# Becoming a general contractor *urgent*



## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

I was a big Floyd fan when I was his age


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Californiadecks said:


> I was a big Floyd fan when I was his age


I bet.....

Before my time :wheelchair: :laughing:


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

Floyd is timeless


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

George Jones was timeless....


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

I only browsed over the thread but if you have no experience how do you expect to bid a project correctly? What about setting up inspections and in the order in which they need to be done? I saw you mentioned you wouldn't mind having another contractor do the work and then split the profit. Who on gods green earth would split the profit with someone who brought them a job? I mean even home advisor doesn't charge that much lol.


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## Deckhead (Dec 9, 2010)

This site is a microcosm of a real live job site except with only leads and business owners that are the most respectful and most courteous of all the men on a jobsite due to job requirements.

If you can't control the downward spiral of a simple thread on the internet you would be wiped clean and sued for more in less than a week.

As for your condition I will be praying for you. Respect is understanding your position and giving you straight answers... Hearing it is hard, listening is harder, you've received a lot of good respectful advice, do what you will with it.


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## EricBrancard (Jun 8, 2012)

Tom Struble said:


> oh and money..it's a gas..


Only if you can grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.


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## moorewarner (May 29, 2009)

I wish folks in this country would stop looking for quick easy money and get back to creating/providing value for the exchange they are seeking.

And I doubly wish folks would stop listing their trade as General Contractor thinking this is what they are when they don't, oh you know, actually know anything. 

This is like saying "I thought I would just get a job at the executive level, that way I don't have to actually know how to do stuff and the money is much better and easier." #Winning!


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## steex (Feb 19, 2013)

I think some people have a general idea of what a contractor is, so they think that makes them a general contractor.


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## BamBamm5144 (Jul 12, 2008)

Man, it's not that hard.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

Jaws said:


> George Jones was timeless....


agreed


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## JackP23 (Jan 1, 2013)

He don't need no education............bumbuddy bum bum bum!!

:no::no:


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## cdkyle (Jul 12, 2009)

PinkFloyd, My suggestion would be to find a school that offers some type of degree, Associates or Bachelors, in Project Management with an emphasis in construction. Complete that. Go to work for an established General Contractor as an estimator/project manager. Call us back in ten years.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

The words "General Contractor" and "urgent" are not compatible in the same sentence....:thumbup::thumbsup::no:

Without there being several zeros to the left of the decimal prior to negotiations....


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

OP, a little light reading about the importance of experience. ..

http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/big-problem-high-end-client-136537/


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

cdkyle said:


> PinkFloyd, My suggestion would be to find a school that offers some type of degree, Associates or Bachelors, in Project Management with an emphasis in construction. Complete that. Go to work for an established General Contractor as an estimator/project manager. Call us back in ten years.


I took the "SHOVEL" route. Obtained my bachelors in SHK, working on my masters, and at this rate maybe even a PHD.....:whistling


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

Jaws said:


> OP, a little light reading about the importance of experience. ..
> 
> http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/big-problem-high-end-client-136537/


Lol perfect timing of threads


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## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

jlsconstruction said:


> Absolutely. It just baffles me why people think it's easy. I'm finally getting down to 50hr weeks from 70


Those 70 hr work weeks are difficult. I remember 12 hr days, 6 days a week and sending the wife and kids on vacation so I could work Sundays. 
That's what happens when you take on projects of such magnitude.
Doesn't matter if it's one job or five, they all needed to be done yesterday.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

skyhook said:


> Those 70 hr work weeks are difficult. I remember 12 hr days, 6 days a week and sending the wife and kids on vacation so I could work Sundays.
> That's what happens when you take on projects of such magnitude.
> Doesn't matter if it's one job or five, they all needed to be done yesterday.


All so you can make "thousands per job"... :whistling


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

KAP said:


> All so you can make "thousands per job"... :whistling


All cash too. Beat the taxman that way


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

SDel Prete said:


> All cash too. Beat the taxman that way


Yep... that thinking is out there... until they cross-reference the HOMEQ write-off in an audit... :whistling


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

KAP said:


> Yep... that thinking is out there... until they cross-reference the HOMEQ write-off in an audit... :whistling


In NJ they have been after small businesses lately and are audit crazy. They want to know where every penny went and how you could live your life with what you claim you made. Making it a pain in the a$$ but no worries to me lol


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

I'm a little late to the party, but.....

It doesn't sound like you are bringing anything to the table. The fact that you consider yourself an organized person is meaningless, because you lack the specific experience of General Contracting, or any type of building for that matter. You can't possibly run a job efficiently, when you have no idea what's going on.

