Subbing out drain cleaning jobs in north jersey - these guys are killing me with delays

Just saw this post in a Plumbers United facebook group about homeowners in Findlay, Ohio dealing with a nasty sewer backup and begging for affordable reliable plumbers, reminds me of the crap I'm putting up with here in north jersey. I've been subcontracting drain work to this one crew with a Ridgid K-45 snake setup for the last year, thinking it'd free me up for bigger repipes, but they're always late showing up and leaving messes that cost me callbacks. Last month alone, I lost $2,500 in potential upsells because their delays pissed off clients on two PEX-A remodels. I'm using Jobber to track everything, but coordinating subs is a nightmare when you're paying them $75 an hour flat. Anyone else dealing with unreliable drain subs in a tight market like this? Watched a Roger Wakefield video on better sub vetting, but damn, need real talk.

man i feel that, subs flaking out sucks the life outta your schedule.

subcontracting drain work is a scam imo, just buy your own ridgid and do it yourself to keep control.

ugh yeah, north jersey traffic aint helping but these subs act like they got all day.

totally get the frustration, been there with pipefitters who drag their feet on commercial jobs.

we all hate unreliable subs.

try vetting them harder, i only use guys i've seen work a full day first.

screw these big box subs, they're backed by corps that dont care about your timeline.

check their reviews on angi before signing on, saved me from a few headaches.

SharkBite quick connects make solo work easier, skip subs altogether on simple stuff.

don't sub out emergencies, you'll get sued when they botch a main line and flood the place.

switch to housecall pro for better sub tracking, integrates scheduling like a dream.

i run background checks and require bonds now, cut my issues in half.

same boat, delays on drain jobs make clients think you're the problem.

set penalties in your contracts, like 10% off if late over an hour.

haha yeah, or the sub shows up in a beater van reeking of last night's beer.

for drain subs, insist on their own liability insurance proof upfront.

damn, that findlay post sounds like every backup call we get.

never sub to guys without a solid ridgid setup, you'll regret it when the snake jams mid-job.