Your Prices Are Insane Handyman! / WLOG
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Good, morning, good morning friends we've got a super awesome wad going on today we are going. Out yesterday, I got a call from, a lady she. Actually lives out of town but, she has a rental here in town and, she. Gave me a call yesterday she she. Said she got a call from the neighbor. Of the house and they, said there was a huge leak going on at the house so she wanted me to go over and take a look at it I guess. This leak happens, every year, it's. Been happening every year for like five years but they've never yeah. I don't know I don't know what's going on so anyways I went over there and sure, enough one of the sprinkler valve is, leaking like, crazy when, it's off and the other two sprinkler valves leak when they're on so we're gonna go ahead and fix that today I, gave the lady a quote yesterday. When, she when I first talked to her she said oh do you know you know because this before we knew it was a sprinkler valve she's like do you know what it what it might cost and I'm like you know I don't I don't really know it all depends on what's going on there we'll, need to you know get in there I figure. Out what pipe is leaking I don't know if it was a pipe under the ground or what not I told, her that you know our minimum rate is you, know ninety bucks an hour with two hour minimum and she's like oh man that sounds a little steep at, first she didn't really like it but I said hey I just want to go over there take a look at it. See, what's going on and then, we could go from there so when, I got over there I took a look I actually, quoted, her three hours to replace these three, sprinkler valves I, don't, think it's going to take me that but we will see, and. Yeah. So we're gonna go over there and get get this day started so, first off we're gonna go to Home Depot we're, gonna grab some sprinkler. Valves and the. Accessories, needed for that oh another side note yesterday, we got a bad review I couldn't, believe it man I was like we. Got a bad review from a lady she called in. Well, I figured this out afterwards, I was tracking it down she called in she wanted, some furniture furniture. Repaired. Or assembled, we. Didn't know what it was so we quoted her over the phone, well we, she. Kept cry you know she kept instigating. To get a price so, we said well our hourly rate is $90, an hour but. We don't know what what it's gonna chart what it's gonna cost because we don't know what the furniture, looks like or what what's needed for assembly and, right, when we said 90 bucks an hour she got really mad she's. Like you guys are outrageous, you guys you really need to you, know look at your pricing, and figure out something and because, this is just outrageous you, can't charge natos now she apparently. She's been charging, or hiring, handyman, her whole life and, for. 30 $40, an hour but. At. Least here, in California, you can't work for 30 40 an hour and, run, a sustainable, business you just can't do it so, she. Was she, was outrageous, and. I tried I called her afterwards, after she left the review it was a two-star review so it wasn't quite a one-star, review which is which is good but, it. Still sucks so we lowered our rating to four and a half stars out of five so, that sucks but. You. Know the lady she just didn't want to hear anything I said you know I called her up and tried to explain it and you know see, what she would have preferred, but, she didn't want to hear anything I said she said there's no way that she would work for us there's. No way that we could be in business at $90 an hour so. It. Hurts, it it makes you mad cuz I'm not trying to rip people off that's not what I'm about you know I'm trying to just charge a reasonable, price that, works, for me and the client I mean the reason why I charge ninety bucks an hour is because. We have a lot of overhead going on we've, calculated, our costs we've calculated our expenses, and ninety, dollars an hour is actually pretty reasonable for this area so. Anyways. Enough, rain thing sorry about that let's get to today's jump okay, here we are at the house I shut the water off yesterday, but all this was just a huge puddle yesterday, you. See how wet it is. It's. All wet all along here. And. Here's our sprinkler valves as you can see there's a bunch. Of just standing water all around there so this.
Valve Here when, the water here's, the little water valve when, that's on this thing just leaks all the time and these, two leak when they are turned. On so. We're gonna go ahead and replace all three this one goes to the drip irrigation system, and these, two to the lawn so let's get a replacing, them alright I had this small piece of board in my truck so I'm gonna put that down that doesn't give me much platform, but at least gets. Me out of all that mud so. Okay. I cracked I cracked. This pipe it's really thin pipe so I'm gonna cut this. Next one which is really thin as well with this Milwaukee Jap saw. So. I'm gonna go ahead and cut. That guy right there and I'll recut that one. Caramel. Milwaukee, Jeff Sakshi works good for cutting all of them will. Recut this one if we can here. I actually, feel that this is a little loose down here so I got a dig here see. What's going on you see how the whole thing kind of spins. Okay. After a closer look at this that's actually a slip connector, that. Just basically, has. Rotation, to it so. That's fine, we're. Gonna go ahead and get, these new valves in. So. Regarding, putting these uh putting. The primer and the glue on I was, always taught that you, should put the primer on both. Both. The male and the female parts, but. The glue, it's. Really only necessary to put it on the the male part of the, pipe and the, thought behind that is, if. You put it on the female part it'll, actually work its way back up in there and it might make. The pipe a smaller diameter and. Possibly. Even clog the pipe now, that's not more. Than likely that's not gonna happen but that's how I've always been taught and. I've never really had an issue only putting the glue on the male pipe. Instead of the female pipe but. I would love to hear your guys thoughts on that whether, you should put the glue on both I don't know what the instructions, say I've never actually read the instructions, but. That's. How I've been taught and so that's the way I do it so. Okay. Now comes the time to hook these guys into our valve and I love using this this, OD fast, tape this, is the best thing on tape it's been working pretty well for me so I'm just gonna address these and then also be the. Little filter there for the drip system and. Then. Hook them into my valve. All. Right now it's time to put our valves, and now this the, height of this one is pretty, much already said because of this valve. And all that hookup so we know that that's our height we've already cut that one height so what. I do some, people call me anal but. Take. A level and. Level. Yourself, off to the next one and. This. Is really just because I want every single valve, to. Be even. When we're or, level, when we're all done. Alright. This valve over here seems to still be dripping, leaking, just a little bit so these, pipes kind of fill up with I'm gonna go ahead and suck the water out and then right before when, I'm ready to cap it all off so, we're gonna go ahead and get that done. I. Was. Like the test fit these guys before I actually glue them you, can see they're a little bit off so just so you know kind. Of what you need to do. To. Get them back on you to pull this one a little bit that way make, sure if it's dry. All. Right we got our valves all wired up here. Yeah. They're like the perfect height. Makes. Me happy so let's go ahead and turn them on and see what happens, we'll, go and turn this valve on here. Let. Them sit for probably, about ten, minutes now or so it. Looks like this may be an issue here at one point but.
