If you’ve got a job that’ll take a week, contractors will basically fight for it - but if it’s just something that takes a few hours, it’s apparently a real struggle to get anyone to show up.

I just installed a new kitchen sink and hooked up the faucet and dishwasher for a client. He said they had called eight plumbing companies, and all of them either refused outright or said they’d get back to it but never did. One company agreed to come install it but wouldn’t do the hole in the countertop for the sink, so they would’ve needed to hire a carpenter separately - and you can imagine how thrilled a carpenter would be about a job that takes less than an hour.

This is an incredibly common story among my customers. I’m a plumber by training, but when I went self-employed, I expanded my services to cover all kinds of handyman work. Clearly, I’m filling a niche, considering the amount of gratitude I’m getting from customers. I literally received a gift basket from one just last week. I should’ve made the jump a decade ago.

  • A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    1 day ago

    Am self-employed electrician, I see the same thing. Everyone’s so covered up that they don’t want/need the little old lady jobs - they don’t pay well, typically. I can waste a whole afternoon for them fixing ceiling fans for a couple hundred bucks, maybe, or I can do a job that’ll make 4x that in the same amount of time.

    I still take those gigs, I got into this to help people, and old folks and first-time homeowners need all the help they can get. But I’m not gonna lie to you, those gigs are the first ones to get rescheduled. I’d call em beer money jobs but I don’t drink lol.

    I’m trying to keep an eye out for any other stuff I can help with, too. I’m not above working outside my trade a little if it means someone’s life improves.