If you want a job where you make tons of money with little to no skill set, you're gonna have to move farther up the food chain. Some type of middle management in some brokerage or insurance firm. Construction contracting is better left to the guys who want to get dirty. :thumbsup:


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

A.T.C. said:


> I'm a little late to the party, but.....
> 
> It doesn't sound like you are bringing anything to the table. The fact that you consider yourself an organized person is meaningless, because you lack the specific experience of General Contracting, or any type of building for that matter. You can't possibly run a job efficiently, when you have no idea what's going on.
> 
> If you want a job where you make tons of money with little to no skill set, you're gonna have to move farther up the food chain. Some type of middle management in some brokerage or insurance firm. Construction contracting is better left to the guys who want to get dirty. :thumbsup:


Well put


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

knucklehead said:


> I guess really all you need is a pickup and a cell phone.





A.T.C. said:


> *Construction contracting is better left to the guys who want to get dirty.* :thumbsup:


Really???? All you guys really believe this?? I do work for these guys and look up to them and wish I could do the sales like they do! They have no GC license But are great sales men! They then sub out the work to guys with licenses and make big bucks doing it.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

A.T.C. said:


> I'm a little late to the party, but.....
> 
> It doesn't sound like you are bringing anything to the table. The fact that you consider yourself an organized person is meaningless, because you lack the specific experience of General Contracting, or any type of building for that matter. You can't possibly run a job efficiently, when you have no idea what's going on.
> 
> If you want a job where you make tons of money with little to no skill set, you're gonna have to move farther up the food chain. Some type of middle management in some brokerage or insurance firm. Construction contracting is better left to the guys who want to get dirty. :thumbsup:


Actually a government job could pay you a lot of money for knowing nothing. That would be more realistic for your situation.


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Really???? All you guys really believe this?? I do work for these guys and look up to them and wish I could do the sales like they do! They have no GC license But are great sales men! They then sub out the work to guys with licenses and make big bucks doing it.


Where I'm from you won't land any jobs with out proof of license and if you do I don't want those jobs anyway.


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## moorewarner (May 29, 2009)

A.T.C. said:


> I'm a little late to the party, but.....
> 
> *You can't possibly run a job efficiently, when you have no idea what's going on.*


Your both late and right on time. :thumbsup:

This is what I think most paper GCs don't get. If you don't know anything about the work how can you know if your sub is giving you a fair price, getting it done in a timely fashion, doing it *correctly*.

It's not just scheduling for effs sake. :laughing:


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

SDel Prete said:


> Where I'm from you won't land any jobs with out proof of license and if you do I don't want those jobs anyway.





Dirtywhiteboy said:


> They then sub out the work to *guys with licenses *and make big bucks doing it.


See bold type...


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> See bold type...


Inorder to sub the work out to a licensed guy you would need to land the job. Like I said, if you read it, you won't land any jobs without proof of license. And the the jobs you land aren't worth subbing out as there isn't much money there. People by me are very educated about licensing and those are the ones I work for.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Really???? All you guys really believe this?? I do work for these guys and look up to them and wish I could do the sales like they do! They have no GC license But are great sales men! They then sub out the work to guys with licenses and make big bucks doing it.


You know, Randy, I guess it does work in some places. Not too many of those types around here, (we have the opposite problem of too many craigslist types, without licences), but I don't really see how, especially if you have no experience.

Besides, that crap kinda pisses me off, anyway. We have a country of 10 chiefs to every foot soldier, and every chief skimming a little off the pile, when what we need are 10 foot soldiers, and 1 bad ass, highly intelligent, hard working chief. :thumbsup:

But I doubt my bitching here is gonna change anythhing.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Californiadecks said:


> Actually a government job could pay you a lot of money for knowing nothing. That would be more realistic for your situation.


Can't believe I forgot the whole Gummermint thing. :laughing: That's another good one for wasting resources.


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## CENTERLINE MV (Jan 9, 2011)

Where's the OP to chime in on this? I'm starting to think he was just trolling....


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## CENTERLINE MV (Jan 9, 2011)

I might as well as be constructive. Here is what can happen if one decides to become a "paper" GC with no hands on experience.

http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/big-problem-high-end-client-136537/


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

CENTERLINE MV said:


> I might as well as be constructive. Here is what can happen if one decides to become a "paper" GC with no hands on experience.
> 
> http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/big-problem-high-end-client-136537/


Think you're the third one to link to that. :laughing:


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## steex (Feb 19, 2013)

Well did you hear about the Korean guy building a shed?


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## CENTERLINE MV (Jan 9, 2011)

:laughing: 

Must have gleaned over that :laughing:


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## JCAHILL4 (Nov 2, 2008)

> you want a job where you make tons of money with little to no skill set, you're gonna have to move farther up the food chain.


Become a politician!

Anyway, I smell a troll....


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## SDel Prete (Jan 8, 2012)

JCAHILL4 said:


> Become a politician!
> 
> Anyway, I smell a troll....


Seems he never came back. What a sad thing to happen


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## EricBrancard (Jun 8, 2012)

I don't think he is trolling. He has repsonded to the thread a few times. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. We were all just starting out once.


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