This. Pipe here just doesn't look too hot so I'm gonna go ahead and tell the homeowner about this just. That she may want to replace it's all PVC, so it's really not that bad, replace, this PVC and the. Valve. At some point in history or, in in the, future go, ahead and turn this guy on and see what happens. All. Right there's one. Those. Sprinklers are working that's good. All. Right so this one's on and there's absolutely no leaks down here at all so, we're gonna go ahead and shut that guy off. And. We'll try the next one. All. Right. No. Leaks there. Alright. Let's go ahead and try our drip here. All. Right we're on. Its. No leaks going, on, in. The whole system I'm looking especially down here to. See if anything's bubbling up because that's where our slip fitting was and it seems like it's good there no. Leaks going on. Let's. Check everything here. So. We got some drip lines over here, this. Drip line doesn't really seem to be going to anything here. Yeah. This drip line. Looks. Like it's been taken. Over by this tree, that's. Dead tree. Need. To figure out what's going on there. Let's, see wow this tree just came right up oh wow. Look at this worm. That's. A big worm right there living. In that tree. Also. This guy just, needs to be capped off here I. Need. To be capped off right there I'm gonna see if I have any caps that's. A big problem right there. Alright, we're gonna head back to Home Depot we found two leaks in the drip, system line, one, of them was under that old just, tree trunk that I just pulled out so. We basically just need to get some of these caps for this trip line so, this is actually gonna work out perfect because I wanted, to talk a little bit about pricing, and how to, price. A job for someone that's out of town and you don't meet them and that that's the hardest thing to do there's, a lot of times when you actually meet with someone they understand, your professionalism, your, tone of voice and they can kind of get it get a good feel about you when, you're selling to someone that's out of out of town like this lady for instance when, I first told her 90 bucks an hour one hundred and eighty dollars, she. She, was kind of like whoa that's a lot of money but I guess we got to do it you know but. After. Talking with her more I was able to sell her more exactly, what needed to be done because I I came. Here right away took, pictures of what what. Was going on I sent them to her I explained really well to her when, people are out of town they just want to feel like they are involved, they want to feel like they are here they, want to feel like they know exactly what's going on in that way they could trust you this. Leads right into exactly. What I want to do and how I run my business is these, little things here I'm not gonna charge it for these little caps but I'm gonna fix them for so, I'm gonna run to Home Depot it'll be all right because I originally, quoted of three hours to replace those valves I'm. Right now I'm at like an hour and a half or so so, we're gonna run to Home Depot grab, those guys pop, them in the. Whole thing, the whole trick here is to under promise and over deliver that's, what it's all about so. We're gonna run to Home Depot grab, these guys pop. Them in for. We'll be done with this job so I'm glad that we we, ran that we figured out there was two different leaks it was actually the main leak at the water valve and then, there was a leak at the drip system there, I, did not find, that second, leak yesterday, but luckily it's not that big of a deal, I guess, I could have spent a little bit more time yesterday figuring, that out but you know no harm no foul this way you, know this wasn't on the original estimate, but I'm gonna be handling for free for the ladies so that, will be great so let's get going Home Depot and grab those guys all.
