# want to start a drywall business



## CurryPork (Apr 5, 2011)

Hello everyone. This is my first post and I figure I'd start in here.

I am a Florida registered architect and I am interested in starting a drywall business on the side. I have a friend with his crew who will do all the manual work and I'll do the marketing and estimating.

Now, I'm very new in this venture and I haven't done all the needed research yet and I'm hoping to get some quick answers in here.

Do I need to get both the contractor license and the specialty (drywall) license to start? Or one license is enough. Do I even qualify to take the contractor exams. Note that all my experience is practicing architecture and drafting.

Does my new business need to be insured from the beginning or we can get the insurance once we land a big project. And just wondering if any of you know the numbers.... how much is to insure a new company in Florida? Tampa to be exact.

Those are the main questions I have, but if anyone has any feedbacks, it'll be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Wish you well.


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## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

Needing quick answers to start a business is clearly the wrong way to handle what your trying to accomplish...

Good Luck


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## mnjconstruction (Oct 5, 2008)

get it, go, gone !!!!!!


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

Welcome to CT CP


Is it going to be General Tsao's Drywall?

Best of luck:thumbsup:


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## MikeGC (Dec 6, 2008)

You render me speechless  but curry pork sounds delicious


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## jarvis design (May 6, 2008)

You would think an architect would be smart enough to answer these questions himself.....or at least know someone in the business locally to get the answer!


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## MikeGC (Dec 6, 2008)

jarvis design said:


> You would think an architect would be smart enough to answer these questions himself.....or at least know someone in the business locally to get the answer!


Uh no I wouldnt. Im working for one now and had to fix the design because they were structurally unsound


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## CurryPork (Apr 5, 2011)

General Tso's Drywall is a great name for a drywall business, but too bad it evokes the memories of chinese drywall.

I do know most of the answers. Sorry I asked and thanks for your replies.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

CurryPork said:


> General Tso's Drywall is a great name for a drywall business


no melamine added... msg maybe..



Don't run off just cause we're a bunch of smart asses..

Start with an intro in the intro area, use the search function... oh yeah, no pricing questions:no:


Do you do residential or commercial?


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## Ayangonz (Apr 6, 2011)

*Good luck!*

Some quick answers in here.

Do I need to get both the contractor license and the specialty (drywall) license to start? No.
Or one license is enough. Yes.
Do I even qualify to take the contractor exams. NO.
Does my new business need to be insured from the beginning? Yes.
Can get the insurance once we land a big project. No.
And just wondering if any of you know the numbers.... how much is to insure a new company in Florida? Depends on your gross revenues.

If anyone has any feedbacks, it'll be greatly appreciated.
If you plan on getting into the drywall business. It would be a good idea if you knew how to frame, hang and finish drywall first. Depending on your “friends” to do the work for you is a big mistake. The moment they find someone paying them more, they will leave you hanging. And framing, and finishing alone for that matter.
You need to work for a drywall company first. Learn the ropes. Then try to start your own business after you know how to estimate, scope, supervise, book keep, sale, hire, fire, subcontract, close, lead, oh and you need working capital too. Not to mention bonding, an LLC, an asset protection strategy, a separate payroll and a separate employee leasing company, oh yea, you also need and estimator, secretary, project manager, superintendent, sales man, accountant, attorney, accountant, equipment, equipment, office space, warehouse, advertising, collections department, lien notice department, insurance personnel manger, job costing costing system, ext, ext, ext………….


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

If you feel a need to respond to the light shots here, trust me, drywall is probably the LAST business you want to get into. :laughing:

You will hardly meet a cockier bunch of smart-arz workers than drywall hangers. If they sense you are a little sensitive or touchy, you will be on the breakfast menu every morning. :w00t:


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## CurryPork (Apr 5, 2011)

Yes, I noticed. I posted this same question over at drywalltalk.com and I'm getting roasted.

Willie, I'm a local architect in tampa/st. pete. Maybe we worked on some projects together before?

Timeless, I was in the residential side until it dried up. Now I do mostly commercial work. Banks to be specific. But as far as drywall.... if I do start. I think it'll be small renovations first and then who knows.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 7, 2010)

CurryPork said:


> Yes, I noticed. I posted this same question over at drywalltalk.com and I'm getting roasted.
> 
> Willie, I'm a local architect in tampa/st. pete. Maybe we worked on some projects together before?
> 
> Timeless, I was in the residential side until it dried up. Now I do mostly commercial work. Banks to be specific. But as far as drywall.... if I do start. I think it'll be small renovations first and then who knows.


