Job Poll

silverstilts

I would like to post a poll but not sure how to go about it in a form method , but here it goes this way .. What is your favorite phase of Drywall and why ? Hanging , Tape coat , Installing Bead , 2ND coat , finish coat , Texture and specialty finishes , and misc. such as estimating or P.R. Development. Personally I love dealing with people and the challenge , & Number 2 for me is i do like texture , ( messy but gravy work for me )

brdn_drywall

i notice you didn't mention sanding in your list, not that it would be anyone's favorite thing to do in this trade lol.
i would also agree on texturing as my favorite, one of the quickest things in the process and your right about it being gravy.

Custom Drywall Svc.

Me too stilts, i REALLY enjoy dealing with people.

in terms of bidding, negotiating, etc.

as of late, the entire bidding process (as depressing it can be nowadays) is where i get a lot of satisfaction.

not just simply bidding the job......but being awarded is of course the best feeling.

it's all a challenge, especially now.

bottomline, i love being competitive.

good post stilts.

Darren@Partners

Ditto. But "Spray day is Payday"

silverstilts

Got that one right , finished one yesterday knock down on all the walls and ceilings , packing up the stuff and the contractor showed up and looked at me and said get a hold of me tomorrow .... It is always nice when they offer to pay you when finished so just finished the invoice this morning on my merry way ,, best way to end the week gravy day with some cash in hand..

eastex1963

I dunno, like Darren says, "Spray day IS payday". I like to get paid when finished. Period. I don't like to, and seldom do, wait till the next day. Feels like I'm chasing someone down to get paid.....Could just be me, I guess.

Custom Drywall Svc.

Custom Drywall Svc.

hah, honestly man....

yea, you're absolutely 'right' .....but you gotta be kidding yourself (especially today) if you think it is realistic getting paid the instance, let alone the same DAY as you complete your job.

this can be such a touchy subject, 'when to invoice.' and youll see why:

first off.....theres a couple things with asking for payment IMMEDIATELY.

it just looks bad first off. makes it appear to the customer or the contractor that you just dont have money in the bank.

now....like i said...this is TOUCHY, this topic. reason being.........you have EVERY SINGLE RIGHT...to demand payment even before the texture mud dries on that last wall.

buuut.....impressions CAN be important. you can risk losing the confidence from a big builder who feels you dont have enough money or credit in the bank to bank roll a possibly BIGGER job in the future....

NOW....in no way am i saying 'bank roll' a job....thats not the idea.

the point is......there is a fine line as far as invoicing a customer.

whats appropriate in my book (and most)?

the very next morning you should be preparing that invoice and sending it off in the mail -- nothing wrong with this.

but to ask a customer the same day, let alone on the jobsite (although, im not saying you did this, but im getting that impression) i feel is absolutely inappropriate and unprofessional.

what i personally do.....

in most cases, i bill out the following business day. it all depends really....

so....eastex, theres nothing wrong with your position, as in 'hey im done...and i want to get paid'.......i just feel its unprofessional to ask the SAME day, and looks like you operate your company from paycheck to paycheck.

unfortunately, impressions DO count in this business.

all in all, im sure we ALL want to get paid when were done.

just the reality is we dont....period.

how many of you guys can say you easily get paid the day of, or day AFTER :P

cmon.....we all know we're waiting for checks in the mail for at least 15-30 days! hah!

Darren@Partners

Yeh, that's why the quotation marks. I too usually (with local builders) bill on spray day and then the get my check on whatever day the bank mails the draws. With the rural work, have been getting half on hang day and other half on spray day. That's the way their old drywaller wanted it and far be it for me to be changing them.

eastex1963

hiya custom,
don't want to get in a pissin' match with ya......(i've seen ya do it with most on here at times). that's just the way i do it. the builder's/homeowners know up front that's the way i get paid. i live in a rural area and most is residential work. i may drive up to 75 miles one way. when i get through, i get paid. been like that for 25 years now. also, i don't advertise. word of mouth only. been busy for 25 years.......so with all your hah's and this and that ....whatever. i'm sure you'll reply with sumthin.........you always do.

oh yeah, btw, whitey, go ahead and pound me for the punctuation, grammer, etc., lol. it's been a long day.....sprayed 15,000 ft. today. i'm tired. lol.......but guess what, i got paid TODAY.