Right All right that job turned out pretty good sorry, my battery died I couldn't show you guys the end of that but basically, I just put on those waterproof. Waterproof. Wire nuts on the sprinkler valves wired them up the exact same viola's work put, in those two, to. Stop, nipples on the, on. The drip system so no more leaks are going on so this, lady should be good for quite a while the only concern, that I haven't I'm going to tell her about is that, PVC line, where the the sprinkler shutoff valve is I think that's gonna need to be replaced here pretty soon hey, I absolutely. Love this Milwaukee jab saw as you know I love Milwaukee but these, things are great they. Actually just run off of, regular. Sawzall. Blades which is pretty sweet they got easy. Quick connect so you put any sawzall, blade in these things at all that, you want and then they fold down into nice, compact, deal anyways, I got this on Amazon I will put, the link to, buy this on Amazon in the description below so. This job was pretty good a total of 270 bucks, for. Labor plus, some materials markup if you guys are interested at all and how I mark, up materials, I will link that up here check, out that video that, that's, my in-depth. How to markup handyman, handyman. Materials, video check, that out but. There's been a pretty good pretty good morning so far so now I'm heading to go do some more sprinkler valves so I guess it's that kind of year so anyways, thank y'all so much for tuning in don't forget to like this video subscribe to this channel for more awesome content we'll, catch you on the next one thanks all have a good one.
2019-05-22 18:34
Bad reviews over price says more about the customer than about you. You can’t fix cheap. I raise my prices to eliminate the riffraff. Don’t drop your price to suit someone else’s needs. You deserve your pay. Good luck.
Ok. So I've got a question. Last year I was working punch lists on high end remodels, when through no fault of my own, I found myself unemployed. My boss decided to shut down part of his business because he was missing his kids growing up. In the end everything worked out and I got a better job. Very soon, I should be my own boss. Anyway, for the couple of months that I was looking for a job, I did handyman odd jobs to cover the bills. Here's where I ran into problems. Other contractors and handymen. I didn't have much of an emergency fund, nor could I front materials. I needed work fast, so I was bidding $20-25 /hr flat rate, no matter what they needed as long as it was repairs or things that wouldn't need permits. My skill set doing high end punch lists meant that I could knock out several hundred dollars worth (if not thousands)of handyman work per day and only charge the homeowner or realtor a couple hundred. Plumbing, tile, hardwood flooring, light electrical, roofing, deck repair, whatever. And I maintained the same level of execution as if they were all $100k remodels, because I wanted to do a good job, but also referrals. I would never charge these prices in normal circumstances, but I needed work fast. Well, someone spilled the beans and a professional handyman acquaintance found out what I was charging. We both frequent the same bar and he was PISSED. He demanded I raise my prices. He hinted that he would burn me on social media. He kept yelling, "I've got overhead." To which I kept replying, "I've got no overhead and a pile of bills, what am I supposed to do?" After I got my new job, he calmed down, and we smoothed things over, but it was pretty ugly for a while. I guess my question is, "If you find yourself unemployed, is it ok to lowball everyone until you get back on your feet?"
You can charge whatever you want, as long as you pay Uncle Sam by April 15. Your buddy from the bar can change his business model to where he had less overhead so he can charge less, or stick to bigger jobs that you aren't doing.
Can you do a more in depth video explaining “how” the sprinkler system works? How they are plumbed. How they are wired, and what the elements (such as a drip line) are?
Hey that's a good idea! Thanks for the comment!
Your wife must like to shop if you're charging that much
Hahaha!
You shouldn't have to defend or justify you hourly rate. Obviously your doing fine. I 've learned this. Some people want something for nothing. I've fallen for this, " oh I can send you so much business" ya right.
So true Paul! Thanks for your comment!
Its a guy thing not to read the instructions (LOL)... I have actually seen pipes clog with a thin film across the pipe causing a reduction in water pressure.
OK You Tubers... If you have been watching Alan and like the videos he produces as I do. Well you can help his Google score by looking Honest Lees Handyman Service in CA and leave him a 5 star rating. You do not have to leave him a comment since he did not actually do any work for you. Dont Lie. Just leave a 5 star review. Its just marketing. Totally fair. Keep up the great videos. BTW I left you a 5 Star.
+Scott R that is a great idea! I have never thought of that ! Thanks man!!
+Honest Lee Handyman If you can get half of you views to do this that would really help your cause. I was thinking, If I was standing next to you do this job, and I really liked what you were doing, I would jump on my phone and do the same thing... Well whats the difference. Just like the lady in another town, wasnt actually there but can go online and leave a review about your work. well so can we. I surprised you never thought of this. you have 14K viewers that come along for the ride when you go to work. Might as well benifit from it.
Hey thanks Scott! I really appreciate it!!
It's frustrating sometimes. They call you because they don't have the skills, tools, and understanding of what it takes to do this job. I had a customer a few weeks ago who gave me a hard time about installing a 2x2 piece of vinyl in a closet after I gave them an incredible low price to tile around their tub.
Never seems to be just one leak when it comes to plumbing
Very true! Thanks for your comment!
how can join your company. I am plumber from Pakistan
For $90 and hour, you have better be licensed. For that price, I'd rather go with a contractor.
+Lord Ba'al the contractors that I know start out at minimum $350 for the 1st hr.
What contractor would you call?
+Honest Lee Handyman But at $90 an hour, if I would ever need one, I'll be calling a contractor.