Well maybe it's because you did not mention the Mexicans you were going to use who could not read or speak english, but you said they were legal.:whistling

I would post the link, but I guess I'm under 15 post here so I can't

I think I'm going to wake up tomorrow and become a doctor:laughing:


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 7, 2010)

Oh cool, 15 post now:thumbup:
http://www.drywalltalk.com/f2/want-start-drywall-business-2003/


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## igorson (Apr 28, 2011)

CurryPork said:


> Hello everyone. This is my first post and I figure I'd start in here.
> 
> I am a Florida registered architect and I am interested in starting a drywall business on the side. I have a friend with his crew who will do all the manual work and I'll do the marketing and estimating.
> 
> ...


Well you should try to do 2-4 jobs with the Mexican guys before you open the business or you can get screwed with quality and performance. This is just suggestion:no:


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## Field General (Apr 22, 2011)

*Intriguing*



CurryPork said:


> Yes, I noticed. I posted this same question over at drywalltalk.com and I'm getting roasted.
> 
> Willie, I'm a local architect in tampa/st. pete. Maybe we worked on some projects together before?
> 
> Timeless, I was in the residential side until it dried up. Now I do mostly commercial work. Banks to be specific. But as far as drywall.... if I do start. I think it'll be small renovations first and then who knows.


Alright my friend, you've got my attention. If you are ready, willing and able to create an innovative application service market that leverages your design experience, the skills and the experience of genuine master mechanics, and the latest innovative technologies (means and methods), then I think you'd be on to something worthwhile. If your are entering to compete in the pimp-whore-john commodity market that is so prevalent today, then I suggest you measure twice and cut your wrists ... it will be quicker and less painless.

There is a real opportunity for someone with design experience to find ways to create cost effective, upgraded details that align themselves with the realities of human driven systems.

I would like to discuss the possibilities.

Skillfully and Professionally
Yours in a Workmanlike Manner,

Field General
800 Pound Guerrilla


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## SAW.co (Jan 2, 2011)

CurryPork, You have brought up some fine questions indeed, but you are putting the horse before the cart. 
These guys are right you first need field experience. When you have that you'll know the awnsers to your questions & you will be ready to give it a go. If you depend on someone else who has experience your only funding his start.
Good luck porkchop:thumbsup:


All this talk about food has made me hungry Anyone for chinese?:chinese::chinese:


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## Raywill49 (Jul 30, 2010)

My question is why drywall? If your passion is architecture and you have years of exerience in home design, why drywall? Why not masonry, carpentry, deck building, etc.? You mentioned that you would perform the sales/marketing role. Who is investing the money, who is running the books, who is managing the projects, who is performing customer service? Before anyone can answer your detailed questions, we would want to know your level of commitment which is equal to your passion for the work performed. Happy to discuss one on one.


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## WorkhorseTom (Nov 7, 2008)

*Curry*

Curry,
Dont do it brother:no:. I am a survivor, at least for today any way. (running out of tricks) I have been through the mill with this God forsaken Bus. and have seen every warranty nightmare on more of a grand scale than anyone could wish for. Rusting cornerbead, photograph joints, bad or no tapers on the gypsum, issues with who's job it is to prime, who's job it is to haul away scrap, whos responsibility is the over under on the job, who's responsibility it is for the supers bonus for time delays, who cleans the mud off the windows, who scrapes the floors, did you sponge the drywall after sanding , did you walk it with a light, getting flunked on inspection cause you screwed wrong or you cut the label off a ceiling board or your guys hung a scrap of 5/8'' in the middle of 1/2'', did you get up or skip church on Sunday cause you promised spray Monday, clean human sh-t out of the shower or tub only to find out your getting back charged to replace it because of a scratch anyway, taken money out of your personal account to pay your buds from mexico knowing damn well it was your grocery money,(then try to spoon with your wife n baby), have lumber shrink and pop all your nails and bead and be accused of a shoddy job and yes fix it for free to get your check because of the aforementioned scenario, f u you buried bad framing, fu you covered faulty wiring, fu your guys pulled insulation out to get a better airflow through the house and didnt replace, fu you didnt count the material when it was dropped off (suppliers are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEFT AND OFTEN MAKE MISTAKES), or just the plain old if I were you I wouldn't pay that guy cause he did it too fast and charged you too much (he'll eventually beg). Bro bottom line I've been in it for a while to tell these tales, there are people who will buy mistakes, and people who flat out are not good people. What my friends are saying is not "good luck" because you will be one of those guys that doesn't know any better thinking you have a shot but you really don't know. Because of that you become a terrible obstacle for us all! X says he'll do it for less and he also said your out of your mind for asking so much. but maybe me and the others are wrong we all do have to start somewhere, it's just the way you tried to get the info on the quick! good luck bro! P.S> sorry for any bad grammar I'm just flat out beat and thought about you all day


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