later guys

silverstilts

I have to agree somewhat on both sides of the last two posts , It can be tacky to be standing there waiting for a hand out the second you are done , and besides that most contractors don't like to write out a check on the spot but get back into there office to do it where they can sit down and properly do all the paper work that goes along with it ,( perhaps they don't even cut the checks personally but there bookkeeper does , or it has to go thru an abstract company ) On the other hand there are the run of the mill home owners that usually accept the fact that when they hire you that they will issue a check on completion , not unlike going to the mechanic having work done on your vehicle you don't just leave and tell the mechanic to bill you out and drop it in the mail , most times payment is due immediately.... GC go buy a completely different way of billing and invoicing they are our middle man so to speak of , we give them an invoice and they Should have to draw money from the owners to cover our part of the job , So billing out an invoice one should be patient and make sure in our contract when payment is due. I always make sure to include payment 10 days net after completion and walk thru of Home owner / Contractor , it has always worked out..

Custom Drywall Svc.

well...im not gonna reply with something. at least not what you think i will reply with.

bottomline, what you said above, if it works for you, than more power.....i wish i could get paid the same day as my finish date as well.....i admire that actually.

nothin wrong at all here eastex....like i said in my post....you are NOT in the wrong by any means.

Custom Drywall Svc.

there ya go stilts.....exactly.

i shouldve been more clear in that sense......GC and homeowner.

especially my post to Eastex.

you are absolutely right stilts....as far as the differences btwn the two parties.

A+ Texture LLC

My favorite part is slobbering all over myself while watchin the customer write me a big fat check.

LadyFinisher

It seems to me, how you get paid would be in your contract with either the homeowner or a GC. After my bid is accepted and the contract is written how the company gets paid is in the contract that the HO and/ or GC signs, and therefore would not be a surprise. However, I agree the is a big difference in getting paid by a HO and a GC.

Custom Drywall Svc.

yea.....what i experience, i think most ppl in business will agree here, is that in GENERAL, homeowners usually pay the fastest.

GC's usually take at LEAST 15 days.

of course, all this above is taken with a huge grain of salt in this recession.

right now.....EVERYONE...pays slow....period.

Darren@Partners

One more distinction should be made here. The home builders pay between 15-45 days, depending on completion and draw dates. The GC (commercial) will generally pay between 30-90 days.

Custom is right again... evrybody has gotten pretty slow on paying. Am now EXTRA careful about the terms with new customers. I let them know up front if I can't be paid timely, I'm not really interested in doing their work.

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www.partnersconstruction-drywall.com

joepro0000

Yea we all know those builders and GC's who take months to pay - but why? Because they'd like to sit that 100k in the bank for 2 month and make some interest before they let it go.

Darren@Partners

Yep. The builder has figured out that the 7% or so on the construction loan-- if he drags his feet paying not just the Drywall guy, but the other 20 subs...he can save a cart of money. The more homes he's got going, the more $ he saves by paying slow. If it's 30k a 7% for one month he saves $175. If he's got 10 going, that's $1750 in his pocket. And now they point the finger at us, saying we were overcharging all those years.....

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www.partnersconstruction-drywall.com

Custom Drywall Svc.

jesus thats exactly what gets me the MOST.

not ALL of my builders and GCs (only the idiot ones who dont understand the construction business) are all making comments on how i was 'overcharging' in the past......this is probably THEE most annoying backlash that is happening from this downturn.

i dont consider pricing where it SHOULD be as overcharging......whats more reprehensible is the garbage right NOW being called 'pricing'

a respectable and reputable drywall company such as mine being beat by hacks that are anywhere from 20% - 50% lower.....???

THIS is what's wrong. and im not saying that just because its less money in my pocket these days, but just for the very fact that its wrong. its like the integrity has gotten lost as companies get more and more desperate to get jobs.

its nothing but wal-mart drywall out there right now.....but i still refuse to play it that way. id rather have my company sit there stagnant not doing anything rather than be trading dollars with GC's who try to squeeze every last drop of blood out of you while they are paying 99 cent value meal prices.

im sorry, but my company's main competitive advantage is NOT pricing -- it's quality.