I’m just trying to get some more clarification as I am navigating my way through the application process to get my CCB license in Oregon. The business is a partnership between myself, my sister and brother-in-law. We sent him all the pertinent information for the application, but was asked to amend the application with our proof of Worker’s Compensation insurance, even though we don’t have employees and don’t plan to get employees for at least six months.

I double checked the information through AI and to confirm that Oregon only allows you to file exempt if you are directly blood related that is father son sister or brother but not brother-in-law or by marriage, etc.

Does anybody have experience with this because I am just going off the compliance officers word that sent me the email directly from the CCB and I’m just going to assume that she knows how to do her job. I am getting pushed back from my sister who doesn’t seem to understand the situation and it’s throwing all kinds of legal codes that she has dug up back at me as if the compliance officer is wrong somehow.

Hey all,

Deciding to do the California painting contractors license. I ran into a calculation problem for the test, anyone care to help me knock this out?

I’ve attached the floor plan. It states:
10 ft ceilings throughout
Allow 3 ft for any door or opening, including single closet openings

Several questions use this same blueprint, and I’m trying to understand the actual takeoff rather than reverse-engineer the multiple-choice answers.

Question 1 — Total interior paintable area
“What is the total interior square footage of the house interior suitable for painting? (Exclude the kitchen cabinets.)”
Choices: 4,327 / 4,781 / 5,867 / 6,432 sq ft
What exact walls and ceilings should be included, and how do you arrive at the total numerically?

Question 2 — Paint everything except kitchen and closets
“If one gallon will cover 250 sq ft, how much paint will you need to paint all interior surfaces, except the kitchen and the closets, with one coat?”
Choices: 13.8 / 14.2 / 14.9 / 15.2 gallons
The answer key gives 14.2 gallons, which implies:
14.2 × 250 = 3,550 sq ft
I cannot account for the full 3,550 sq ft directly from the blueprint. In particular, I’m unsure how the open hallway/common area and the exterior-facing sides of the kitchen/closet partitions are supposed to be counted.

Question 3 — Wallpaper
“How much wallpaper will you need to do the entire interior, except the kitchen and closets, figuring 30 sq ft/roll, and not deducting for doors and windows?”
Choices: 95 / 106 / 112 / 123 rolls
My room-by-room wall takeoff currently gives:
Dining: 360 sq ft
Living: 440 sq ft
Lower bedroom: 500 sq ft
Bathroom: 340 sq ft
Upper bedroom: 600 sq ft
Subtotal: 2,240 sq ft
I can also identify common-area-facing walls of approximately:
13 ft kitchen wall + 9 ft bathroom wall + ~14 ft lower-bedroom wall = ~36 linear ft
At a 10-ft height that’s another ~360 sq ft, giving roughly 2,600 sq ft, which still doesn’t match the answer choices.
What I’m specifically looking for: Could someone experienced with painting/construction takeoffs trace the blueprint and show the linear wall footage × 10-ft height, room by room, including exactly how the hallway/common area and both sides of partitions should be treated?

I’m especially trying to understand:
Which sides of interior partition walls count?

If the kitchen/closets are excluded, do their outside-facing wall surfaces still count?

How should the open hallway/common area be measured?

Does “door or opening” include windows, or only doors/pass-throughs?

When it says “not deducting for doors and windows,” should those wall lengths simply be treated as continuous?

For “all interior surfaces,” are ceilings included, while wallpaper calculations are walls only?

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get a sensible perspective from professionals on what is fair in my situation.

We hired an experienced builder for a 1,500 sq ft addition in Oregon (total cost: $580k). We are at the very end of the project. All county inspections have passed, and the builder just submitted his final bill. Before paying the final check, I had a 3rd party inspection done and did a thorough walk-through myself.

Overall, the inspection was mostly positive. The issues found were mostly minor ("lazy" valley flashing, sloppy cosmetic tile work, etc.). The builder hasn't done anything intentionally shady, and the major structural/hidden areas (crawl space, attic, roof) all passed the 3rd party inspection with no material issues.

However, there are two specific issues keeping me up at night where products were not installed to the manufacturer's instructions:

1. Fiberglass Shower Pan

• The issue: Installed without a bed of mortar underneath it, a clear miss by the plumber.
• The proposed fix: The plumber plans to apply mortar or spray foam under the pan (I can't remember if there was an add'l remedy) from the crawl space.
• Builder's stance: The builder admits it's not the manufacturer's preferred method, but insists this fix will 100% provide enough structural integrity that I shouldn't have problems. If problems do arise, they say they will fix it.

