About belts. You got to check toughbuilt and their cliptech system. Its company from us. I buy it in europe - poland, very expensive here but man its amazing.

References of jobs with similar size and scope to yours go a long way. I ask to see those jobs in-person AND talk in-person with 3-5+ happy customers who's jobs finished on-time and on-budget. The first thing I ask those customers is, "Would you build with this Sub again right now?" That criteria weeds out the talkers instantly.

I'm trying to build my own home.

The contractor who makes his profit from a change order!

1:53 Please look in to a cold cut saw from evolution tools or similar

Amazon says you book is not available, do you know when it will be for sale again. I love your channel. Thank you Scott for everything that you do.

Love it ❤

You're a wellspring of motivation! 🌟 ° "Passion for your craft fuels achievement."

Drywall nails with wooden studs work very well. But there are areas of the world where studs in 99% of residential buildings are steel sections. That's one scenario where you have to use screws. I've seen people so seasoned that they can install drywall screws freehand using high-torque impact drivers and ordinary Philips bits. They feather the trigger just right, and it's always a treat to see them in action.

Your channel is so chalked full of useful tips and history. I wonder often if there is any way KZbin apparel could put a handy pocket on your tee shirts. I’m not asking for conceal carry. Just a place for an important little part.

I had a new roof 25years ago they snap off roof sewer vent abs I held back 400 dollars on the job next day they came out and fix the pipe.

Thanks to you guys for bringing us Cy. Great work by a great man. I too did a development but mine was in 2008. Instead of walking away with bucks to go farming I spent 15 years whipping a dead horse. It was nice to hear a story where determination worked out. I went farming anyway and it is a damn tuff business when you don’t have the capital. But in Minnesota we get her done anyway we can. You have a great channel and it will be a treasure for those youngsters coming up. Many thanks

Hanging off a rock with a rope ? Not heard it put that way before and it's a little more involved but I get your drift. Hardest part , loading the rope your gonna hang from in brake bar , backing up to edge then leaning back over the edge hanging from a rock with a rope lol

You're a real treasure, Sir.

This is my favorite channel. I bet this dude says Vehhee- ickle😆

It's really a joy to watch such a skilled craftsman create a great product. Thanks for sharing this with all of us.

Mind if I ask where this was filmed? I live in Southern Oregon, but I lived in Wyoming for a few years and that looked more like Oregon than Wyoming. I do believe that you said that you used to run that in Wyoming. You also mentioned the Pacific Northwest. You really got me curious. By the way, I worked at a circular sawmill back in Wyoming about 45 years ago. Beautiful place, beautiful people.

In 40 years, the only time I ever worked without a retainer: 1) On big ($10m + -- the whole job, not my part)) commercial jobs for mega contractors, published bids, whole 9 yds; 2) architect referrals where we used the AIA contract, which is a cost plus progress payments once a month.. On every other job I took a deposit if I was the sub, paid a deposit if I was the GC. If my job was for a homeowner, ABSOLUTELY took a deposit, & 30% instead of the usual 10%. I can think of no good reason not to take a deposit, and it would be a red flag for me if a contractor didn't ask for one. Something just not right. A contract is an exchange of promises for value where each side is taking a risk. The GC will be hurt if his sub doesn't show up and perform, but so will the sub if he is not allowed to show up and perform--usually hurt more. Not taking a deposit is not being honest and straightforward, it is taking uncompensated risk. You wouldn't do that with liability insurance, or workman's comp, or shop and truck insurance. Why would you do it in your contracting practices?

I used gas chainsaws, line trimmers, and the like as a landscaper. I wad a die hard gasser. Then technology improved and I found use cases. I work with impact drivers, impacts, sds hammer drills and I'm convinced about using battery tools.

As a subcontractor myself, I respectfully disagree with a request for deposit as being a red flag, as there are plenty of other signs that reveal oneself to be legit. Of course there are the scammers, but you can usually smell them from a mile away. As a welder/fabricator myself, I usually always request a deposit to at least cover materials. This shows good faith to me from the customer.

Rule number one about swinging a hammer. EVERYTHING is a hammer

I require a financial commitment from the client before I make a time commitment to them which as a carpenter, to me, is me making a financial commitment as well. I have no social media besides you tube which I only use for my own education but don’t post much. All my work is word of mouth.

Not only are there bad contractors there are bad customers! It takes years of experience to navigate both.

So what is his reason for not using purple or clear primer? Is it because he's using that blue hot glue instead? Does that mean you do not need primer

I never start a job without a deposit. This isn’t 1985

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍👍☕️☕️☕️🍻🍻🍻👀👀👀🥃🥃🥃🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Wow!! I am overwhelmed. Maybe make gym program out of it? unsubscribing

Twice in my life of owning my own home I decided to serve as the GC for projects that were larger than I wanted to tackle on my own. The first involved having the windows replaced on the house, having the house repiped and then having the house stuccoed. The only problem I had was because the guy that measured the windows did not know what he was doing. His installers were great and were able to manage the issues his mistakes created. The plumbers were in and out in one day and TGD next came and sealed up the holes they had made while repiping and the stucco guys made the outside of the house look amazing and even came by a year later to see if any cracking had developed. It took time and effort to locate the right subs got the jinx but it was well worth it. I do believe that my having grown up with a father that was a carpenter helped out a lot in my choosing the right people.