Doubtful the contractor will come out himself. Keep that in mind
Hey thanks for your comment. I am a licensed handyman in California
Get yourself some latex
Sorry to hear about that , getting a bad review for telling them your price , some people just have know clue what we go through ,and all the things involved in running a business!! Some people think the work is done once you leave the job but seem to forget i have a ton of construction material in my trailer and i guess they think its just gonna dump it self and the dump fee will be free and oh thats nothing . Well how about i dump it on your front lawn and you sort it out then !!! Lol kidding ! Luckily i have some great customers very blessed ! I have had a few people call saying what you charge that much per hour , i say well i never charge by the hour really i charge by the job , then i tell them, and they say well i usually pay someone 13hr to do this ....Click! Hangs up phone !
Haha for sure ! It sure is crazy out there! Thanks for your comment
Suggest to the lady with the issue of price to try Amazon Home services (Handyman) in my area in of San Diego , Ca. It’s $107.00 for two hours . The Handymen are licensed, bonded, insured and background checked contractors. Check Amazon.com for not only handyman services but much more. I have used the service and was impressed on how easy it was.
Hourly is always open to discussion : 1. Guy takes 1 hour to do a job and charges $90 2. Another guy does same job takes 2 hours at $60 hour = $120. 3. Cheapest guy at $45 hour takes 3 hours = $135. The $90 hour guy is not only the cheapest but makes the most money at the end of the day.
And don't get me started on the $15-$20 per hour guy from craigslist.
i went from charging $40-50 per hour to $80 per hour for a 2 hr min or $600 for 8hrs plus material, ince my profits were almost non existent. I haven't had one person say anything yet. i do renos so if i'm there for more than a day i give an hourly discount or just give a flat rate price for the job.
Glue joints are dupposed to set gor 1 hr. For cold water and 6hrs. For Hot wster lines, you got lucky! I eould esit fir an hour like it says on the can !
+Honest Lee Handyman
Hey thanks for your comment, on the can it says to let sit for 10 minutes before turning the water on.
Only an A- hole would think thats anal to use a level
Prime both pieces, snd glue both pieces, somebody taught you wrong , been s plumber for 29 yrs. And my boss back in the ,90's only used glue without primer,WRONG
Leaving bad review just after she was told the price which was too high for her is like leaving a bad review for a Michelin restaurant simply just because someone can't afford that. No, FFS, you can leave a review only for a job that was provided, some people are thinking they can blackmail service providers with a "bad review" threat in order to get something for free or half price. Chancers.
If you have an oscillating multi-tool it works really great for cutting pipes without damage. Also, I would suggest offering a percentage discount (say 5% on smaller projects) for them to leave a review, or to simply ask them to nicely. Psychology states that people are more likely to leave a bad review than any at all (even if they had an overly positive experience). I forget the technical term for this although I studied it in school. Further, people tend to weigh negative reviews more heavily than positive ones; like a lot more, some research suggests a negative review is valued over 40 times more than a positive review.
Wow! That's interesting stuff! Thanks for your comment!
I don't charge hourly for that very reason. Most customers aren't going to appreciate that the rate is based on what you need to make to stay in business. It isn't 100% profit. I've had engineers get mad at me because they calculated my cost to an hourly rate and were offended that I was making more than they do. I don't shy away from educating them though. Me- "Can you do this job?" Them - "No" Me - "Did you have any other quotes? Them - "Yes" Me - "Why did you decide on going with me instead of the other guys?" Them - "well you have great reviews and you look more professional" Me - "Thank you. My informs cost money. My insurance that protects you and me on your property costs money. My truck and fuel cost money. My tools cost money. If you to rent a truck, rent all the tools I have for this job, and do it with no skill you'd lose time and money. Are any of these important to you?" I had a customer hire a Craigslist fly by night handydude with a truck. The potential customer thought my price was too high. I said fine. He called back 2 days later for my availability. My response was "Too busy now sorry". I don't work for cheapskates or tire kickers. I'd reconsider doing work hourly. You'll eventually cheat yourself. A lot of plumbing repairs take me less than an hour but I charge about $200 for them. Charge what the job is worth. Find out what plumbers and electricians are charging in your area and you'll see the market rate. I've gotten plenty of jobs that way "can you come back $200 is good! The plumber wanted $450"
Love it! Thanks for the comment! Great info!
I’m sure all the other $20/hour handyman that usually comment will chime in and agree with the old bitch. In the land of fruits flakes and nuts, $90/hour is cheap. Yelp is he epitome of cheap low life scum only next to google my business. I rarely take yelp reviews seriously.
How did you learn all these skills of fixing just about anything? I learn a lot from YouTube and google and I’ll try and try until I figure it out.
I don't use PVC cutters on old pipe any more for that very reason (4:39). You never know if it is going to crack or not!
So true! Thanks for your comment!
Hey Allen, I really like your videos, a couple of things, when you pipe the pressure side of the manifold, you need to use schedule 40 pipe. As far as your pricing, I couldn't afford you, but then I don't live in Sacramento. Now that I'm retired and have failing health, a lot things I used to do myself, I have to rely on handymen such as yourself, I have a lot of projects that I have the expertise to do, but not the physical ability, there for I seek a lower priced individual to help me. Also, I would like to see you mount the camera in your vehicle, and stop driving one handed and sometimes no hands, for your own protection.
