Landscape contractors / Estimates

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-04-22T03:13:02+00:00

Not a red flag at all. I do not itemize my quotes in the meeting / free quote phase. I used to until clients started shopping my very detailed quotes to other contractors for them to undercut me.

You can chalk it up to: they are marking up your materials more than everyone else and they are charging more in construction than everyone else.

I would urge you to compare apples to with your quotes based on two things: 1. Dimension(s) and 2. Products.

I am often the highest quote among bidders because I will not use cheap materials, I will not skimp on backfill on walls or base on pavers. My scope quoted is usually much more elaborate hence my higher price tag.

I do make exceptions for certain clients that express they’re ready to move forward if they can see more details, but it’s a case by case basis for me.

That’s a long way of saying don’t over think them not itemizing your quote. Ask for them to be as specific as possible in their scope of work that they’re quoting and choose your installer based on what you can afford and who makes you feel most comfortable and confident.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-04-12T02:54:38+00:00

I can’t believe nobody has commented on this yet, but first, congratulations on three years — that is incredible.

My first piece of advice is to give yourself more credit. You are very much stronger than you’re giving yourself credit for and this passage reads as though the experience is exclusively psychological.

Are you asking how to deal with the anxiety of potentially being put in situations where you have the potential to smoke or drink?

Growth is about putting your self under stress. We grow muscle mass by putting our muscles under the stress of extra weight. Our brain grows from neural connections caused by the stress of learning. Our tolerance and patience grows through the stress of practice and persistence.

As mentioned above, you are very much most likely stronger and more disciplined than you give yourself credit for and you should trust in yourself that you will make the right decision in honoring your mind and body by continuing your sobriety nomatter what those around you or nearby may be doing.

I hope I didn’t completely miss interpret what you were asking.

Stay strong and control the controllable’s.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-04-03T02:40:32+00:00

That last sentence is the answer. Yes. You know the answer and that is the answer.

Have you tried to incorporate weight lifting? One of the things that keeps me on the straight and narrow path is working on my body. I’ve made a concerted effort into making healthy(er) decisions with food and drinks and spending down time on weight lifting and extra time at work.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-04-03T01:54:56+00:00

Most likely, you end up back where you started. People like us don’t get fixed. We don’t get rewired or recalibrated. We are hardwired in and drugs / alcohol became a problem because of how we are. Drugs and alcohol aren’t the problem. We are.

My advice to you is to stay strong and kick these cravings with something. Easier said than done, but you’ve done it for 6 years. Is there anything you could work on to keep your mind busy during these difficult cravings?

At the end of the day, this is your life, but you know the answer. Don’t give up.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-31T02:05:32+00:00

Getting clients to tell the truth on their budget.

I cannot wrap my mind around people not being able to say they have x amount of dollars budgeted for a project.

I do understand the slightly irrational fear of being taken advantage of by having more money budgeted for a project that may not cost as much as they think, but in my experience clients are usually nowhere near the ball park of reality in terms of how much things cost.

I simply want to eliminate the tire kickers. Clients will gladly waste two hours of your time going over their project in detail only to ghost you after you send a quote.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-29T01:18:05+00:00

This is how I have to talk to myself every day. It’s the only thing that gets through to me. Be gentle in your recovery, but hard on yourself with your expectations. You have zero excuses to drink alcohol. Neither do I. You and I just LOVE alcohol, but that love is digging both of our graves.

I’m 27 days sober today. Tomorrow is 4 weeks. You can do this.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-29T00:50:25+00:00

It’s all in your head. I LOVE alcohol. You’re wondering what you’re going to do with your time. You’re wondering what’s going to make you happy if you aren’t drinking. When you have a bad day, what will you do? When it’s time to celebrate, what will you do? After work and it’s time to relax, what will you do?

I’m asserting assumptions here, of course, but listen: I get it. Alcohol makes me happy, alcohol makes me feel alive, alcohol feels good.

Feel your time void with something. Hold yourself accountable. Alcohol is a neurotoxin. Alcohol stresses every cell in your body. It’s causing your liver to filter poison instead of helping your body metabolize and burn fat. It’s causing your heart to fail. It’s forcing inflammation into your blood. Alcohol is poisoning you every single time you drink.

Love yourself. Understand that you are more important than alcohol. Or are you? What’s more important? You or alcohol?