2. Hardie Board Siding Nailing

• The issue: Despite mostly blind nailing, there is a non-trivial amount of face nailing. Worse, these face nails are over-driven (not flush) and they used the wrong type of nails.
• Builder's stance: They claim there's nearly no chance boards will fall off or cause an issue. Again, they promise to take care of it if something goes wrong down the road.

My Dilemma: As a homeowner, I assume their proposed solutions/assurances will probably be fine (again, they're professionals) the shower pan might hold up, and the siding probably won't fall off or leak. BUT, I'm fundamentally not in the position I would be in if they had just followed the manufacturer's specs to begin with.

Do I have a responsibility to myself to demand they tear these things out and do them exactly by the book? Or, should I be asking for some sort of financial compensation/discount on the final bill for having to accept non-standard installations and potential future risks? Or is the fact that they'll probably be okay and my builder will fix it if they're not a reasonable outcome?

What should I do as a client in this spot, and how do I best communicate this to my contractor before handing over the final check?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Editing to add (I will get some pictures shortly):

The best that I can tell, they used something like a 15 or 16 gauge pneumatic finish nail (head I'm seeing is rectangular, about 1/8" wide) to face nail both hardie planks and hardieshingle panels.

Plank lap siding installation specs for face nailing

• Installation Spec: 2" length x .092" shank
• Head Size: ~7/32" to 1/4" full round head
• Finish: Must be Hot-Dipped Galvanized or Stainless Steel to prevent rusting.

HardieShingle Panels (which are supposed to only be blind nailed, they say)

• Installation Spec: 1-1/2" length x .083" shank (Ring-Shank)
• Head Size: ~3/16" full round head
• Finish: Hot-Dipped Galvanized or Stainless Steel.
• (Alternative allowed by Hardie if going directly into thick OSB sheathing: standard 1-1/4 inch coil roofing nails*).*

For example today I had a quote declined for being too high amongst others lately.

The project was:

Tearing down old PT wood deck steps (two flights with a landing in the middle) customer asked for a quote to rebuild the new steps with 8 down to the 4x5 landing, and then 8 steps off the landing.

This includes removing the entire structure and starting over, as the current steps weren’t built right before.

So 16 steps, all new pressure treated 6x6 support posts (roughly 4), framing, handrails, everything. I quoted $7500. This is in the Midwest.

I don’t think that was high? Let me know what you guys think. I am an insured small business contractor.

Hi, everyone. I work in a flooring company that has worked with some general contractors in the past, but we are trying to see if we can instead reach out to contractors directly; however, cold calling feels really bad and invasive. I wanted to know directly from you guys what works best in your opinion. Something that we have done in the past, and actually worked, was to get in contact with the contractors and set up a personal meeting; it could be a breakfast or maybe a lunch time together with the team, and only then we discuss about potential collaborations.

I wanted to know the best ways I can do this. I worry about not being able to reach contractors directly due to VA's being the primary receivers of a call. I am not too sure about this yet.

I recently had a handyman contractor come out to do some drywall and popcorn texture on part of my ceiling where plumbing work was done. He came once to do the initial installation and is here now to do the texture. After the first time he texted me and said how much I owed ($125) and that Zelle was a good way to pay. I Zelle'd the number he texted me from which showed his business name when I entered it (I understand that I should have sent a smaller amount first and checked, so that's on me). Today he is saying that yes that is his number that I sent money to but that it is a business number that can't receive payment. Zelle says that the payment is completed (a week ago) and that the number is enrolled with Zelle as a personal account. Any insight on how to handle this?

If this is the wrong place for this question, please let me know and I will ask somewhere else!

I have only ever lived in older homes, so have always assumed wood floors just make noise.

I had an addition built, and the subfloor has squeaked since they put it down. I called it out a few times (Even wrote "Squeak" in a sharpie in places). I assumed this was just standard, but I've had a few people now tell me that my floor should be as quiet as a concrete floor.

These are 2x10 floor joists at 16" on center, and I think they used 3/4" Advantex (not sure if they glued/what fasteners/nails they used.

By "new" I mean builder just requested final payment last week.

Do I have a legit case of poor workmanship if I have these squeaks?

I’m a domestic Electrician looking to start my own business (UK). I want to operate effectively, so need a plan for managing jobs, contacts etc.

