I hate my job!

[Eagaholic]

CVON?

?

[SD]

Almost 7 years with the VA, love my job. Have received an exceptional review every month, quarter, and year. Received letters from the undersecretary, given awards etc. We're given errors by our quality team. They gave me two critical errors last month, both were clearly mistakes on their part, so I submitted a rebuttal. They're slow getting answers back, so my monthly review says "performance not met"...first time in 7 years. So since I have to wait on them I'm refusing to sign my negative monthly performance review. Don't really see how it's fair I have to sign something saying I wasn't successful when it's going to be refuted and overturned. Anyway, now I'm being contacted by everyone so I emailed the director with a statement. This should be fun.

[Rome]

Sounds like the scene in Band Of Brothers where Dick Winters tells Ross from Friends to cram it. 

[MDS]

oh man i hope your hr rep isnt a woman

[SD]

oh man i hope your hr rep isnt a woman

She is, and we're friends. I see her at Parx from time to time. She's awesome. Director is female too, been in the news quite a bit. She's actually a great Director and very personable. Anyway, she emailed me back saying she understands my concerns, don't sign it, and yes I can submit a statement saying why I refuse to sign it. She also told me they had a town hall meeting today and 90% of the questions were about the quality review teams so it's an issue they're addressing immediately.

[SD]

Now they're threatening us with performance letters and termination for mistakes that are pending review and we can do nothing about. #MAGA.

[smeags]

Now they're threatening us with performance letters and termination for mistakes that are pending review and we can do nothing about. #MAGA.

[SD]

He was mentioned during our meeting. The new VA accountability law, which is from horrible service at VA hospitals and upper management at Regional Offices is now rolling downhill. 50% of the VA doesn't make their points or quality, so I guess they're firing half their work force and starting over. 25% of people who do my job don't last past one year. Good luck finding quality people who want to deal with this mess.

[smeags]

somehow, when the shtein hits the fan there, i feel he will blame the black guy who proceeded him.

[Diomedes]

Okay y'all, I need a little help.  I'm going further out on my own.  Been technically self-employed for a long time, but got most of my work subbing as carpenter and project manager to a G.C. who drives a truck and sells jobs but never picks up a tool.  He was the money man that found clients, paid bills, etc.  As such, he was the keeper of all the numbers, maker of bills and contracts, check on material prices, etc....I went very little into all that because I had my hands full with site management, subcontractor scheduling and management, and then of course, actual labor building shtein.

I billled my guy an hourly rate, got a 1099, etc.  He kept me pretty busy so I rarely did my own jobs. 

That relationship is waning and now I'm taking more jobs of my own.  I'm licensed, incorporated (sole owner LLC), insured, etc.  All the work I'm talking about here is residential in the Baltimore Annapolis corridor.

Here's my question:  what's a fair rate for what I do?  What is the rate for a good (but not master Jedi) carpenter where you live? 

I'm chewing on a spreadsheet, trying to figure out what my overhead is, and that's easy enough I guess.

Ultimately, I have to just decide what my labor is worth, my knees, my shoulders, my experience, but it would be helpful if I had some ideas of what people think is a fair rate.

Appreciate any help you can offer

[PhillyPhreak54]

Congrats on stepping out a little further.

I will talk to some of my guys and see what they charge for their rates and let you know.

[Rome]

$50-$75/hour sounds right for your professional level. 

[Diomedes]

Texas is gonna be a very different market, but I look forward to whatever you learn. 

I know I've been billed out at $65/hour, but I'm curious about how close that is to what other's are doing.

[SD]

My buddy does work in Philly, his brother is an LLC carpenter, does most of his work in the city or Bucks County. He says he usually charges $25-40 an hour. He said he has nightmare projects (my door frames needed to be adjusted because the house was built in 1976 and had the original doors and they no longer manufacture doors that fit...custom built doors were too expensive). For stuff like that he says he charges the $40 hour rate. He also takes travel time and equipment into consideration. Everyone I know who's a contractor has more work than they can handle. I don't know if you're in that situation but look at ways to get the word out. Stuff like facebook is free to make your own business page.

Most of the guys I deal with don't charge hourly, they'll usually give an overall price for the project.

[Diomedes]

Holy crap, that's inexpensive.  How do they pay for insurance, licensing, a truck, taxes, health care, tools, etc?

I've learned to be wary of flat rate bids in renovation.  If I"m going to build someone a fence, or a garden shed or something, then I can figure an accurate cost and time, because it's all under my control and there are only so many surprises that coulf farg me.  But when dealing with existing structures and other peoples' prior work, I won't do anything but time and materials plus a percentage for profit.  Too much room for surprises, etc.