M
Alan what platform do you use for your business reviews? I used Yelp for years but they're shady af so I started using Google reviews and I like that much better. I too got a bad review on Yelp solely due to my pricing which is also very fair but as others have commented...... you'll always run into customers who disagree. Anyway hang in there.
Google and Yelp reviews are a customer’s way of blackmail , my wife is a Furniture store manager and someone complained about pricing as well. Allen something customer never purchased any furniture. The internet can be your best friend as well as your # 1 enemy. It ruined the car business years ago as well. Good job take care!
Hey Alan, I get the issues with prices. People think that a handyman works for beer money and are homeless. Maybe we change our titles to domestic technician ! Sounds more professional! They all think a handyman is supposed to work cheap. Oh well, hey hope all is well, have a great week. And get one of those milwaukee hackzall mini recip saw, Perfect for that job.
Pete The Handyman amen, Brother! I like the “domestic technician”! Nice!
domestic technician, Dam I like that
Hey Pete! Thanks for your comment! Ya people have a misconception of what it takes to run a business. I just picked one of those up! Love it!
I charge $150. Take it or leave it. I’ve been doing this to long... don’t take it personally. It’s just business. She’ll get what she pays for. Lol, she’ll probably be calling you back to go and re-fix what the cheaper un-licensed handy dude charged.
Lol, bet she really hates it when she needs repairs on her car at labor cost of approximately $150. An hour.
Tell her to call a plumber 125hr, electrician 150hr, a loser lawyer 250hr. You can respond to her comment. but it is hard to keep a 5 star, I'm lucky still 5 but 90% is referral.
Definitely! Well said. Thanks for your comment!
I bought a Similar jab saw by Lenox at Lowe's. They're very handy to carry around in the tool bag.
Hey Allen, i was curious why aren't you using PVC quick connect union to install these sprinkler valves? You glue it once and then you can replace the valve anytime you want without cutting, sanding, gluing.... It's dirt cheap and saves you time. Something like: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2pcs-Dia-25mm-PVC-Quick-Connector-Horticultural-PVC-Fittings-Grey-Water-Pipe-PVC-Joints-for-Garden/32850210720.html
Leaving a bad review based on a price over the phone is ridiculous. Ol hag.
Anddddddd that’s why it’s far better to see the job and give a flat rate.
Allen, good thing that lady didn't call me. her head would've exploded when i told her i charge $ 100 per hour. mostly i find people like that are living on a shoestring. and when i glue, i prime and glue both pieces. those gate valves are old school, and never seal tight. i replace them with stainless ball valves that shut off with a 1/4 turn. another 5 star job you did.
Hey thanks norm! Ya, some people just don't see the big picture when it comes to prices. Ya I really like those 1/4 turn ball valves as well! Thanks for your comment!
Put it this way Allen. If you stay in business long enough, your going to run into the cheap customer that wants everything for free... Thats just how it goes. Dont let it get you down. Your doing a great job, and your price is fair. Maybe a little too fair for some jobs. Lol
+FD so true! Thanks for your comment!
I just don't get these people... If you think a price is outrageous why bother and haggle? If you've been dealing with handymen "all your life" for "30/40 and hour" why don't you just call/find those handymen to do the job rather than talk someone down who is clearly not in your price range? I remember once a plumber saying he was glad to see I dug a hole for him to easily get to the pipe: "I'm a plumber so I get x amount an hour regardless of whether I am doing actual plumbing work, or digging a hole, it is all the same to me - you just saved yourself money because you didn't hire a plumber to dig a ditch". I understand that with handymen it is less specialized, but still the sentiment remains - time is time. If you can make 90 an hour doing anything else and you have the demand, why do something for less?
Haha for sure man! I appreciate the encouragement!
Great job! Thanks
I like the idea with marking each pipe with the level. Looks clean!
Ya, it's an extra step but I think it's worth it. Makes me happy when I see them all level. Thanks for your comment!
nice vid Alan Steve UK
Hey thanks for the comment Steve!
Ppl in general dont like to pay ppl for their sill and know how....i live in the caribbean and is worst...
Well we live in a 2x4 country with lots of naturnal resources but with an incompantant corrupt govt ,the economy is stagnant ...Our money is 7 tt to 1 US dollar.....
Thanks. Oh that's a bummer. What's the reason for that?
+Honest Lee Handyman Sure...np i enjoy your videos.....right now is no work and lot of trademen around..
yep ppl always have a family member that can do it and when they screw it up now they wannna call you..lol
Definitely. Some people don't see all the costs. Thanks for your comment Raj!
I put a very thin coating inside the pipe. just enough to coat the surface. this allows to soften the pipe just a bit to make a good chemical weld
Hey thanks for your comment! Ya, I just looked up the directions and they recommend just that a thin coat on the inside! Now I know! Thanks for your comment!
When you capped the drip line at the break, you disabled all the connected drops after it. You should have spliced it instead.
+Honest Lee Handyman Didn't see that in the video "honest" Lee.
No it was a branch off the main drip line that I caped off. Thanks for your comment
I think the directions of PVC cement say to put primer and glue on both, but it's been a while since I have read the directions. Your way does makes sense to me though, prime both surfaces and glue one which will touch both primed surfaces. I just might make a video of gluing fittings to pipe both ways and see what it looks like on the inside.