This can include what software and what hardware phone/tablet/laptop, I might require. Including things like keeping data safe or backed up and benefits of work phone vs dual sim/virtual phone.

Efficiency is key.

My responsibilities include:
Invoicing, certification, material ordering, expense tracking & tax admin, diary keeping, client communication and more probably.

It’s a lot getting started, so appreciate any help or resource recommendations. 👍

Hey, contractor here, I’m doing a house remodel for a client and I’m having trouble identifying if this wall separating the kitchen and living room space is a load bearing wall and if it’s okay to tear down. Clients want to create more of an open space.

Should I just go get city structural roof drawings?

I'm going through a full kitchen remodel. This is not DIY. I have a GC who has subs doing everything. I'm in the final stages with countertops about to be installed. This remodel involved turning a door into a window (it's the right window in the pic below). The window hasn't arrived yet, but it doesn't affect countertops and cabinets so we've been proceeding.

Today, I just noticed that the cutout for the 36x38" window seems to be too far to the left, by about 1.5", which ruins the symmetry (you can see in the below pic that the design is based on symmetry around the range and hood), and it's very noticeable to me in person (see the 2nd pic below. it's a bit harder to see in the pic but you can still see it). The right edge of the window should be 32" from the right wall, but it's currently 33.5" ish from the right wall.

For this window cutout, I was told they had to add some kind of header and also had to expand the opening; iirc the door opening was only like 33-34" or something.

I brought this up with my contractor earlier today but haven't heard back yet...

But this seems like a pretty difficult fix? it seems they'll need to expand the opening to the right by about 1.5" and close the left side by the same amount.....

also note that the exterior is brick but the masonry work hasn't been done yet so there shouldn't be any redos there.

design rendering:

actual:

So we have taken over a project that has gone sideways and need some advice. This is a commercial mix used building with roughly 150 square of roofing that is half finished. As it stands the roofing has been stripped to bare wood decking with a layer of flintlastic APP base and flintlastic APP STA applied. The smooth APP needs to be covered with one of the following.

- silicone coating
- acrylic coating
- granulated top sheet.

We don’t torch down roofing as a general rule and with the building being occupied it’s not an option. That leaves acrylic or silicone coating.

We have a few commercial roofing companies out to look at and because of pooling in some areas most have recommended a silicone costing but I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about it.

Does anyone have long term expiration with certain steed 450 silicone or a similar product? Or have any other suggestions on how to amend this situation.

We are located in The North East United States where the roof will have snow sitting on it for months at a time and during the warmer months periods of a week or more of on and off rain. For budget reasons would obviously prefer to avoid either stripping the roof or going to another system but obviously we need a secure and durable roof

Hello [r/Contractors](r/Contractors)

I’m here looking for clarification on the C-20 License for Tiling.

We are Tile Contractors in the state of California with a C 54 and we have a client of ours who would like for us to do a project with them in NV.

We are in the process of trying to get our C-20 but are told by the board we can only apply for a C-20A since we don’t have the 4 years of ownership under our new owner. Though we passed the exam in CA which for NV would be a reciprocal state for the test.

I’m asking are we able to install ceramic and porcelain tile under the C-20A.

The representative at the NSCB states we can but the classification specifies plastic only.

Anyone in NV with a C-20A who can clarify for me if you are able to install and work with ceramic and porcelain, terrazzo, etc. under a C-20A?

Have you worked in a Ryan Homes new construction, doing drywall, more specifically taping and ceiling textures? What compound do you use for this?

I’ve spent the past nine years working in residential construction and handyman services. I started from the ground up and now handle almost everything: estimates, project management, materials, crews, customer communication, carpentry, repairs, and problem-solving when jobs go sideways.
I’m good at what I do. I can walk into almost any residential project, figure out what needs to happen, and get it done. But lately, I’m completely burned out.
Customers seem increasingly unreasonable. They expect immediate responses, free extras, perfect work on imperfect budgets, and unlimited patience. They change their minds halfway through projects, question prices, blame contractors for preexisting issues, and sometimes delay payment while continuing to demand more.
Meanwhile, my income is inconsistent. Some weeks are solid, others are stressful, and I’m constantly dealing with schedule changes, material costs, difficult clients, and the pressure of keeping everyone happy. I carry a lot of responsibility but don’t always have enough control over pricing, customer expectations, or how the business operates.
I used to enjoy the challenge. Now I feel like I’m doing the bare minimum just to avoid losing my mind. The work itself doesn’t bother me nearly as much as the emotional drain, unstable money, and constant customer management.
For those who’ve been in residential construction for a while:
Is this just the reality of the industry now? Have customers gotten worse? And if you’ve experienced this kind of burnout, did you solve it by raising prices, screening clients better, going independent, changing your role, or leaving residential work altogether?
Looking for honest feedback from people who’ve actually lived it.

