Like you said, Tom, the biggest problem is how organized the GC is.
One of the contractors I'm working for called me to install pillar lights and a receptacle for a fountain in the backyard of a house he was putting a brick patio on.
Oh, BTW, do we need to trench anything?
I came out to look at the site, and discovered he hadn't JULIEd the site, despite the fact that the fountain was 15' away from a resi dist. xformer (BIG GREEN BOX), a cable TV hub (big gray box) and a phone hub (big putty box).
I told him JULIE or I walk. That stalled the job a week or so until the all marked/clear.
I also gave him a rough number for materials. I got my mats $$, then busted my butt digging 50 some feet for 2 trenches through that lovely southeastern WI clay soil (he ablked at using a trencher so close to UG lines).
I finished everything but the trim out, and asked for some dinero, I was told that he'd told the H.O. "X" dollars as a rough total, and received half up front.
After getting changes from the H.O. (and not having a specific change order policy), he'd dipped into his own company money to pay for the extras, and was going to bill the H.O. at the end of the gig.
After we were all done, I gave him a "statement" with the rate section blank - just showing that I'd spent 35 hours working at the site. He told he he'd just given the H.O. a flat rate for running the power.
He's been decent wit hme on a few smaller jobs before, but there's a difference in the "friends and family" rate, and the one as a sub.
A
big difference.
I'm going to have to have a sit-down with him, and tell him that I don't give out prices for snow plowing and grass cutting - he shouldn't give out prices for running wire... at least before knowing how much materials will cost.
When are you going at it full time Doug?
So far, I'm still doing the FD thing as my main gig... something about being eligible for my pension on 8 years
A buddy I've subbed for just got his ticket, and supposedly has a few GC's lined up who want him to do some new construction - if he actually gets all the work that's promised, he'll use me as a foreman.
In the meantime, one of the EC's we used to "swap" folks with at my old shop is looking for a call-in guy, and my old foreman suggested me. I've gotta call the owner and talk with him.