+Dustin Tunis I see.
+Will Bradley - Cleaning and priming wasn't in question. Glue the fitting and pipe or just the pipe. Allen said he was taught to prime both but just glue the pipe because if you glue the fitting it can ooze into the pipe restricting the flow a bit.
Yeah, you're definitely supposed to clean it, prime it, and then apply the glue. It will most likely work temporarily if you just slap a bunch of glue on it but if you don't do it properly it will leak in the future.
Hey thats a good idea! That would be a good test to see what it looks like on the inside and if it would even present a problem thanks for your comment!
I say if u can get that much,go for it! People dont see the behind the scenes of all the upkeep that a handyman has to do to even stay in business. Tools r expensive! And all the tools a handyman has to have are what keeps them in business. And the skill and knowledge it takes to do all the different trades is priceless.
Haha for sure!
+Honest Lee Handyman yes I totally agree! Customers think that the whole $90 an hour is straight profit. If that were only the case! Lol...I like to tell the customer to have a professional in the job that they need done, say they need a floating snap together wood floor put in and a faucet changed,,have the professional floor company come in and bid it,and a plumber come in to put in a bid for the faucet repair, it is usually way higher then what a handyman can do it for. Then my bid don't seem so bad lol
Definitely! There is a lot that goes into a handymans price. When I charge $90 per hour I am not taking home $90 per hour but most of that goes to overhead. Thanks for your comment!
Y'all are petty.
My opinion you are a rip off that’s a lot.
+BIG HUNk hey thanks for your reply! How long have you been in business? That's awesome that that price works for you!
Yes I am currently in Kern country. Here’s the question does hourly reflect materials. Here I charge 45 a hour but I never tell them it’s hourly I will say 90 bucks for 2 hours are things of that nature
Thanks for your comment! Do you currently have a handyman business? Where are you located?
I figured my bids at $ 50: dollars per hour if I am at your house all day . If I do a small job I charge around $ 100 for one hour. Don’t tell the customer you charge by the hour. They don’t consider you have expense like advertising , gas, insurance, taxes.
If the review was on Google, contact them about a fraudulent review. If she didn't use your services, she shouldn't be leaving a review.
Hey thanks for your comment. The review was on Yelp, I did contact them but they found that the review adheres to all there guidelines. .
I got so tired of hacking away at pvc stuff every single time I had to change the valves that I moved onto PVC unions, best thing you will ever do as a home owner. Just screw and unscrew, no glue, cutting or joining.
That woman that gave you a bad review based on your estimate is horse crap.
Lol. Thanks for your comment;
Alot of people have no idea what it takes to "run" a business. Taxes alone eat alot of it , then you have vehicle expenses, tools, insurance, and yes at the end of the day I like to be able to eat. Some people want a free ride and others just dont understand.
That lady is exactly why you don’t work by the hour!
Yeah don’t work by the hour, you need to know what you’re making for the hour but the customer doesn’t. As you can see it just creates problems
What do licensed electricians and plumbers cost in Sacramento? Around here you probably wouldn't get much work, people would just call a licensed professional after they hear your rates.
Hey thanks Adam! I appreciate it! I would agree!
Just bc their licensed doesn’t mean their good. A piece of paper that says your licensed makes the price go up not the quality of work. I used to do a lot of remodel fk ups that the licensed contractor leaves behind. But then I understand why their prices were high. Now I’m licensed I do same work triple the amount I use to charge
I use the non ratcheting pvc cutter and it works fine. Just can't cut over 1" sch 40 or 1 1/4" irrigation pipe.
Home repair services is one way.. when I labelled myself as a handyman, I would get those expecting me to work for 30 bucks an hour or whatever.. sorry the truck tools insurance and various other overhead just costs too much. I have had that too, people getting hostile. Typically older women in my experience. I dont get mad, I think they are on a fixed income and still living in the 70's
I replaced my sprinkler valve this past weekend and used the exact same thing on both ends. This way the next time I have to replace it I just disconnect both ends, pull the valve, and all I have to worry about are the pvc connections between the two quick connects.
Random question but have you seen the dewalt mobile table from home depot? Any thoughts?
I have! It's pretty cool. Frank used to have one. It worked pretty good!
Alan, love the videos and the WLOG. I'd like to recommend going to Harbor Freight and picking up a $7 hand transfer pump or a $10 battery operated model. I use them daily to syphon out pooling water while doing irrigation repairs. As for customers complaining about pricing, don't fret. You cannot put a price on quality work. I'm sure you've already had to go behind another handyman that a customer chose based on a lower price which equals lower quality. Do a great job, be professional, courteous, and efficient, and your pricing justifies your work. Keep doing a great job!
Hey thanks for the comment and the encouragement!
I always glue both sides, but does it really matter if you have the correct amount of glue? Also I give it a little quarter turn twist to seat nice. If alignment is critical, I make a mark with a pencil on both pieces, and rotate to that mark, whenever possible. Obviously sometimes when you are fitting two joints at once, you can’t really get the twist action.
