Burned out after 20 years as a handyman in north jersey - hit 100k but knees are done

Man, just wrapped up my 20th year doing handyman work in north jersey, finally cracked 100k revenue last year mostly from deck repairs and kitchen remodels using DeWalt tools that have held up through the winters here. But damn, my knees are shot from crawling under houses and hauling lumber all season, and the long hours mean I'm missing my kids' games again. Saw a post in Handyman Nation FB group where a guy sold his business after similar burnout, made me think about hanging it up. Anyone else hit this wall? Tommy Mello talks about scaling with help but finding reliable guys is tough around here. Feels like the grind never ends even when the money's rolling in. NGL, part of me wants to keep going but the body's saying no.

Screw the PE firms sniffing around handyman ops, they just gut the soul outta the work and spit out cookie-cutter crews.

Hire a strong back off Craigslist for the heavy lifting, pays off quick.

Same here bro, 15 years and my back screams every morning.

Felt this deep, sold my tools last year and went part-time consulting.

Ugh, knees gone at 45, started doing more trim work on ladders to save em.

We're all in this grind together, handymen get no respect from the big contractors.

Just got my first ACL tear from a rushed deck job, out 6 weeks no pay.

Those winter jobs in jersey kill ya slow.

NJ winters are brutal, salt everywhere rusting my DeWalt batteries too.

Big box stores undercutting us with cheap installs, it's BS.

Hit 150k myself but yeah, the physical toll is real af.

Don't wait, get on workers comp now before it's too late.

18 years, now I sub out the heavy stuff to apprentices.

Haha, my 'milestone' was realizing I need a real vacation, not a sick day.

Subfloor work wrecked my shoulders, had to pivot to painting gigs.

The handyman life chews you up if you don't set boundaries early.

Finally got to 120k but divorced over the hours, worst milestone ever.

Heard Tommy Mello on a podcast, he said delegate or die trying.

PE vultures circling small handyman shops, don't sell cheap.

SharkBite everything, saves time on plumbing side jobs.

Jersey handymen unite, we need better rates across the board.

Gutter cleans are killing my neck, switched to drone inspections lol.

Outsource the crap jobs, focus on high-end remodels for the cash.

Same boat, 100k year but docs say retire or surgery.

Rate hikes incoming for us all, inflation's eating margins.

Haha, my milestone was not dropping a couch on my foot this year.

Clients expecting master carpenter work for handyman prices, infuriating.

Just bid a full kitchen for 8k, knees held up barely.

Furniture assembly gigs saved my back, steady 50k add-on.

Panel upgrades? Nah, stick to what you know or get zapped.

Burnout hits hard after 10 years solo.

Duct cleaning side hustle, easier on the joints.

Trap setting for pests? Lucrative but gross milestone.

Gutter guards install boom, but ladders suck.

Dust bunnies winning the war in old houses.

Shingle side jobs in winter? Freeze your ass off.

Roller painting marathons, arms like noodles now.

Garage door ops, quick cash but repetitive strain.

Try yoga, sounds dumb but saved my career at 50.