Ughhh. Hi. Asshole here.
The biggest problem is that most homeowners have no business owning a home and have no clue how to do simple shit anymore. I don't mean because they haven't done it before, I mean, they're mentally incapable of even learning. Zero mechanical aptitude. Can't even follow a youtube video.
The other problem is people believing they're worth more than they are. Like getting a quote of $900 to replace a toilet. WTF. "I'm a union plumber" I don't give a fuck if you're the Queen of England's plumber, it's a fucking toilet. Two bolts and a water supply line to disconnect. Scrape out a wax ring, set a new one. Two bolts to secure the tank to the bowl and set it down. 2 hours labor max unless your a idiot. My fucking attorney, a guy with a law degree, who passed the bar, who present cases in a court of law is $250 an hour, you're just replacing a damn toilet and you want twice that.
Overhead and expenses have ZERO bearing on worth. Why do you charge $190 an hour? "Oh well I have a truck payment because I need dependable transportation, I have vehicle insurance to pay for, I needed a 12k trailer at 12% interest to haul my equipment, i need paid for my travel time there and back. I also have business insurance and personal health insurance, and I choose to pay workmans comp on myself, and I want to make an annual salary of 100K a year. When I do that math, I need to charge $190 an hour. Cool man, it sounds like you've got it all figured out then. What business do you own? Oh, I own PoopPickers LLC. I pick up dog shit in people's yards. "
Sorry, but to me, that's not "worth" it. The problem is that all these guys have been led to believe that they must have all this stuff as a minimum, leading to vastly overinflated overhead compared to the service they're actually providing. What happens then is across the board when you look for a service to pick up dog crap they're all $300-400 a month for 2 visits. Then the guy in the beat-up 2002 Chevy, who's 4 colors and has zero insurance or any of that overhead, raises his price to $300 also because he can. From there, it's just a rat race of prices. Then they all start getting less business and raise their prices yet again to make ends meet. Since covid, so many people have started a business in common fields that the market is saturated, leading to fewer jobs for each individual, as a result, they're all charging more for the jobs they do get.
Don't get me wrong. I am all for a man being able to make a living, but it has to be realistic and commiserate of the work being done. Bricklayers come to mind, fucking wizards. Absolute magic. I often stop and look at the brick on my house. How straight and level it is, how from bottom to top its consistent, 40 foot run and that mortar line doesn't even waver. There's no way in hell I or anyone I know could do that with such perfection. A skill that's worth every damn penny and name your price I'm paying it. Metal fabricators and welders, absolutely. Vehicle mechanics that know how to find electrical issues, land clearing and heavy equipment operators, plumbers that design and plumb out new construction. WORTH every penny they charge. Some guy with pooppickers llc at $190 an hour. $900 to replace a customer supplied toilet? GTFOH.