Have you considered working for free, paying for the materials, and paying her $40/hour while you do the work?
Been doing sprinkler repair for 4 years. Typically I only use primer on old dirty PVC pipe. Most glue already has primer in the glue, especially Christie's brand. For a repair you just did I would estimate the job, include the new shut off gate valve because it looks like crap, I would redo the manifold since theres only 3 valves. More bang for the buck.
From my experience with sprinkler repair I never use ball valves for shut offs. The reason being is ball valves allow the pressure to buildup almost instantly. This can be bad for inexperienced people who replace their own valves and have it blow off. Gate valves open slowly and are safer for sprinklers.
Price is Everything ! Too high, no business. Too low, no business. Solution, charge what ever it takes to survive and work on a long term plan to execute accordingly to economic value. Growth comes from trust, dependability, affordability.
Well said! Thanks for your comment!
Some customers would still bitch at those terms. Lol.
Glad you stated that was your opinion. Allen is far from a "rip off". I ran a construction company in Sac and I have lived in Kern County, Taft to be exact. Of course, you're going to get less where you live even if it's right in Bakersfield. BUT!! But, in my opinion you are under charging. Listen to Allen's message and it might improve your life. Sorry I had to edit for this: How would hourly ever reflect materials? Huh?? Are you sure you're in this line of work????
+Olden Times Thanks Olden Times, I do get out every once in a while...lol
Hey Donald!!! Nice seeing you here.
I don't want to speak for Allen, but I'm sure Pakistan's plumbing codes and California plumbing codes are worlds apart, my friend. How would Allen even hire you?? He doesn't have a plumbing license you can apprentice under? Welcome to the U.S. (maybe), but things work a little different here.
+Lord Ba'al I used to run a GC company right there in Sacramento, where Allen is from. Now I'm in New York. Why don't you call a GC for your next project and then see how you feel about $90 an hour. You seem to be a wage earner and not a businessman.. you have no idea of the costs and/or risks of this line of work.
+Olden Times I should have added 5% on smaller projects and 10% on larger ones. These are percentages completely blindly generated to get my point across. Just offer them something - anything - that you can give without affecting your acceptable profit margins. Having happy customers, and more testimonials/reviews will drive future jobs and will hopefully allow you to pick between the jobs (because you are in demand) that will give you the most profit.
+Honest Lee Handyman I think FD is right about the reviews. Here's an idea I am thinking about implementing. For every review left (good or bad) the customer gets into a year end drawing. Seven draws: Four wins the customer $125. Two draws win the customer $250 and one draw gives the customer $500. Just an idea to get people to actually leave reviews. I've had customers ask how they can do a review then crickets... WTF.
Why discount a smaller project?? Those are the ones that cost the most from an overhead perspective. 1-2 hrs drive time for an hour job (discounted!!!) opposed to an 8 hr. job with the same drive time??? No, it's the other way around.
I'm just wondering where the overhead comes from in assembling furniture that justifies 90 an hour? Pipeline welders dont even make that.
90$ per hour? Well, here in Italy if you are licensed you are lucky to get 100€ per day (8 hours). Well i don't know how much the living cost is in USA but as far as I hear in this vid e read in the comments, maybe I live in the moon...
Maybe these broads should've shacked up with a man with skills rather than having to pay for one.
Receiving a bad review from someone when you did not do any work for them is pure EVIL.
Hey thanks for your comment! The overhead is not in assembling furniture but it is in the business. The $90 an hour is not what I make or even what the business profits, the majority of that goes to overhead, like insurance, business licenses, paying employees, ect.
I’m old enough to remember when Honest Lee charged $50/hr and got haggled down to $25 for a gutter clean out. ;) What if you have client that needs you for a full 8 hours? Say some rotten trim and painting? Do you bump your rate down after the first two hours or would you bill $720? I’ve been adjusting my rates and I’m finding that I need to be right in your range unless I get someone that has a few days of work in which case I just charge a flat $275 day. Keep up the good work!
I would agree. Its kind of a poor move. . .
+Olden Times Totally agree! The $90 an hour is not what I take home but the majority goes to pay to keep the business running
+Tako2e Well said!
Very cool! Thats works!
Hey thanks for the comment. It is all about picking up new things every day. Having the knowledge of how something works is a must!
Hey Thanks for your comment , I appreciate it!
Definitely! thanks for your comment. I use all platforms, Facebook, Google, yelp ect. I find most people search yelp to find reviews.
Rob B. My title of my company is. Property maintenance and handyman services, LLC I’m thinking maybe we go coen brothers on them and call ourselves The technician dudes. lol
Lol! For sure!
Very cool! Yes they sure do come in handy!!
Hey thanks!
+Honest Lee Handyman Oh, I know too well that's not take home, but some people think you're raking it in like Bernie Madoff(sp?). I'm almost to the point of starting a channel just to educate people. I have 30 years of material and lessons learned.
DONT CHARGE HOURLY EVER!
Haha for sure,n
$90.00 AN HOUR - FUCK THAT!!!
@BIG HUNk hey thanks for your reply! How long have you been in business? That's awesome that that price works for you!
