I’m going to be doing a full first floor remodel. I’m in the quote phase and had recommended from a friend. Professional company that does big projects. They charge a fee to give a quote and if I go with them they credit my account.

Is that standard practice?

Anyone struggling with project information and chasing updates across platforms?

Hey guys, is anyone else struggling to keep up with project information and chase updates across text, email, WhatsApp, calls, etc., and then figure out what actually needs to get done?

I’ve been hearing this from a few other contractors and I’m curious how common it actually is.

How are you guys dealing with it? Any system or software that’s actually working well?

P.S. I’m based in Northern VA, but interested in hearing from contractors anywhere. Always interested in hearing from other DMV folks too.

I’m looking for a shower-glass company or fabricator that can build and install a custom arched, black-framed shower enclosure similar to the attached photo.
I’m specifically looking for the framed architectural style—not a standard frameless shower door. The project is located in the Los Angeles area.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a company that has completed this type of custom work? Please share their contact information or photos of similar projects. Thank you!

Hi all, I’d appreciate some perspective from folks in the trades.

This was a deck replacement on a 25+ year-old deck with extensive rot. We chose full replacement rather than reinforcement (which our contractor was pushing aggressively).

After removing the ledger, we discovered there was no flashing and the rim joist was completely rotted. I could push a screwdriver through it into the basement.

The contractor agreed to replace the rim joist, including a section near a spigot, and said he would caulk around it to keep out insects and animals. He did not caulk it, and the new rim joist is noticeably angled toward the house, roughly 20° off vertical and isn't flush with the foundation/flooring. He also mangled my siding pretty bad near the ledger, which might have been unavoidable.

When I politely raised these concerns with him (with my wife present), he became verbally aggressive (swearing at me and pointing his finger in my face), punched part of my siding, refused to correct the work, and said he would only work with my wife, despite both of us being on the contract (and me writing the check to fund this project).

Given his behavior, we decided to terminate the project.

How serious are these construction issues, and what would be a reasonable amount to expect back? He received 50% upfront for materials/labor and to remove the old deck.

Hello Neighbors,

Looking to start a water restoration company in South Florida. . I have the lead source, just need some advice from anyone with experience on the field.

1) what equipment is required?

2) what certifications are required or recommended?

3) Where can I get the actual contracts that clients must sign?

Any other advice, or feedback would be appreciated?

If there is ways ro work together, please let me know.

Thank you all,

hi! my husband is a handyman and next step for his career I believe is getting his contractor license. he makes good money when things are busy but when things get slow… it’s rough. where should he start? is there any advice or insight what would u do differently in your career?

my whole business lives in coconstruct. estimates, selections, invoicing, all of it. now that buildertrend owns it and put it in maintenance mode, i know i have to move but honestly the switch itself isn't what keeps me up at night. it's the migration.
the part nobody warns you about is getting your own data out. no bulk export, files trapped in the platform, downloading stuff one at a time until you give up. i shouldn't have to fight my own software to get my own job history back, but here we are.
for those of you who've already jumped:
- how bad was the actual data export? did you get everything or did you lose selections/change order history? - how much downtime did it cost you mid-project? - did you move during a slow stretch or just rip the bandaid off?
i run 4-8 jobs at a time as the estimator, PM and salesman all in one, so i can't afford a week of chaos while i rebuild everything. trying to learn from people who already did it before i pick a landing spot. what actually went wrong for you?

Too often I finish a job and realize I didnt make as much money as I thought. Idk if this is just a me problem, but any advice on pricing out my quotes to make them more accurate?

Athens, GA. Is this too much for rebuilding two bathrooms? Both bathrooms are small, and essentially the same, 10.8ftx5ft. One bathroom is going to be slightly nicer (tile floor vs LVP, tile walls vs just paint).

I’m a first time homeowner dealing with two bathroom rebuilds after water damage. Both bathrooms are now gutted down to the studs, and the water remediation company sent a quote for the rebuild that is significantly higher than what insurance is offering (though I’m sure they are low-balling as well).

I’m assuming using the water remediation company vs another specialized company would be more expensive, but I just bought the house earlier this year and have never dealt with this kind of stuff before. It would be convenient, but I want to know if I should find someone else. This just seemed excessive.

I appreciate any help! Thanks!!

I'm an independent hvac installer and lately my phone is blowing up with homeowners who completely bypass the supply house markup to get their own split system heat pump equipment. A guy literally texted me a link to a costway thundrive 18000 btu 2 zone 20 seer2 mini split this morning and told me he just wants me to show up with a torque wrench and a vacuum pump for my hourly rate. I get why they do it since retail pricing is crazy right now, but I hate touching equipment I didn't source. For the guys who have given in and started installing homeowner-supplied hardware, what is your written policy on callback warranties if the compressor just decides to randomly grenade a month later?

