Subcontracting handyman jobs for deck repairs and fence fixes: tips from 15 years in

Been subcontracting out deck repairs and fence installations for about 15 years now, mostly using pressure-treated lumber from Home Depot and Simpson Strong-Tie hardware to keep things up to code. If you're just starting, always get a written agreement outlining the scope, payment terms, and who handles the permits, because I've seen too many headaches from verbal deals. Out here in Arizona the sun beats everything to hell, so I insist on UV-resistant stains like Behr for any exterior work. One key thing is vetting subs through references and a quick jobsite test, like building a sample post-and-beam section. Also, build in a 20% markup to cover your liability insurance without eating into profits. Saw a similar discussion in Handyman Nation group where a guy got burned by a sub who ghosted mid-job. Tommy Mello talks about scaling with subs in one of his videos, and it lines up with what I've done to grow without adding full-time hires.

subcontracting is a crapshoot, had a guy botch a whole bathroom remodel and i ate the $2k redo cost

how do you find reliable subs for handyman stuff like drywall patches and tile work?

never sub out without a solid contract, or you'll be on the hook for their screwups legally

fuck these PE-backed companies scooping up all the decent subs, leaving us with the bottom feeders

what's your cutoff for when to hire full-time vs keep subcontracting small jobs like gutter cleans?

we're all getting squeezed by these cheap taskrabbit hacks undercutting real handymen

yeah man, been there with flaky subs ruining my schedule three times this month alone

sharking subs with no insurance is how you end up bankrupt from one bad fall

haha, my last sub showed up with a ryobi drill set and thought he was pro level

called a sub for a quick fence fix and he brought his kid who mostly played in the dirt

damn, that sucks, hope you got it sorted without too much extra hassle