@Olden Times Thanks Olden Times, I do get out every once in a while...lol
@Scott R that is a great idea! I have never thought of that ! Thanks man!!
@Honest Lee Handyman If you can get half of you views to do this that would really help your cause. I was thinking, If I was standing next to you do this job, and I really liked what you were doing, I would jump on my phone and do the same thing... Well whats the difference. Just like the lady in another town, wasnt actually there but can go online and leave a review about your work. well so can we. I surprised you never thought of this. you have 14K viewers that come along for the ride when you go to work. Might as well benifit from it.
@Honest Lee Handyman Oh, I know too well that's not take home, but some people think you're raking it in like Bernie Madoff(sp?). I'm almost to the point of starting a channel just to educate people. I have 30 years of material and lessons learned.
@Olden Times Totally agree! The $90 an hour is not what I take home but the majority goes to pay to keep the business running
@Tako2e Well said!
@Lord Ba'al I used to run a GC company right there in Sacramento, where Allen is from. Now I'm in New York. Why don't you call a GC for your next project and then see how you feel about $90 an hour. You seem to be a wage earner and not a businessman.. you have no idea of the costs and/or risks of this line of work.
@Lord Ba'al the contractors that I know start out at minimum $350 for the 1st hr.
@Honest Lee Handyman But at $90 an hour, if I would ever need one, I'll be calling a contractor.
@Honest Lee Handyman
@Olden Times I should have added 5% on smaller projects and 10% on larger ones. These are percentages completely blindly generated to get my point across. Just offer them something - anything - that you can give without affecting your acceptable profit margins. Having happy customers, and more testimonials/reviews will drive future jobs and will hopefully allow you to pick between the jobs (because you are in demand) that will give you the most profit.
@Honest Lee Handyman I think FD is right about the reviews. Here's an idea I am thinking about implementing. For every review left (good or bad) the customer gets into a year end drawing. Seven draws: Four wins the customer $125. Two draws win the customer $250 and one draw gives the customer $500. Just an idea to get people to actually leave reviews. I've had customers ask how they can do a review then crickets... WTF.
@FD so true! Thanks for your comment!
@Honest Lee Handyman Sure...np i enjoy your videos.....right now is no work and lot of trademen around..
@Honest Lee Handyman Didn't see that in the video "honest" Lee.
@Dustin Tunis I see.
@Will Bradley - Cleaning and priming wasn't in question. Glue the fitting and pipe or just the pipe. Allen said he was taught to prime both but just glue the pipe because if you glue the fitting it can ooze into the pipe restricting the flow a bit.
@Honest Lee Handyman yes I totally agree! Customers think that the whole $90 an hour is straight profit. If that were only the case! Lol...I like to tell the customer to have a professional in the job that they need done, say they need a floating snap together wood floor put in and a faucet changed,,have the professional floor company come in and bid it,and a plumber come in to put in a bid for the faucet repair, it is usually way higher then what a handyman can do it for. Then my bid don't seem so bad lol
$90.00 per hour in Cali sounds reasonable. Probably some bitter hoe trying to lowball.
She's probably a crackwhore.
@Trevor Phillips I used to run a GC company right there in Sacramento, where Allen is from. Now I'm in New York. Why don't you call a GC for your next project and then see how you feel about $90 an hour. You seem to be a wage earner and not a businessman.. you have no idea of the costs and/or risks of this line of work.
@Trevor Phillips the contractors that I know start out at minimum $350 for the 1st hr.
Lol you are worth 17an hour with your tools and skills.
Hey thanks! I appreciate the comment. Have a great day
@Kitchen Redo sorry you feel this way. Best of luck to you! Have a great day
@Honest Lee Handyman no problem dude you are so lucky to be surrounded by people who have no clue and yet have some money. Enjoy it while it lasts. Just say i want 150k profit a year and thats it no need to play with the bs that you have major expences or licence or employee bc then you need to charge 125 an hour if you have anything behind you. But at the end of the day you just put a bandade in 90% of your work and your knowledge is so superficial its sad. All you are doing is pretending here in front of the world hoping to charge more since you are on youtube and you give advice to others on how to be a handyman. Pathetic
Redo don’t hold back...tell us what you really think. The old saying “fake until you make” or “ If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance baffle them with bull shit”
El Paso Texas pays workers 90 $ a day ...lol I don't work on the area .. no way you'll get 20 an hr here
How do you get ANY work at $90 per hour? Never heard of anyone getting that.
I guess it all depends on your location and market
Rob B. Great idea!
Some jobs i do by the hour some i quote a price. I pick and choose my customers. If i get the "cheap" vibe i just tell them " I don't think we can work together on this" . Plenty of people who will pay reasonable rates. Don't cut the pipe shorter. Help the next guy out. Use a dremel to cut 4 slots in coupler and use a screwdriver to remove the quarters of the coupler. You should use primer and cement on both male and female. Insert and turn 90 degrees and hold for 30 seconds. You should use schedule 80 pvc, it is stronger since it is unsupported, not for the pressure
Hey thanks for your comment! Totally agree with you about the customers!
Everyone thinks the hourly rate is what is made as "income" but it's not.
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