You should do a video on how subcontractors should vet main contractrs

I came to think of the words of J. W. Goethe: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Here’s a method that’s worked well for me. Example: when looking for a concrete sub, I called several local ready mix companies and told them “I’m an owner / builder and I’m looking for a good concrete sub. One that’s busy and always pays your invoices on time. I also let them know if the sub pans out, I’ll purchase the material from them. I always get a few qualified names. After that, it’s about placing a call and seeing who wants your business - with whom you have good “chemistry”.

What a wonderful insite to your life and that of many "blue collars ". Thank you!

My bad experiences with subcontractors is mainly when I don't get to choose them. What advice do you have about working with a GC? The GC makes all the promises in the world, but the quality of the work always comes down to the subs they choose which are beyond my ability to vet. Advice?

I always thought number 1 was pretty a pretty standard practice? The last contractor I hired was a septic/sewer company to convert my house from septic to city sewer. They had already connected two other neighbor's houses, I approached them (literally, physically walked across the street) for a quote, it was reasonable, and I think I gave them 25% down to quite literally hold my place in line as they were connecting hundreds of houses. I thought since they were currently working right across the street they would probably just do mine "quick" to avoid trucking the equipment around. Nope. They came back in a few weeks when it was my turn. This all seemed entirely fine? Is that not how it's supposed to be done?

I feel like it's next to impossible to find contractors who meet even most of the green flags. So so many contractors act so arrogant and pretend like they can't be bothered to do anything other than EXACTLY what they want to do. They all seemingly have no concept of time or schedules. And they expect the client to bend over backwards for them, such as being home with 1 day notice. I wish there was a reliable and honest database for reviewing these people. Google is all fake reviews, and the other services like Angi are pay to play (also totally fake reviews).

5:45 in germany we call this one a fäustel (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A4ustel)

I have been a sub on many jobs with home owner GC's. I could write 3 books on the drama and cock-ups. When I went independent I learned to say no to certain jobs. I would refuse to do work on top of obvious mistakes from previous workers, especially if I see that the problem started with the foundation, and all the fudging by the framers and roofers to make it work. It's always the interior finish and trim guys that end up with the stick. It's been a costly learning curve in that position so I never quote interior finish work on unbuilt homes. I have happily walked away from more jobs than I've taken on.

I just need someone to do the concrete slab. I'm nervous about that one because I need the slab to be dead flat and on elevations.

Sir, you are a good man. Thank you.

Residential code does not require it, but any pot filler faucet setup should have a water drain/pan built into the stove, no excuse for that one.

As someone considering starting a business, this is a great list of what to do and what not to do

Love all your content but as a remodeler I disagree with a couple of your points. If we’re a month or more out we require $100 to save a spot on the calendar. Saves us turning away another project and then customer cancels last minute for whatever reason. Second we started getting half down upfront and it has made a world of difference. Now we’re not strapped for cash from floating peoples projects. We can purchase and have everything onsite before we start. I do agree a consumer should check all the other things especially references before handing over any money and have everything in writing. Thanks for all the content you put out.

The true"most interesting man in the world" in my mind!

I'm a retired PM. Sage advice. I was lucky to have the subs I hired that finished. If there are rumors out there about a sub pay attention. There is always something to them.

I've been a remodel contractor for 25 years. I specialize in mid to high end interiors. I admit.... I'm a bit OCD. I am willing to pay whatever the subcontractor asks and I take alot of time to outline my expectations. I've lived in four states over the past 25 years so I don't have the advantage of being in one market for a long time. Especially since Covid.... it has been nearly impossible to find a good sub contractor. It's so bad that I am looking into a new career path.

The last 10 years or so, the economy has been smoking hot; and as a result of that, the subs have had too much leverage and can pick and choose the jobs they want. Or, to put it another way, the subs vet you, not the other way around. They have you over a barrel in today's economy. If you're a young person starting out in the trades today, you've got it made in the shade.

I had the salesman contractor who brought the foreman (who I suspect was a sub) on site to review the job before the bid process, and the salesman literally didn't speak the same language as the foreman (sub?), who had brought a Spanish-English translator with him. I worried about how many details of the work were going to get lost in translation between me to the sales guy to the translator to the foreman (sub?) and to the foreman's crew. I declined their bid, which also seemed high, and am doing the work myself, but I'm curious what others would have thought and done in a similar situation.

Here's another free hint: The best contractors are too busy to entertain your project. When I considered a job, the value of the job was always weighed against what else I'd be doing if I wasn't working for you. Imo, that drives up the cost of smaller projects in a way that clients might not appreciate or understand. There's no work Then there's a bit of work, and you're super grateful for it. Then there's a ton of work, and you start to get picky Then there's endless work, and you start day dreaming about the days when there was no work Then you quit :)

I use a pair with brass circle clamps, goes around belt loops

14 years as a sub. What I've learned is that customers/homeowners deserve the reputation that subcontractors get. Here's the gist: CHEAP-FAST-GOOD. Pick two. You only get two of the three, so pick and be at peace with the choice you made. Technically retired at 45, so thank-you very much to the universe for guiding me on the path of a self-employed trades worker. That being said, I'm glad I never have to say 'YES' to anyone ever again, haha! Hell, I even stuck around working a year longer than I had to, just to say no to everyone and be a PITA, like a pig enjoying a good roll in the mud :)