# anybody see a light at the end ?



## d-rock (Oct 21, 2009)

Seems i've been getting more calls for work and estimates. Hasn't translated into dollars yet, but it gives me hope. I will keep you guys posted. 
Happy New Year to all of you, and thank you for being such a great support system, and educational resource.:thumbsup:


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## ryanh (Dec 4, 2009)

Happy new year !


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## evolve991 (Jan 24, 2008)

Happy New Year.Yes I see a slight improvement but I'm going to stick to my current fallback position until things get rolling again.


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## themexicandrywaller (Jan 2, 2010)

I been out of work for about a month but this monday I gonna be looking for work again if someone knows about hanging drywall jobs ,let me know I live in imperial valley but can go all the way to san diego,yuma, well,, were the work is I dont care..
thanks
happy ney 2010 year//


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## themexicandrywaller (Jan 2, 2010)

I foreget to tell.. I have more than 20 years experience hanging drywall I have some experience an metal framing, tapping, well I work some time in a multitrade company doing everything on construction related work


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## wnybassman (May 9, 2008)

We have more work lined up so far this winter than we did last winter. That is a plus.


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## themexicandrywaller (Jan 2, 2010)

good news I hope the same for san diego county


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## joepro0000 (Jun 14, 2008)

themexicandrywaller said:


> I foreget to tell.. I have more than 20 years experience hanging drywall I have some experience an metal framing, tapping, well I work some time in a multitrade company doing everything on construction related work


Come to Miami, I got some sheets to hang here and there.


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## Drywall Tycoon (Mar 1, 2009)

joepro0000 said:


> Come to Miami, I got some sheets to hang here and there.


It was 12 degrees here this morning. I didn't plug in the truck and it started real slow. 

If I didn't have three projects right now I would be down to see you.

Also a prosperous new year to you all. And Drock, your O.K. it does my heart good to see a young guy asking for advice. It sounds like your on the right path.

Tycoon


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## Drywall Tycoon (Mar 1, 2009)

BTW, the light at the end of the tunnel is a train.


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## Custom Drywall Svc. (Oct 31, 2008)

I'm personally looking very forward to 2010.

Psychologically, I'm just trying to be optimistic, but overall I surely feel an 'energy' this new year in starting off things right. Mostly due to the fact that i've called it 'quits' in terms of bidding (or simply fighting external factors) for the last quarter of 2009 -- and more so focusing on my businesses internal factors and operation. For example, I felt I've cut my overhead and expenses to a somewhat bare minimum, JUST to gear up for "2010."

In that sense, I feel great because I know right now my business is the way I want it -- lean, mean, and efficient.

Don't know how it is for your guys' businesses, but overhead was HUGE factor in mine, especially in 2009. Besides all the hacks underbidding in my market (all or ours for that matter), our expenses were eating us alive, and i've now trimmed a decent and significant percentage of it by cutting off all the pork and unnecessary spending.

Externally, I've decided to also try a more 'select' approach to bidding, versus the 'shotgun' method I utilized for 2009 bidding everything under the sun -- only to find I would have 5 - 10% success rate in being awarded this jobs anyways. What a waste of time.

Like I said guys, being undercut by HACKS is not going to end anytime soon. Even during good times this happens, its just more prevalent now as everyone is trying to do the same thing: take a bite out of a pie that has gotten significantly smaller.

So when I mean a more 'select' approach at bidding, I mean to simply pick and choose jobs I KNOW that I have a chance at and which I KNOW I can bid and price competitively.

If this amounts to anything -- who knows.

All i know is that it's a new year, which MUST equate to a new gameplan and attitude, especially when my former gameplan last year produced poor - fair results, I am not afraid to admit this.

2009 sucked, bottom line...and I'm sure I'm not the only one here with that in mind.

Here's to you guys...and 2010.
:drink:


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## [email protected] (Dec 23, 2008)

I, too, gave up the shotgun approach. Most of our work is referrals. I stay real close to a couple of painter buddies, and we kind of hunt work for each other, as well as for our Framer/trim and concreter buds. Screw that lowball crap. The bids on that work are coming in basically .02-.03 over hard cost.

Have picked up a couple quality oriented contractors who pay promptly and well enough. 

All the "outlooks" I've heard for 2010 are saying "slight improvement" over '09. That wouldn't take much. And gotta believe there are fewer of us to do the work, so that bodes well. Also hearing that lumber prices are now on the rise, due mostly to cuts T the mills, I guess. 

So here's to a better year....


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## Custom Drywall Svc. (Oct 31, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> I, too, gave up the shotgun approach. Most of our work is referrals. I stay real close to a couple of painter buddies, and we kind of hunt work for each other, as well as for our Framer/trim and concreter buds. Screw that lowball crap. The bids on that work are coming in basically .02-.03 over hard cost.
> 
> Have picked up a couple quality oriented contractors who pay promptly and well enough.
> 
> ...


Yea, i hear that Darren.

In a way, as bad as it was this year, I did find out who our 'true friends' were, i.e. loyal customers / builders........as im sure you found out as well.

so, if anything -- this was a positive of 2009.

just like that saying, "your true friends are the only ones that stick around when things get bad."