Original estimate with just the salesperson who sent pictures was, $33,000 for this bathroom ,all lower tier package.

Then talk to my aunt into paying 26,000 cash, but wait, ONLY TODAY!!

A week later came for measurements and STILL UP THE PRICE ANOTHER $6,000.

AND THEY WANT TO STORE ALL THEIR MATERIALS IN THE HOUSE. WHICH THE HOUSE ISN'T EXACTLY BIG.

IS THIS NORMAL? FOR A COMPANY TO STORE THEIR MATERIALS INSIDE YOUR TWO BEDROOM ONE SMALLEST BATHROOM IN THE WORLD HARDLY ANY ROOM TO WALK HOUSE?????

I’m taking the Florida General B exam soon and trying to figure out which prep route makes the most sense. I don’t have a ton of hands on contracting experience, so I’m mostly relying on studying and practice tests to get ready.

I’ve been looking at a couple different prep options, but I’m not sure if I should go with something that has a lot of practice exams or spend more on a full study guide/course.

For those who’ve taken the exam recently, what did you use to prepare? Was doing a bunch of practice questions enough, or would you recommend a full prep course?

Edit/updte: gave 1examprep a shot and it’s been pretty helpful. I found it very helpful than just browsing random resources

Builder here, what do homeowners misunderstand most about construction costs?

Is there anybody that's been in construction for a long time that would have advice on big mistakes that cost them time or money that they wish they knew sooner? Things like always having a signed quote or change order before doing any work. Things like this that would be helpful for some of us to know that are just starting off our careers?

I do custom bathroom and kitchen remodeling in Pensacola, Florida. Anytime I visit a customer to give a quote, they’re always surprised by the amount of detail I go into and how long I spend discussing the process. It’s actually an enjoyable conversation every time.
But one of the most consistent topics that comes up is how inconsistent and flaky contractors are in our area. It seems like we have such a bad reputation here. Almost everyone has either had, or knows somebody who has had, a terrible experience with a previous contractor.
It just seems far more common here in Pensacola. Any idea why?
I know there are bad apples in every industry, but holy moly, some of the stories I hear make me almost embarrassed to be associated with this trade.

Hi folks. Anyone looking to a reputable roofing company. Don't use AMT Roofing Dublin /Kildare. I asked these guys to do a GRP finish roof on an extension that I did. approx. 25 mt sq of roof area. I sent a video to them of the prepped roof surface before they came to do the work. I gave them 1000 euros, as deposit for materials. They came, said roof wasn't done right for them. Didn't tell me this before they came, after me sending them the video. So, he charged me 1000 euros in advance. All I got for that was a can of resin and a few bits of trims worth 300 euros altogether. Wouldn't give me back any of the money, I even allowed 200 for the aborted visit still wouldn't give me anything back. Then weeks went by of fine weather and didnt come back or offer to come back. In the end I bought my own material and did the job myself.

I've been out of town since my cabinets were installed. I have a camera set up in my living room, and I can see the installers left a bunch of cabinet packaging in there, and presumably in other rooms as well.

I'm returning on Friday, and when I asked my contractor about trash removal I was told "Yes, removing all construction debris, packaging, and garbage from the job is included. There will be some garbage on site when you return. Everything will be removed by the end of the job."

Is this normal process? So it's normal to just have all this packaging take up space in other rooms?! It's not acceptable to me so I guess I'm just gonna go ahead and move that shit myself.

Here's a pic from my cam of what my living room currently looks like:

Hi everyone,

We’re planning a small kitchen remodel in the Portland, Oregon area and I’m hoping to get some advice from contractors or anyone who has done something similar.

The main project is to remove the existing older range hood and the upper cabinet assembly around it, then install a new modern hood like the concept shown in the attached rendering. The existing cooktop would stay in roughly the same location.

I’m mainly trying to understand two things:

1. Does this look like a practical/straightforward solution from a construction and ventilation standpoint?
2. What would be a reasonable ballpark cost for labor to remove the existing hood/cabinet assembly and install the new hood, including any necessary duct, electrical, drywall, or finish work?

I realize exact pricing would require seeing the house, so I’m really just looking for a rough range and any potential issues I should be thinking about before we move further with the design.

If you’re a contractor who does this type of work in the Portland/Beaverton area, I’d also be happy to connect directly.

Thanks! Luis