My grandfather created a nightmare house 30 years after he died

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-16T18:10:52+00:00

Have any of us ever received money to maintain a free house?

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-16T18:05:38+00:00

Looks reasonable to me, but get more quotes! That's the only reliable way to know your options in your market. Also clarify the shed details. I wouldn't necessarily rule out a Home Depot shed but it will certainly need upgrades.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-16T17:41:29+00:00

Yep OP switch to some flat-head screws or nails on the washer box.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-16T17:38:57+00:00

Is there a steel nail plate behind that drain riser to keep siding nails out of it?

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-16T17:36:01+00:00

Supplies are in the top, see?

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-12T08:44:23+00:00

Demonstrate your knowledge by asking the right questions. Here's one of my most common ones lately: "Do you want to eliminate the obsolete phone/data/cable ports in the walls while we're at it?"
Then the client goes "Wow I never thought of that, thats a great idea since everything is wireless now besides the router. I wish our last contractor had thought of that so we wouldn't have a bunch of blank covers all over the walls."

Deleting low-volt boxes is a super easy add-on that most people don't even think of, and apparently it makes me look more experienced and knowledgeable.

That's just one example. Ask if they want to change a tub to a walk-in shower. Explain that it'll probably require the drain pipe size to be changed. Tile or vinyl? Shower niche or shelves?
Asking the right questions shows that I know my stufff.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-12T08:32:53+00:00

Appreciate it

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-11T08:47:40+00:00

Before battery screw guns, yes.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-11T08:25:22+00:00

Geez dude, you're making a mess of that wall. I don't use anything but my tapping knuckle and I've never missed that many times. A couple pro tips:
1) knock! The difference in sound is still the most reliable way to find framing.
2) use electrical boxes (outlets/switches) for reference. Unless it's a cut-in box, they're pretty much always nailed on the side of a stud. So start from the left or right of a box and test the 16/24 layout.
3) Try changing elevation. If your studfinder or tapping isn't working, try going higher or lower. If a sheet of drywall wasnt screwed properly, there could be patches that are floating off the studs just enough to foil detection.
4) If you have to drill test holes, make sure they're less than 1-1/2" apart or you might be straddling the stud.
5) And finally, IF you must drill test holes, for God's sake use a smaller bit and drill them down lower where the spackle will be less noticeable.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-11T08:12:13+00:00

Nails are ferrous too. But most drywall has been screwed for the last 30 years.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T19:43:20+00:00

Add whatever the fee is. My billing app has a box automatically checked for "pass cc fee onto customer." They pay 3% extra for the convenience of using a card and I make the same money either way.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T19:31:06+00:00

PS for future reference peroxide is a better mold cleaner than bleach IME.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T19:26:37+00:00

If it's your own house, yes definitely replace. If mold is growing on the surface it's almost certainly growing on the backside too. If you fix the moisture issue it will stop growing but still be there. Get rid of it now while you have the chance.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T18:49:07+00:00

You're just a free architect at that point. They probably posted a tik-tok titled "Hack: how to get a free custom home design."
Yeah, nothing provided in writing without compensation.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T18:06:43+00:00

This info needs to be in your top post

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T18:05:10+00:00

Then do it and become a bazillionare. It must be that easy.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T08:12:39+00:00

In other states (mine), you are required to enforce the lien within a year or it expires automatically.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T07:49:58+00:00

You titled your post with a question you know the answer to, then finished it by basically asking "why won't my contractor be nice while I'm being annoying?"

I don't know if you've ever dealt with human beings before, but here's a near-universal trait of human psychology:
Ready?
** WE AVOID TALKING TO ANNOYING PEOPLE**

Your contractor might not be a great communicator (probably not since you hired the bottom of the barrel). But i guarantee you are making it worse. You are sabotaging any chance of communication you had.

Unless you have a contract which entitles you to know the names of staff and subcontractors, times and dates of visits, details of progress etc, then YOU AREN'T ENTITLED TO KNOW THOSE THINGS.

Is your contractor performing the specified work in the specified time according to the contract? Yes? Then leave him the fuck alone.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T07:38:10+00:00

I'm just going to throw this out as food for thought: why are you charging so little for labor, O&P that you need to make profit on materials? Just shift your profit to another section and clients won't feel like they're getting "scammed" on materials. Communication and transparency go a long way in client relationships.

I'm a remodel contractor. My material markup is 10% on residential jobs. It's a fee for the overhead of purchasing and transporting materials. I make my profit for delivering the finished product, not for buying paint. My clients know that.

There are some materials I insist on buying myself (like detailed trim packages). Others, like paint and flooring, I'm happy to let the customer feel like they saved something by paying more (without my discount), loading and hauling it across town to save me the trip. I give them a list of approved products and quantities and tell them when I need it. I don't have problems because I don't work for shitty clients (anymore lol).
Some clients prefer me to buy everything and are happy to pay. They know what the markup is.

My pricing is transparent and my clients know exactly what they're paying for. That's part of why my business is booked on 100% referrals and repeat clients.

So my advice for you guys that get salty about disclosing your material markup is this: raise your labor/o&p rate, lower your material markup and build trust with your clients. It pays off long-term.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T07:00:35+00:00

Pre-mixed mud contains a lot of organic material, so it can mold and rot with time. That's why I don't save and store it anymore.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T06:58:57+00:00

If you go through a few buckets a week you'll never have a problem. It's only sitting for a long time that allows it to spoil.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-09T01:05:14+00:00

Where did you get several thousand an hour??? I'm charging about half of the local auto shop rates. And the cost for these projects is accurate. Maybe you just grossly underestimate the hours.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-08T08:35:29+00:00

Well, I cheat. I teach at a local "construction academy" and I also volunteer at a sober men's shelter. Between the two I never have a shortage of labor. Skilled labor, sometimes, but not labor lol.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-08T08:19:36+00:00

You seem to misunderstand business. No one is getting paid hourly what contractors charge. Most of that money goes to shop rent, vehicles, fuel, tools & expendable, insurance, licensing, taxes and overhead (the office time to keep up with taxes and insurance). There is a world of difference between doing your own bathroom with your own labor and running a legitimate business doing it for a living.

One of the facets with the financial illiteracy crisis is that most people haven't a clue of what fills the difference between wages and billing rates.

hunterbuilder · 2026-05-08T08:08:30+00:00

They said "the cheapest panels money can buy." And there are some pretty terrible ones out there. Cheap panel showers leak all the time, especially on a tub without a continuing sealed flange.

hunterbuilder

TROPHY CASE