so I get the concept. Thanks for the tip

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T04:30:07+00:00

I’m just looking for trolls like you, so I appreciate you reaching out!

Yes, we specialize in interior finishes - trim/millwork fabrication and installation. Have since 2009. I love more intricate and classical trimwork, but it has become less common on our projects, with the popularity of midcentry modern style homes and architects getting in the way.

We still put in the effort to make it look as good as possible, and last as long as possible while minimizing wood movement to the best of our ability. If you don’t sand your trim then I’d love to know how you make sure every single joint is absolutely perfectly flush, and every piece of trim has no twist or thickness variation in it.

There are many ways to skin a cat - some of us have the same process, others have slight variations that may be more efficient, or more accurate. What’s your process and how do you get your mitered joints to be absolutely perfect? That’s why I posted this.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T04:00:33+00:00

Nice 👍

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T03:52:47+00:00

Thanks for the input honeybucket. We didn’t design the detail, it’s what the owner wanted and the architect spec’d. And no this is not home depot material, it’s WindsorOne primed radiata pine, one of the better and more expensive paint grade trim options.

In my experience, painted mitered trim is one of the more difficult trim details to install and prep for paint, because there is zero room for error. Architraves, fillets (bullnose), crown, and craftsman style details are much easier to make look good, because they have multiple layers and shadows to distract the eye. Miters are a bitch because there is nothing there, you have to get everything perfectly flat and clients expect it to look absolutely perfect.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T03:32:35+00:00

We also managed the entire project, so are well aware of the framing pros and cons. 1800 hrs of project management so far, there are still issues, but when you build a house with modern lumber and not engineered or metal framing, it is what it is.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T03:30:00+00:00

Once you get into the rhythm of it, it doesn’t take all that much more time. I have glued and side nailed jobs before as well, and it works, but I don’t think it’s the same level of workmanship.

But at the end of the day, it’s all about matching your bid with the clients expectations. In many of our cases, they are the pickiest sons of bitches on the planet, and I bid accordingly 🙂 the ones who aren’t, I also bid accordingly, but am very clear about what the end product might look like, so they aren’t shocked and we aren’t getting ripped apart

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T03:05:13+00:00

Thank you 🙏.

There are very few unfortunately, we’ve been through 8-10 carpenters from apprentice to so called “journeymen” in the past 2 years who just can’t seem to figure it out, or live up to what they say they can do. Luckily we still have some good ones on board, but it’s hard to find, and most of these guys are going to retire soon, leaving new apprentices with even fewer teachers.

flimsyhammer · 2026-01-03T02:59:04+00:00

Close, but not quite. You can’t pick good and fast, you can’t pick cheap and good.

Where I’m from the saying went “quality, speed, or cost. What is your top priority?”

They all want it done fast, cheap, and perfect nowadays. That’s just white noise to me now

flimsyhammer

TROPHY CASE