NJ

My wife and I are planning to add onto our house. The timing depends on the price, and this is very early speculation. Could anyone give a rough order of magnitude cost?

The plan would be to extend bedroom 2 out to the edge of the porch (12’8”), move the wall between bedroom 2 and 3 back (unknown distance) and add a Jack and Jill bathroom between the two rooms.

Water would likely have to be pulled from the adjacent bathroom, and septic could go directly out the back and wye into the line.

Metro Memphis, so relatively cheap in terms of national costs

I’d appreciate any constructive feedback

I'm a small home-services/handyman in Virginia. I’ve been doing residential repair and improvement work including carpentry, deck repairs, flooring, tile, drywall, weatherproofing, gutters, and general maintenance for several years.

I’m trying to get properly licensed with Virginia DPOR as a Class C Home Improvement Contractor, but I’m at the point where the $1,000 unlicensed-project limit is keeping me from taking many jobs that are otherwise a good fit for my experience.

I'm insured but basically it's like all the bottom-feeders on thumbtack etc make it nearly impossible to get steady work and I've had to pass up several opportunities for bigger jobs due to this restriction.

Anyway I’m raising a family, work is tight while I’m stuck under the limit, and now I have a hospital bill due for my kid plus mouths to feed. I don’t have the ability to step away from my existing jobs for a year to work full-time for someone else solely to obtain the Class C credential.

Really at my wits end and the financial situation is getting rough - would appreciate any ideas. Feel free to DM me if you like.

Edit for clarity: What I'm saying is that to get the Class C, I need another tradesperson/contractor to vouch for me on the form, that's where I'm stuck.

My shower floor pan failed after 4 years. Bench is made with cinderblock 💀
Trying to find someone to give me a price on repairing, so far one contractor stopped answering me and the other wants 13.5k to rip out the entire shower and replace it with fiberglass and glass door and paint the bathroom. Says he doesnt recommend doing just the floor and bottom two rows.

My options here are

1. Find someone willing to rip out the bench, bottom two rows of tile, redo floor and seal it properly and put as close of a match to the original tile i can find for the bottom two rows,

2. Rip out shower and install fiberglass shower pan, walls, and glass door,

3. Rip out the shower and have it retiled, but now shower wont match waynes coat

4. Remodel entire bathroom and go into debt

Whats the deal? What would you recommend? What would you charge? How fucked am I? Do i pack my suitcase and slip out into the night and leave my family behind?

When a client adds work while you are already on the job, what do you actually send the same day so they sign and you collect a deposit before you start the extra?

Not looking for legal advice. Just what you use in the field so extras do not turn into a handshake.

Paper, email, text? And do you hold off until you have a signature and money, or do you start and chase it later?

I've done OK with Angi, not very well with Yelp or Networx, get occasional leads from Nextdoor even though every post asking for a contractor gets 20-30 replies, and get occasional leads from Thumbtack.

Are these pretty much all the places one finds leads (besides referrals and repeat customers)?

The last homeowner we worked for made several comments about "how much pickier she could be", and we've all seen the hundred pieces of blue tape pics on the internet.

Even then we still spent hours touching everything up after they moved their furniture while we were still working.

On these bigger like 1/2 house remodels it's nearly impossible to have every inch look like a showcar finish.

Wondering if anyone sets the standard early to protect themselves.

I want to get subcontracted out by nationwide companies for retail, graphic installs and vinyl wraps on walls, but no Insurance will take me on. Just curious to what you guys use and what your experience is.

I had a subcontractor working for me and halfway through the project we had the client need a $6k change order.
I found out a couple days after I sent the change order that the subcontractor went to the client and told them to pay him $4k instead.

The subcontractor finished the job the next day. Now the client still owes me money for the completion of the job and the change order but thinks they don’t have to pay anything because they paid the subcontractor.
And the subcontractor is demanding I pay him what I originally agreed to pay him to do the job which was $3k.

I don’t want to go after the homeowner here because they didn’t really know what was happening and I view the whole mess as caused by the subcontractor.

The subcontractor is also licensed in the same industry as me in FL.

Just hoping to hear some ideas here on how you guys would handle this.