I agree as well, 'slight' improvement for 2010 doesnt take much haha...

which is why I'm optimistic! (or at least play it like I am:blink.

Either way, this year I see as a transitional year. By December 2010, I want to realize fully whether it's wise to stay in, or get out and cut losses while i can all together.

im of course hoping to stay in business -- things WILL GET BETTER people...but when, is the golden question of course.........

never thought I'd be in this position though.

I'm just thankful that when things were good, I was still wise enough to 'keep some for a rainy day' while i had moron business associates and friends buy boats and houses only to be in major trouble right now.

Stay up people.


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## silverstilts (Oct 15, 2008)

You have that nailed right on the head , you find out who your loyal contractors are , Had worked for one many years all of a sudden I find a new crew taking on the work. Go figure always told it was my company he had always hired and no one else, never had any complaints no call backs fixed up others screw ups and for what? Oh well they didn't do squat this year and now 3 homes, I figured the guy that is doing it has his head up the GC behind and buying his work. He even took over the painting end of it which i didn't do to begin with, although the existing painter still hasn't been paid over 8 grand from over a year ago, knock on wood it probably would have been a matter of time before he shafted me. So lost 3 jobs big deal , picked up 4 others better pay and easier. That's the way it goes. When the sheep does hit the fan , and they start having problems due to the drunks that now work for him I hope he don't call me. I have already started making a career out of some major repairs because of them through some other contractors. They just never learn. But all and all things are looking somewhat better still not up to full speed. Didn't get rich this last year but didn't go broke either.


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## Custom Drywall Svc. (Oct 31, 2008)

silverstilts said:


> You have that nailed right on the head , you find out who your loyal contractors are , Had worked for one many years all of a sudden I find a new crew taking on the work. Go figure always told it was my company he had always hired and no one else, never had any complaints no call backs fixed up others screw ups and for what? Oh well they didn't do squat this year and now 3 homes, I figured the guy that is doing it has his head up the GC behind and buying his work. He even took over the painting end of it which i didn't do to begin with, although the existing painter still hasn't been paid over 8 grand from over a year ago, knock on wood it probably would have been a matter of time before he shafted me. So lost 3 jobs big deal , picked up 4 others better pay and easier. That's the way it goes. When the sheep does hit the fan , and they start having problems due to the drunks that now work for him I hope he don't call me. I have already started making a career out of some major repairs because of them through some other contractors. They just never learn. But all and all things are looking somewhat better still not up to full speed. Didn't get rich this last year but didn't go broke either.


yea....'didnt get rich this last year but didnt go broke either' hahhahah......couldn't of said THAT better myself.

The way I look at it, I could've closed shop for the entire 2009, and it wouldnt of made a difference haha....

Yea stilts, loyalty was made clear in 2009, thats for sure. Same as you, I had a particular builder give me all his work, years prior...and same as you, he NEVER questioned quality, and i never experienced call backs.

well, it wasnt till beginning of 2009 on a commercial TI where it was the first time he questioned my prices......saying some other 'contractor' came in and cut my price in half, which was like .45 cents per sf.....just absolute crock of sh-t. Of course, it made me supposedly look like i was 'price gouging' him all these years as he put it, when all i ever did was give him GOOD FAIR pricing.

so, i havnt heard from him since -- and couldnt give a f-k less.

screw these contractors.

Its ONE thing to save money on a bid -- i GET it......but its another thing to justify and make okay irresponsible pricing as a GC.....this is something that has severely scarred our industry.

All of a sudden, you have these 'companies' and crews that come out of the wood work (all illegal of course) who 'just happen' to be able to do 3-4 trades (hahhahahhahahha), its all a load of crap. They then undercut your bid in half, and make YOU look like the bad guy.

good stuff.


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## themexicandrywaller (Jan 2, 2010)

hello again maybe if I wrote my experience on this hard times I am gonna feel better,,sorry for my english....
today I woke up at 3:30 am to drive 2 hours from home to san diego ca.
to ask my last boss (the supervisor of the company)for work..
he said: there is nothing body,,,,and I think its not gonna be nothing until 1 or 2 months more. we are loosing all the bits.
we can not compit whit the NO UNIONS companies, so trait in other places sorry...... 
so tomorrow we (my partner and I) gonna drive another 2 hours but now to palm springs to look for work..
this is the wost time that I am been in all my 20 some years doing drywall
at list back timeswhen we dont find union work ....we doit piecework
but now.......I am almost 2 months unemploied ,,if I cant find work this week I am thinking to go back to work the broccoli fields..
mmmmmmmmmmm.
I feel better now.
I see you tomorrow........bye


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## evolve991 (Jan 24, 2008)

yeah I found out who my loyal 'friends' and contractors were which is why I'm working at Wally world for now. Thats OK it isn't the first time I took a break from the cocknobbery. And each time I came back I made more. THIS time I'm coming back and using THIER tactics against them. We weren't competition before but we will be now! For the time being I'll make what they wanted to pay me to bust my butt without the aggravation, have more time at home and the 'scenery' is nice too:whistling2:


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