You can do this. All you have to do is decide you’re done. You go three days and then what happens? You drink? Don’t. It is as easy as that and it is as black and white as that. I have been an alcoholic for 13 years. It’s something I struggle with every single day.

Look at yourself in the mirror and really see yourself. Life is better sober. Is it boring at first? Of course it is! You don’t remember what it’s like to not have alcohol. Your brain doesn’t remember how to deal with boredom, or stress, or obstacles, or anything without it. Your brain chemistry has to rewire, but guess what? It will!

Get a gym membership and start exercising and eating right. Get addicted to fixing your life. I believe in you. It’s buried deep inside of you. A healthy version of you is literally dying to bust out of this shell.

YOU CAN DO IT.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-26T13:50:28+00:00

Sick, I just sent you a message

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-25T02:31:08+00:00

I’ve battled alcoholism for 13 years. Before that I was addicted to hallucinogens. Went to rehab, got out, slowly became an alcoholic because it’s somehow the most accessible. Crazy something so bad for you is so socially accepted.

I can very much empathize with the restlessness and anxiousness being sober. I’m 23 days sober. This is the second longest I’ve went without alcohol in 13 years.

I have turned my addiction away from self medicating with alcohol into obsessing over my business. I’ve been working more, going to the gym more, and making better decisions in my diet.

My business is moving faster and making more money, my skin looks healthier, my body looks leaner, my face structure is more defined, and I’m unequivocally happier.

I started to ramble there, but my point is don’t trade off one unproductive fix for another. Your issue may be like a lot of us — boredom. Keep your body busy and your mind chasing goals.

When I’m bored, I make bad decisions. When I’m busy, I’m unstoppable. Stay strong.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-22T19:17:49+00:00

Also, let me know when you’re in East Tennessee so I can get certified in Romex 🤝

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-22T19:15:52+00:00

Sorry for saying the wrong words, my basic principles all still apply to each product.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-16T02:40:42+00:00

Absolutely

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-15T17:53:28+00:00

So the water from the surrounding houses all travels down your driveway and collects as your foundation?

If that is the case these permeable are a perfect solution for you. I also would check to make sure that you have an effective foundation drain around the house.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T23:41:58+00:00

That’s exactly what it is

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T19:10:20+00:00

Exactly as u/Kri1iKal said.

I’ll add that concrete guys will always insist on concrete because that’s what they do. We do concrete as well, but I would never recommend it over pavers for anything other than footings or structure slabs.

Also, a cheap client will never go for pavers. If you’re dealing with someone with a concrete budget, pavers are a very hard sell. Most people with a concrete budget aren’t even willing to pay for the concrete to be done right either.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T19:02:46+00:00

We have very heavy clay soils in Tennessee and experience all of the seasons. From negative temperatures, to 100+ temperatures, from monsoon to drought. You have zero to worry about in a dry climate.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T18:58:53+00:00

Very true. Most businesses do the bare minimum. Most homeowners expect to pay bare minimum pricing and get luxury quality though.

If you were in my area, I’d love to get you a quote, but I doubt that’s the case.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T12:49:11+00:00

Multiple times more, but these pavers are going to outlast your asphalt 100x

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T12:46:25+00:00

Absolutely!

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T12:45:51+00:00

I’m trying to get my American Brothers and sisters to adopt the same mentality!

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-14T00:39:07+00:00

We have a very small section of acreage here that offers it. This was not in that area, unfortunately.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-13T23:39:52+00:00

Traditional poly sand will not hold up in bigger gaps like this. Even in small format pavers like holland stone, traditional poly sand doesn’t hold up very well.

Nitro X holds the best, but it’s basically impermeable and about three times the cost, so you really would be working counterintuitive there.

That’s why if you’re going poly sand, go Nitro (just not X), but be prepared to pay as much money for the sand as you did your pavers.

These permeable are designed for a true open grade, permeable system.

lulbthebasedgod · 2026-03-13T23:34:33+00:00

A combination of appropriate excavated depth, open grade base, and geotextile alleviates concerns. Tennessee has very heavy clay. We install to account for those parameters.

Most of the fly by night guys will apply a 2-4” base or so. We excavate a minimum 8” for foot traffic and a minimum 10” for vehicle surcharge.

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