Just hit a $150k year doing deck builds and kitchen flips, but damn the Home Depot markups are killing profits

Finally crossed that $150k revenue mark after 10 years slinging hammers on decks and kitchen remodels, mostly using Trex composite for the outdoor stuff and IKEA cabinets for the budget flips. But between the labor at $45/hr and those Home Depot material runs adding 20% extra, my net's barely scraping 30%. Anyone else feel like the big box stores are screwing us on pricing? Saw a thread on r/Contractor about this last month.

Walked into a job site last week where the GC had us sourcing everything through Home Depot, ended up $2k over budget on plywood alone and he stiffed us on the final pay.

Never trust a client who insists on Home Depot runs, it's a red flag for lowballers.

Congrats on the milestone man, I hit $180k last year on roofing alone with CertainTeed shingles, feels good to finally breathe.

Haha, remember that time I quoted a Trex deck and the HO wanted to 'shop around' at Lowe's? Ended up charging them double for my time.

Private equity vultures are buying up every decent supplier now, jacking prices across the board. We're all getting bent over.

Client calls at midnight because her cat knocked over the IKEA assembly, FML.

Pushing $150k is huge, but don't forget to sock away for that workers comp hike coming next year.

Don't skimp on the 10% contingency, had a kitchen flip where hidden dry rot turned a $30k job into $45k real quick.

Same here bro, been chasing that number for years on my painting gigs, Home Depot paint runs are the worst.

Insurance companies and suppliers teaming up to bleed us dry, it's a damn conspiracy I swear.

Man I feel you on the material costs, just quoted a deck and the Trex pricing made me wanna quit.

Us painters are in the same boat, Sherwin-Williams prices up 12% and clients still haggling like it's 2019.

SharkBite fittings in remodels? Nah, stick to soldered copper, way more reliable long term fight me.